Innovation (cont'd)

Advancing Change Objective 3

To achieve administrative reform and renewal by having in place policies and practices tailored to meet the needs of the CCRA

Developing policies and practices that suit our business requirements and support sound financial management and efficient administration is an agency-wide priority. Our efforts to develop, link, and integrate more flexible and efficient business processes have a direct bearing on our capacity to achieve better business results and improve productivity.

Our work in this area intensified in 2001-2002, with an examination of all financial and administrative policies, programs, and systems, and the subsequent development of an action plan focussing on cost reduction, improving service, and modern comptrollership. Over the planning period, we will implement this action plan in close consultation with key stakeholders, including the CCRA's unions.

Our administrative reforms and cost reduction initiatives are expected to yield savings in the order of $34 million over the next three years.

One of our cost reduction initiatives involves implementing of an e-procurement system. Through a series of strategic sourcing contracts to leverage our purchasing power, we anticipate savings in the order of $9.5 million over the planning period. We will also be exploring the potential of shared services in areas such as accounts payable, travel claims processing, security clearances, and pay. In addition, we will complete developing a publishing strategy to become more reliant on electronic communications. Altogether, potential savings are targeted in the order of $8.3 million in 2002-03, $11.8 million in 2003-2004, and $14.3 million in 2004-2005.

For modern comptrollership, we will pursue continued improvements to our financial controls and information, and meet the requirements of the Government's Financial Information Strategy (FIS). We are now in the second phase of FIS implementation. In response to the identification of significant tax overpayments to four provinces, priority will also be given to strengthening financial management, planning, and reporting systems to meet our own statutory requirements and the needs of our provincial partners.

In 2002-2003, we will pilot new activity-based costing methodologies to assess their usefulness in meeting the CCRA's strategic management and information needs. To support efficient decision-making by managers, we will enhance the Corporate Administrative system and streamline budget planning and allocation processes.

Date modified:

2002-03-21