Agency governance and the Board of Management

The Board's goal for 2011-2012 to 2013-2014 is to ensure that the CRA has a robust strategic framework to support its ongoing work and that sound management, monitoring and reporting practices are in place. The Board's key areas of focus for the period will be to ensure improvements to the CRA's performance measurement framework, to pursue enhancements to the governance of the CRA risk management regime, as well as to provide effective oversight of CRA resources and service delivery. The following is a summary of the Board of Management's priorities for the period 2011-2012 to 2013-2014, grouped according to the Board's statutory oversight responsibilities.

Administration of the CRA

• Strategy and strategic planning: Oversee approval and implementation of strategies and seek assurance that the CRA continues to engage with stakeholders to help shape its long-term strategies and to improve its performance measurement framework.
• Enterprise risk management: Ensure that CRA risks are fully integrated into the strategic, operational, and financial decision-making processes of the organization, ensure the CRA's risk exposure is in line with its risk tolerance, and that a sound risk management culture is in place.
• Management oversight: Continue to enhance the Board of Management Oversight Framework to be even more robust, transparent, quantifiable, and further aligned to key Board priorities.

Organization of the CRA

• Set performance objectives for the Commissioner-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and conduct an annual performance assessment, to complement the federal government's overall assessment.
• Provide input to the performance objectives and assessments of a number of senior CRA executives to ensure that their accountabilities are aligned with Agency priorities.

Management of resources

• Ensure that sound financial controls are in place, including: the CEO / Chief Financial Officer Certification Process of internal controls over financial reporting.
• Review and monitor the CRA's Resources Management Strategy and Strategic Investment Plan, and oversee and approve major investment projects, to ensure the most effective and efficient use of resources.
• Oversee the management of information technology risks and initiatives to ensure that the CRA has sound information technology systems and infrastructure to support new and on-going business needs.

Management of services

• Oversee the Agency's provision of services to ensure the needs of taxpayers and clients are met in a fair, professional and respectful manner.
• Monitor the CRA's review of the efficiency and effectiveness of its service standards.
• Continue to receive regular updates from the Taxpayers' Ombudsman on any service-related concerns and engage CRA management in efforts to address such concerns, as necessary.

Management of personnel

• Provide input into the development of policies and strategies necessary to recruit, develop and retain talented employees, including the review of processes in place for succession planning, talent management, knowledge transfer, and the ongoing review of the CRA's Workforce Strategy.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the CRA's Integrity Framework, a multi-year initiative in support of a CRA key objective to maintain and enhance the public's trust in the CRA.
• Oversee, review, and approve the CRA's negotiating mandate and collective agreement with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

Board governance

The Board will ensure that it further develops and enhances its own governance so that it continues to be recognized for its best practices. To this end, the Board will strengthen its risk governance role and continue to evolve its processes and practices to ensure that Board plans and meeting agendas strike the ideal balance between key strategic and fiduciary matters.

Board Membership

The Board of Management of the CRA is made up of 15 members Footnote 1 appointed by the Governor in Council. They include the Chair, the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, a director nominated by each province, one director nominated by the territories, and two directors nominated by the federal government. Members of the Board bring an external and diverse business perspective from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors to the work of the CRA.

The following are the Board members, as of February 2011.

Susan J. McArthur, B.A., ICD.D
Chair, Board of Management
Managing Director
Jacob Securities Inc.
Toronto, Ontario

Camille Belliveau, CFP, FCGA
Executive Director
Groupe EPR Canada Group Inc.
Shediac, New Brunswick

Myles Bourke, B.Comm., FCA
Corporate Director
Chartered Accountant
Lethbridge, Alberta

Richard J. Daw, CFP, CMC, FCA
Executive in Residence
Faculty of Business Administration of Memorial University
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Raymond Desrochers, B.Comm., CA, CFE
Partner
BDO Dunwoody LLP Chartered Accountants
Winnipeg, Manitoba

John V. Firth, BFA, EPC
Financial Advisor
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Gerard J. Fitzpatrick, FCA, TEP
Partner Fitzpatrick and Company Chartered Accountants
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Gordon Gillis, B.A., LL.B.
Corporate Director
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Norman G. Halldorson, B.Comm., CA, FCA
Corporate Director
Clavet, Saskatchewan

James J. Hewitt, FCMA
Corporate Director
Penticton, British Columbia

Fauzia Lalani, P.Eng.
Executive Consultant
Calgary, Alberta

James R. Nininger, B.Comm., M.B.A., Ph.D
Corporate Director
Ottawa, Ontario

Sylvie Tessier, B.Sc, M.B.A., P.Eng., ICD.D
Director of Professional Services
Hewlett Packard
Toronto, Ontario

Linda Lizotte-MacPherson, B.Comm.
Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer
Canada Revenue Agency
Ottawa, Ontario

Organizational Structure

Footnote 1

One position on the Board is currently vacant.