Summary of the Combined Audit and Evaluation of the Impacts of INFC Programs in the Territories

The Audit and Evaluation Branch at Infrastructure Canada (INFC) undertook a combined evaluation and audit of our programs in the Territories. The evaluation focused on the relevance and impact of INFC programs in the Territories, in accordance with the Treasury Board Policy on Results, while the audit examined the adequacy of the departmental management control frameworks in place, and their compliance with the Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments.

We found that:

• 1. INFC investments in territorial infrastructure projects are contributing to economic growth, stronger communities and a cleaner environment.

 

Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway

The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway construction provided employment to the area, with residents in the two local communities of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk making up 75% of the labor force. The highway is reported to help bring tourism into the region and residents of Tuktoyaktuk will benefit from a reduced cost of living as goods will be able to be shipped year-round.



Inuvik Utilidor Replacement

The Town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories upgraded its above ground piped water and sewer system. The new utilidors have “adjustable” bracing, so if there is movement in the pile due to permafrost, repairs can be made without water and sewer lines rupturing. According to the 2009 Gas Tax Fund progress report, there has been a reduction of 60,000 kW annually for operating the utilidor, leading to a direct reduction in greenhouse gases.



 

• 2. INFC's programs have met the infrastructure territorial priorities such as transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure over the last ten years.



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• 3. INFC’s programs whose design and delivery elements were identified by the territories as being the best adapted to meeting their needs were those programs that: have broad eligible funding categories; have a funding formula that includes a base amount; provide access to additional administrative funds; and have streamlined administration and reporting requirements.


• 4. Overall, the design of the management control framework is adequate and in compliance with the Treasury Board Policy on Transfer Payments but there are opportunities to improve its effectiveness.

All three territories indicated that INFC’s applicant guides are the most accessible and clear of the Government of Canada documentation that they use.

We recommend that the Assistant Deputy Minister Programs and Operations Branch:

• Ensure that the Oversight Committees for the territories are meeting all of their requirements as set out in the Terms of Reference or Contribution Agreements.
• Ensure that ongoing project monitoring, including any required reassessment of risk, is adequately performed and documented.
• Establish a quality assurance function that reviews project files to ensure compliance with established guidelines and procedures.
• Establish an approach to ensure that performance and results data are reliably and consistently collected across ongoing and future program recipients and other sources. As part of this approach, ensure that: Contribution Agreements for ongoing and future programs outline reporting requirements aligned to INFC indicators and outcomes that program officers are able to monitor that the performance data submitted to INFC are in accordance with the Contribution Agreements requirements; and data is identified and collected that will allow assessment of current program and departmental ultimate outcomes.