This year was, again, a challenging one for the Board and the CRA, which was marked by an environment of intense economic constraint. While working collaboratively with senior management to ensure that the CRA achieved its priorities and delivered on its mandate, the Board monitored and reviewed the CRA’s planned resource allocations and spending to ensure the most effective and efficient use of its resources. The Board also oversaw the development of the CRA’s Strategic Investment Plan.

The Board’s annual strategic planning meeting, which included members of the Agency’s Management Committee, was an opportunity to focus on key strategic discussions regarding issues facing the CRA. In 2010-2011, the Board reviewed and approved important horizontal strategies and policy instruments in support of Human Resources (HR) and Information Technology (IT), with IT sustainability remaining very important to the Board given it is the engine for service delivery to Canadians and for CRA programs administration. Sound succession planning remained a focus for the Board, most particularly for the executive cadre; the Agency Strategic Workforce plan illustrates the integration of business and HR planning in CRA strategic plans, a sound business practice stressed by the Board.

Recognizing the importance of a robust risk regime, particularly in this era of financial constraints, the Board continued to monitor the progress of the CRA’s enterprise risk management regime, including the implementation of an effective governance structure and the integration of risk in all business planning activities.

In 2010-2011, the Board continued to enhance the Board of Management Oversight Framework (BoMOF), with emphasis placed on more results-based evidence to assess the Agency’s performance. The Board also stressed the importance of strengthening CRA’s overall performance measurement regime.

While being a mature and productive Board, we continued to refine our own governance practices and effectiveness with a view of balancing our fiduciary responsibilities with even more strategic contributions to the CRA’s vision for the future.

On behalf of the CRA Board of Management, I am pleased to recommend this report to the Minister of National Revenue, the Honourable Gail Shea, for tabling in Parliament.

Susan J. McArthur
Chair, Board of Management