CCG Business Plan 2009-2012

Annex D: Auditor General’s Recommendations (2000 and 2002): Crosswalk to 2009-2010 Business Plan Commitments

In its 2007 Status Report, the Auditor General found that the Coast Guard had not made satisfactory progress addressing recommendations from previous audits on the Fleet (2000) and marine navigational services (2002). The Auditor General noted that one of the contributing factors was that the Coast Guard had tried to deal with all of the previous recommendations simultaneously and, as a result, had not been able to complete any.

The 2007 Report recommended that the Coast Guard focus on establishing priorities for improvement, set clear achievable goals for those priority areas, allocate sufficient, appropriate resources, and plan and implement the changes by holding managers and organizational units accountable for results. The Canadian Coast Guard committed to using the business planning process to establish priorities for improvement in the context of delivering its programs and services.

In its “Managing the Coast Guard Fleet and Marine Navigational Services – Fisheries and Ocean Canada” Report, dated April 2008, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) recommended that the Coast Guard Business Plan include an appendix cross-referencing the Plan’s commitments with the Auditor General’s findings.  This Annex responds to that SCOPA recommendation. 

Listed below are the Auditor General’s 2000 and 2002 recommendations followed by the 2009-2010 Business Plan commitments which are linked to these recommendations.  In a few instances, there are certain actions being taken by the Coast Guard which are not specific commitments within the Business Plan.

Auditor General’s Recommendations - 2000

1. The Department should review how the fleet fits into its current organizational and accountability structure and take measures to ensure that the fleet can operate in a cost-effective manner (paragraph 31.72)

Improve National Consistency in Human Resources Management

• Launch and begin transition to a national Standard Organization.   Migration to the national Standard Organization will be implemented over a 3-year period.

2. The Department should address the weaknesses associated with its key fleet management processes, including:

a) Establishing clear, concrete and realistic program performance expectations that include a long-term perspective.

Service Level Agreements with DFO Clients.

• Implement Service Level Agreements with Science and Fisheries and Aquaculture Management as a 3 year pilot, and review and improve performance measures.

b) Establishing a long-term fleet planning and funding horizon

Ongoing Improvements in Fleet Management.

• See commitments under Recommendation 3.

c) Developing service accords between the programs and the fleet

Service Level Agreement with DFO Clients

• See commitment under Recommendation 2(a).

d) Establishing budgetary processes that support accountability

• Completed.

e) Setting up integrated information systems to enable the Department to monitor and account for the actual performance of the fleet in terms of service and cost.

Ongoing Improvements in Fleet Management

• Complete architecture design for Fleet Activity Information System (FAIS) upgrade project.

Also see commitment under Recommendation 2(a).

f) Implementing costing policies that support the use of the lowest-cost alternative in acquiring service while meeting departmental objectives (paragraph 31.73)

• Completed.

3. The Department should consider a longer-term strategy to renew its aging fleet. Such a strategy should take into consideration the changing nature of program requirements, the impact of technological change and the potential for alternative means of acquiring the service needed (paragraph 31.106)

Integrated Investment Plan

• Develop an Integrated Investment Planning Framework and Integrated Investment Plan.

Procurement of New and Replacement Vessels

• Award contract to build up to 12 Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels
• Launch detailed design activities for Offshore Fishery Science Vessels
• Launch detailed design activities for Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessels
• Finalize Polar Icebreaker Preliminary Project Approval for submission to Treasury Board
• Award contract to build 5 47 ft SAR Motor Lifeboats
• Award the contract to build 2 18 m Science Vessels
• Award the contract to build a 24 m Science Vessel
• Award the contract to build 30 replacement Environmental Response Barges
• Purchase and acceptance of 30 small craft.

4. The Department should complete the development and implementation of lifecycle management policies and procedures for its fleet (paragraph 31.107)

Improved Maintenance of the Existing Fleet

• Implement the Engineering and Maintenance Manual for Fleet Vessels.
  Vessel Maintenance Management Review
• Implement the CCG Vessel Maintenance Management Policy Governance (CCG Authority and Accountability Directive for Vessel Maintenance Management).
• Finalize CCG vessel condition assessment for all CCG vessels, and develop a Vessel Continuous Condition Survey Program.
• Begin to establish a Centre of Expertise for Vessel Maintenance management and prepare to add additional Marine Engineering personnel to directly support CCG regions and vessels.

Continued Improvement in Lifecycle Management Practices for all CCG Assets

• Install the Asset Management System (AMS), complete with the maintenance management module, onboard another 36 vessels.

5. The Department should ensure that the fleet activity is supported by information systems that produce integrated, timely, reliable and relevant information (paragraph 31.108)

Ongoing Improvement in Fleet Management

• See recommendation 2(e).

6. The Department should develop a human resource strategy for the fleet to address the need to maintain the skills and knowledge of ship-based personnel and to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified officers and crew are available in the future. The strategy should consider a long-term approach to the collective agreements with ship’s personnel so that they can be administered in an efficient and economical manner and can support the fleet’s operational requirements (paragraph 31.137).

Effective Management of Our Workforce and Workplace
Through CCG’s Strategic Human Resources Plan, a number of strategies, initiatives and frameworks are being put into place to address key organizational needs:

• Recruitment and Diversity:
  • Develop targeted recruitment strategies for the SO, SC, RO, EL, and EN occupational groups that also include specific measures to improve the representation of women and visible minorities.
  • Ensure the Operational Women’s Network is fully engaged.
• Training and Learning:
  • Continue the second phase of the National Leadership Development Pilot Program.
  • Promulgate the final version of the Learning and Development Framework.
  • Establish clear and transparent learning and development budgets in each organization.
  • Improve official languages capacity.
  • Develop a Ships’ Crew Certification Program
• Improve National Consistency in Human Resources Management:
  • Launch and begin the transition to the standard organization.
    

7. The Department should regularly analyze payroll costs related to the fleet and take action to control such costs, where necessary (paragraph 31.138)

Salary Management Information System (SMIS) – Consistent Business Management Practices

• Put into practice the common Salary Management Information System procedures.

Ongoing Improvements in Fleet Management

• Finalize standardized crewing matrix predicated on competency (crewing) profiles.

Auditor General’s Recommendations - 2002

8. The Canadian Coast Guard should ensure that there are up-to-date national policies, standards and levels of service expectations for its navigational support services. It should also develop the capability to monitor the implementation of these policies, standards, and expectations. (paragraph 2.53)

Levels of Service Review

• Reissue the Levels of Service and Service Standards document.
• Develop and implement an ongoing Level of Service engagement strategy by program

Aids to Navigation 21st Century (AToN21)

• Complete the modernization of three additional aids to navigation directives.
• Produce an AToN21 project close-out report.

Upgrade Vessel Traffic Information Systems

• Procure Integrated Information System on Marine Navigation hardware, install and configure system and deliver technical training.

Search and Rescue Needs Analysis

• Develop an action plan to implement the appropriate recommendations from the Search and Rescue needs analysis.
  

9. For its navigational support services and boating safety activities, Fisheries & Oceans Canada should do the following: Note: the boating safety activities (Office of Boating Safety) were transferred to Transport Canada in 2003.

a) Complete the implementation of its results-based management and accountability frameworks;

Strategic Program Framework for CCG’s Maritime Services programs

• Complete a systematic examination of all Maritime Services programs, using the Strategic Program Framework and develop an action plan.
• Engage Maritime Services key partners to clarify needs, capacities, roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.

b) Establish clear, measurable, concrete targets for the identified outputs and immediate outcomes for each framework;

Please see commitment under Recommendation 9(a).

c) Identify who is accountable for achieving targets and managing resources;

• Please see commitment under Recommendation 9(a).

d) Align budgeting and resource allocation with the frameworks; and

• Completed.

e) Develop or identify sources of information to measure results (paragraph 2.68)

Please see commitment under Recommendation 9(a).

Over time CCG will try to improve the type and quality of data to better reflect and measure performance*

10. The Coast Guard should complete and implement its draft guidance on risk management (paragraph 2.73)

• Completed.

11. Fisheries & Oceans Canada should develop and implement strategies to modernize and integrate the delivery of its navigational support services to meet user needs (paragraph 2.77)

e-Navigation

• Identify mariners’ requirements for e-Navigation
• Begin to develop an implementation strategy for e-Navigation
• Please see commitment under Recommendation 8.

* Please note that this is not a Business Plan commitment.

12. Fisheries and Oceans Canada should develop and implement an overall strategy for the future of its light stations, considering maritime safety and heritage objectives (paragraph 2.90)

• CCG is in the process of identifying surplus lighthouses as required under the new Act to Protect Heritage Lighthouses. A surplus lighthouse list is to be published by May 30, 2010 and maintained for 2 years, until May 30, 2012.^*

^* - Ibid.