Departmental Response to the MAF Round VI Assessment (2008)

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) Assessment Results for Round VI (2008) were received from the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) in May 2009 and are now available at: MAF Assessment: Canadian Heritage – 2008.  The results reflect the Department of Canadian Heritage’s performance against a set of indicators in 21 areas of management.  The results of the MAF Assessments over the past year have allowed the Department of Canadian Heritage to identify management priorities for the coming year to continuously improve the performance of the organization. 

The Department has maintained several strong and acceptable ratings while managing improvements to increase ratings between 2007 and 2008.  Canadian Heritage remains strong in the area of Values-Based Leadership and has an established productive, principled, sustainable and adaptable workforce. The organization has also received a strong rating for possessing a healthy and effective performance management system to hold executives accountable for results. In addition, the Department effectively contributes to Government-wide priorities with Citizen-focussed service, and continues to function well in the areas of Organizational Change Management, Procurement, Information and Financial Management, Internal Audit and Risk Management.

The Department has demonstrated improvements through the development of quality risk-based plans for evaluations, increased effectiveness of its Information Technology Management and an evolution of its Program Activity Architecture. 

In the coming year, the Department will implement a MAF action plan to prioritize integrating financial and non-financial information.  Canadian Heritage is committed to the implementation of the Management, Resources and Results Structure policy which provides a common approach to the collection, management and public reporting of financial and non-financial information.  An Integrated Planning Strategy will be designed to strengthen the Department’s ability to provide cohesive information through structured approaches and practices.

The second key priority in the MAF action plan will be the Management of Security and Business Continuity.  Over the coming year, the Department will review and ensure that internal practice and structures are in compliance with Treasury Board policies and are contributing to an effective and efficient business environment.

The Department is committed to striving towards continued refinement and strengthening of its management and reporting practices through this work with TBS.