Board goals for 2018-2019 to 2020-2021

The Board will provide oversight of the CRA's organization and administration, as specified in the Canada Revenue Agency Act. The Board will guide transformation in the CRA to optimize and integrate best practices in management. Over this planning period, the Board will continue to support the Agency's determination to be a world-class tax and benefit administration, by ensuring the Agency has accurate and client-focused performance measures, attainable through continued concentration on breaking down silos across the Agency, solid project management, and a culture of service to valued clients.

Board priorities for 2018-2019 to 2020-2021

The development of the Corporate Business Plan is part of the Board's legislated mandate. This responsibility also includes setting challenging service standards and meaningful client-focused performance measures. The Board will ensure the Agency has the capacity to achieve these measures. It will give great importance to following up on the execution of the plan throughout its life cycle, and instilling a sense of urgency throughout the organization to achieve planned results. Using core Board monitoring tools such as the Board performance dashboard, members will oversee the timely and effective achievement of goals in this Corporate Business Plan, as well as considering the Minister's mandate and the government's budgetary objectives. In this planning period, the Board will also specifically monitor the achievement of Vision 2020 goals and the implementation of the World Class Tax and Benefit Administration initiative.

Over the next planning period, to support the implementation of this Corporate Business Plan, the Board will concentrate on five priorities: service, people, resources, integrity and security, and innovation. A description of these priorities is provided in the following sections.

The Board will receive regular reports on all aspects of the security function, with particular emphasis on cybersecurity. More specifically, because information security and the security of Agency information and systems management are significant risk factors and constantly changing, Board members will continue to oversee collaboration between the Agency, Shared Services Canada, and other Government of Canada partners, and will also continue to approve the Information Technology Strategic Plan.

Service

The Board will make the area of customer experience a priority, ensuring employees understand the valued client concept and are motivated to put it into practice, understanding clients' needs and making them central to service. This will apply whether serving clients through an ever-evolving and improving digital service, fast, pertinent, and accurate call centre responses, or training volunteers to help all Canadians obtain the guidance they need to file a proper return, and receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

The Board will continue to support the CRA's specific goals not only in transformational technology projects, such as the evaluation and development of new call centre technology in partnership with Shared Services Canada, but in ensuring timely responses to objections and appeals, and ensuring accessible, relevant and efficient call centre service. In this regard, an ad hoc subcommittee of the Board has been established to provide oversight of the strategy and implementation of the Agency's call centre action plan, and to provide oversight in respect of the implementation of the recommendations of the Auditor General's report. The Board will also encourage continued efforts to involve Canadian individuals and businesses in consultations that involve stakeholders and staff of the CRA at all levels, and to implement measurable improvements resulting from targeted public opinion research.

To support the Agency's readiness to adopt and respond to emerging technologies, the Board has launched an ad hoc subcommittee to work with members of the Agency's Blockchain working group. The subcommittee and working group will work on the development and implementation of strategies for the Agency's adoption of blockchain technology, in line with broader Government of Canada strategies.

The Board will also underline the importance of internal service culture in its direction to senior management, with the objectives of increasing excellence of service between branches, removing barriers between functional areas, and breaking down silos to increase productivity.

People

A large part of encouraging service excellence to Canadians is ensuring employees are supported in a healthy and respectful workplace, and are recognized for exceptional contributions in improving service to Canadians. The Board will continue to recognize service teams and individuals at all levels who make interactions with or within the CRA simpler and more satisfying.

People management depends in part on fair treatment of all the CRA's employees. The Board will require regular reports on Phoenix and any issues with human resources systems or processes that have an impact on personnel. Members will also continue to oversee the modernization of human resources service delivery within the Agency. In addition, the Board will give careful consideration to the CRA's collective bargaining recommendations to the Treasury Board.

In order to ensure the Agency's alignment of recruitment to the business needs of the future, the Board will examine the annual Agency Workforce Plan, and its alignment with Corporate Business Plan priorities and goals, before approval. Besides monitoring recruitment and retention strategies during the planning period, the Board will also oversee plans for internal succession, training, and development for executives and all personnel.

Finally, the Board will assess the performance of leadership at the CRA, and encourage measurable and timely results against this Corporate Business Plan and individual performance objectives.

Financial resources

The Board will continue to support and supervise strong financial resource management at the Agency through its monitoring of the Strategic Investment Plan, its approval and monitoring of major project investments worth over $20 million during the project's life cycle, and its oversight of quarterly financial results and the annual contracting report. The Board will also examine the CRA's annual financial statements as part of its consideration of the Departmental Results Report for recommendation to the Treasury Board.

As part of its oversight responsibility, the Board will weigh enterprise risk in priority areas through its annual review of the Corporate Risk Profile and Enterprise Risk Action Plan, and monitor risk mitigation strategies, as well as the use of the Profile to identify engagements in the annual Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan submitted for Board approval.

The Board will support a strong internal audit function, and regularly review its plans and resulting reports. The Board will be briefed on audits by external bodies such as the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), and will receive reports by representatives of the OAG on a quarterly basis.

Integrity and security

An important component of fairness for taxpayers is ensuring the integrity of those who serve them. The Board will review the annual Integrity Framework and insist on aspects of integrity and fairness throughout the human resources function, including its policies and training. It will also be briefed on appropriate disciplinary measures in cases of misconduct.

The Board will receive regular reports on all aspects of the security function, with a particular emphasis on cyber security. More specifically, since the security of the CRA's information and system management is a major and evolving element of risk, Board members will continue to monitor the collaboration between the Agency, Shared Services Canada, and other Government of Canada partners, as well as approve the Information Technology Strategic Plan.

Innovation

The Board will stimulate innovation at all levels of the CRA, and continue to challenge employees, communities of interest and senior management to include innovative ideas and practices in all business areas, in order to improve service to citizens and the everyday working life of employees. The Board will continue to encourage the work of the Accelerated Business Solutions Lab, and innovative suggestions for work in regions and at headquarters, whether they refer to small day-to-day changes or major improvements.

The Board will once again hold its annual strategic planning meeting, and invite expert external speakers to spark debate within the CRA on potential innovations in areas under the Board's oversight. Board members will also continue to examine and evaluate Board governance, and determine where innovation and best practices may help streamline or improve Board oversight and operation.