CCRA Challenges

• Leveraging new technologies critical to our success
• Adapting to new business activities
• Recruiting and retaining employees
• Managing resource pressures

"Technology will not only help us improve our service delivery, but also provide us with a measure for developing innovative solutions to a number of challenges emerging on the horizon."

In planning for the future, responsible organizations, particularly those in a position of public trust, need to respond to the challenges or risks within their operating environments. The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency is no exception. In developing this plan, we considered the major challenges and risks inherent in our operating environment. We also identified strategies and actions in response to these challenges, so that our organization remains well positioned to successfully deliver on our change objectives. While the factors that characterize our operating environment are numerous and varied, the following paragraphs highlight the challenges that are critical to the transformation that we are undertaking as an agency.

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Leveraging new technologies critical to our success

Technology offers the CCRA challenges, but also many opportunities. It will not only help us improve our service delivery, but also provide us with a means for developing innovative solutions to a number of the challenges emerging on the horizon. Indeed, technology is the backbone of our business transformation agenda that is described later in this document. Our main challenge will be to pursue a leadership role and use elements of technology such as e-commerce as key enablers and constructive forces to re-shape our services and programs.

Demand for new and innovative electronic ways of providing services is rising. At the CCRA, the expansion of electronic service offerings and increased Internet use will make a major contribution to the Government On-Line initiative (GOL), a Government of Canada priority. Through GOL, the government aims to make its key services available as secure, real time, end-to-end electronic transactions by 2004.

However, there are potential risks associated with the increased use of e-commerce. These may include threats to our information systems, information confidentiality, and the integrity of our revenue base. We plan to address these risks in a multi-faceted way through our business transformation agenda and ongoing implementation of the CCRA's Information Technology Strategy.

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Adapting to new business activities

The CCRA's mandate includes implementing agreements with provincial governments to administer tax programs on their behalf. However, provinces now want tailor-made "tax on income" approaches so that they can set their own credits and rates, independent of those of the federal government. Tailored approaches increase the complexity of our relations with provincial and territorial partners, as we must find custom-made solutions for the delivery of certain services. In addition, they could strain the organization's administrative capacity. We are addressing this risk through our business transformation agenda.

Recruiting and retaining employees

"Stability of our resource base will be a critical factor in preserving the integrity of our core operations and realizing the change objectives in this plan."

Similar to other private and public sector organizations, the CCRA is facing a number of challenges in our capacity to build and maintain the workforce we need. In the coming years, significant numbers of knowledgeable and experienced staff will be eligible for and taking retirement. Meanwhile, the CCRA faces stiff competition for skilled and experienced knowledge workers, including information technology specialists.

This means the organization must find ways to become a more attractive employer if, over time, we are to have the workforce we need to continue to deliver high quality services. This challenge is being addressed with a number of strategies, including the reform of the CCRA's human resources (HR) regime and the creation of a new management group to help lead the CCRA's program of change.

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Managing resource pressures

As noted earlier, our ability to deliver programs and services has been strained by increasing workload volumes and a continuously changing environment over a number of years. While the Resource and Management Review confirmed the requirement for additional resources over the planning period, stability of our resource base over the long term will be a critical factor in preserving the integrity of our core operations and realizing our change objectives in this plan. We will continue to manage resource pressures on an ongoing basis, while at the same time strengthen existing approaches through management excellence.

Date modified:

2002-01-04