Foreword by the Chair

The Board of Management brings private sector rigour and expertise to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to maximize the benefits of the CRA's legislated autonomy in the management of its resources, services, property, personnel, and contracts. It plays a key role in guiding the CRA's strategy and ensuring management's plans are prudent and the risks are mitigated.

This past year has seen the development of a new, five-year corporate strategy known as “Agency 2010: A Blueprint for the Next Five Years” that will guide our progress and focus our efforts towards improving services to Canadians by simplifying tax and benefits administration and maintaining the trust of the people we serve. Focusing on the strategy's three key elements, Board members provided independent and constructive advice on how the CRA can best meet the challenges of strengthening its core program activities, on how the CRA can and should pursue growth in programs that are delivered to clients, and on how the CRA and the Board can work together to further refine the CRA's unique model of governance.

The oversight role played by the Board throughout the year has seen the Board add value through its direction and advice on a wide range of issues, including financial management, risk management, information technology, and human resources management, including succession planning. The Board's focus on these issues exemplifies the Board's commitment to its oversight role. The Board will continue to strengthen the rigour of its reviews so that its guidance and direction, in turn, enable CRA management to achieve more effective strategies.

Good governance has been a key focus of the Board throughout 2005-2006. The Board devoted a great deal of its time throughout the year towards improving and refining how it carries out its responsibilities, adopting a number of governance best practices and processes to enhance transparency and accountability.

Since becoming Chair of the CRA Board of Management in March 2005, it has been my pleasure and my privilege to work with many dedicated individuals who are committed to making the CRA a truly effective and efficient organization, one that is fully accountable to clients and to Canadians, and one that can build on past achievements and deliver results, now and for the future.

I am pleased to recommend this report to the Minister of National Revenue, the Honourable Carol Skelton, for tabling in Parliament.

Connie I. Roveto, ICD.D
Chair, Board of Management

Date modified:

2006-11-23