Evaluation Summary: Evaluation of the Horizontal Governance and Reporting – Investing in Canada Plan
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Program Description
The Investing in Canada plan (IICP or “the Plan”) is the Government of Canada’s comprehensive long-term plan for building a prosperous and inclusive country through infrastructure investments. The Government has committed $187 billion over 12 years to support the economy, grow the middle class and improve the quality of life for Canadians today and in the future.
The Plan is a horizontal initiative delivered by 14 federal departments and agencies. Infrastructure Canada (INFC) is the lead department and is responsible for its overall governance and reporting.
| 12-year Infrastructure | Plan Federal Allocations |
|---|---|
| Budget 2016 | $14.4 billion |
| Budget 2017 | $81.2 billion |
Subtotal: |
$95.6 billion |
| Pre-Existing Programs | $92.2 billion |
Total: |
$187.8 billion |
About this evaluation
The evaluation assessed the degree of leadership, governance, reporting, communications that the coordinating Secretariat provided as well as resource utilization for the initiative covering the period from April 1st, 2016 to May 31st, 2018.
What the evaluation found
The evaluation concluded that INFC’s mandate as the lead department to perform IICP horizontal reporting was clear and that its role was understood by other government departments (OGDs) and central agencies. INFC was effective in its leadership role as the IICP Secretariat, and in creating the governance structure and outlining roles and responsibilities to its OGD partners.
The governance structure, which includes working groups and committees, was generally regarded as useful by OGDs, and an effective mechanism to share information, coordinate horizontal reporting and address cross-cutting issues. As the scope and coverage of the IICP changed, the governance structure adapted to meet the evolving context and emerging needs.
Challenges remain on reporting of legacy funding from OGDs, where some OGDs are not providing desired information. Effort will also need to be made to ensure more comprehensive results can be reported. Finally, existing reporting processes and tools introduce risks related to data integrity by relying on data transfers via email.
A variety of communications products were made publicly available and promoted by INFC, including the Investing in Canada Plan Project Map, the IICP website and the IICP placemat. As well, various media announcements about projects associated with the IICP were made. INFC’s messaging surrounding the IICP was consistent and supported by the efforts of the Communications Working Group.
INFC made efforts to align its internal resources with the increased workload associated with the growth in scope of the IICP and associated reporting and governance functions. This was particularly noted during the rollout of the IICP’s second phase. Resources expended by the IICP Secretariat were reasonable when compared with other horizontal initiatives in other departments, taking into account the differences in the various initiatives.
Recommendations
- Review and propose changes, as required, to the governance structure to ensure all components—such as working groups and committees—have a clear purpose and articulate how they are to interact. Attention should also be placed on the processes and tools used by the various committees to better support taskings that arise concerning the IICP.
- Assess whether the improved collaboration between various INFC sectors and branches is sufficient to ensure a more coordinated departmental approach to supporting IICP reporting and governance.
- Consider new reporting tools and processes to efficiently share and view data among all OGDs to address possible risks to data integrity.
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