government business planning cycle

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Mission Support Data and Business Standards

Data and Business Standards, established and agreed to by agencies, using the Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) enable the government to better coordinate on the decision-making needed to determine what can be adopted and commonly shared. They are an essential first step towards agreement on outcomes, data, and cross-functional end to end processes that will drive economies of scale and leverage the government’s buying power.

The 5 FIBF Components

Business Standards Progress

How are the Business Standards Used?

FIBF Components

The FIBF includes five components:

• Federal Business Lifecycles, functional areas, functions, and activities serve as the basis for a common understanding of what services agencies need and solutions that should be offered.
• Business Capabilities are the outcome-based business needs mapped to Federal government authoritative references, forms, inputs, outputs, and data standards.
• Business Use Cases are a set of agency “stories” that document the key activities, inputs, outputs, and other line of business intersections to describe how the Federal government operates.
• Standard Data Elements identify the minimum data fields required to support the inputs and outputs noted in the use cases and capabilities.
• Service Measures define how the government measures successful delivery of outcomes based on timeliness, efficiency, and accuracy targets.

Back to top

The Business Standards Progress Dashboard shows the current state of agency agreement on government-wide Mission Support Business Standards. Click on the functional area or checkmarks to navigate directly to the latest baseline functions / activities, capabilities, use cases, standard data elements, and Service Measures.

Enhance your agency's services by utilizing the FIBF

Translates Policy into Practice The business standards enable the Federal Government to better coordinate and document common business needs based on authoritative policy across agencies, focusing on outcomes, capabilities, and data.

Procurement Agencies can use the business standards to buy mission support services. The business standards are a starting point for agencies’ requirements and allow industry to offer innovative solutions based on the business standards.

Agency Investment Review The business standards ensure agencies will be able to easily transition to a future solution offered in the QSMO marketplace. When agencies plan to use solutions from outside of the QSMO marketplace, the Investment Action Planning process leverages the business standards as a means to evaluate agency options.

Assess Readiness for Shared Services They support strategic planning to improve mission support services by giving decision makers the data needed to identify future opportunity areas for shared services. This includes identifying opportunities for modernization based on common themes, and policy reform based on agency feedback.

Agreement Across Mission Support Functions The business standards help obtain government-wide consensus on what business processes belong in each mission support functions to establish a shared understanding of the scope of services and coordination needed across shared services.

USSM.GSA.gov

An official website of the General Services Administration

Official website of the U.S. government

• Priority 1: Workforce
• Priority 2: Customer Experience
• Priority 3: Business of Government
• PMA Learning Agenda

How to Strategic Plan in 7 Steps

By Avery Collins, GSA

April 26, 2022

This is the second post in a series highlighting different aspects of strategic planning in the Federal Government. Today, we will meet Agency Alpha, a fictional agency that will help us learn more about the strategic planning process.

L ast week, we met Carson and learned how she used strategic planning to land a new job . We talked about how this same process applies to government agencies and leaders, who use strategic planning to determine their vision for the future and create a strategic plan to serve as their roadmap.

The strategic planning process that agencies follow is more in-depth than most of us use for our personal goals. Today we will be following Agency Alpha, a fictional federal agency that will help illustrate the strategic planning process. While each federal agency approaches strategic planning a little differently and there is not a single best approach, a sound strategic planning process includes the following 7 key steps.

Step 1: Environmental Scan

The first step of any strategic planning process starts with research. Agency Alpha conducts an environmental scan , a process where they identify and monitor factors that may impact the long-term direction of the agency. Agency Alpha starts by looking at the incoming administration’s priorities and potential new regulations. They identify climate change, customer experience, and equity as a few Administration priorities that they would need to incorporate into their future vision.

Step 2: Internal Analysis

Research doesn’t stop after assessing the environment outside of an agency. Agency Alpha also needs to complete an internal analysis , including a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) assessment. They utilize their annual review process to evaluate performance across the agency and engage with staff and senior leadership. They compare their operations with the Administration priorities they identified in step 1, and in this instance they focus specifically on climate.

Step 3: Strategic Direction

Agency Alpha uses what they learned from their environmental scan and internal analysis to create a strategic direction . They meet with staff and stakeholders and use that input to build a vision for the future that is both idealistic and high-impact. They theorize how to align Administration priorities like equity, customer experience, and climate with agency operations. They determine what is actually achievable and what the agency should strive for. Climate is important to the agency employees and those they serve. They see it as a big part of the future, and thus a big part of the vision for Agency Alpha.

Step 4: Develop Goals and Objectives

After determining their strategic direction and vision, Agency Alpha engages with internal stakeholders and senior leadership to create a focused set of goals and objectives . They facilitate focus groups and meet with subject matter experts to come up with strategies, indicators, and desired outcomes for each goal. They use existing processes like staff engagement, communities of practice, and quarterly reviews to get buy-in from across the agency.

Step 5: Define Metrics, Set Timelines, and Track Progress

After the goals and objectives are set, Agency Alpha adds details to their plan. They determine the responsible offices and bureaus for each goal. They identify the necessary resource allocations, create actionable timeframes, and define metrics that best measure success. Agency Alpha appoints Team Beta to lead clean energy initiatives and Team Cobra to lead climate literacy initiatives. They set milestones and timelines to ensure they stay on track.

Step 6: Write and Publish a Strategic Plan

Once Agency Alpha gathers the information in step 5, they write an informed strategic plan that captures the voice and purpose of the agency. Their engagement with staff and stakeholders in steps 2 through 5 gained agency-wide support for the plan to help ensure that the strategic plan does not end up as a stand-alone document.

Step 7: Plan for Implementation and the Future

While drafting their plan, Agency Alpha begins to prepare for how to implement it after publication. They include performance measures that track progress and create a formal system for leadership and staff to annually review the plan and update goals and objectives as needed. Every agency follows a slightly different process, but most have gone through these 7 steps over the last year and a half. Last month, federal agencies published their strategic plans for 2022 to 2026 on performance.gov .

Stay tuned as we explore the importance of strategy and performance in the Federal Government and share agency success stories. The next post in this series will feature the National Endowment for the Arts and look at how staff and external engagement shaped their overall vision for the next four years.

Back to top

How to Optimize Your Federal Business Development Workflow

IN THIS ARTICLE

How to Define Your Federal Business Development Strategy

Difficulties in federal business development, tools and intelligence to streamline your workflow.

[Use Bloomberg Government’s focused data sets, proprietary tools, and expert analysis to fill your pipeline and grow your business now.]

Managing federal business development workflows can quickly become an unwieldy process, especially when it involves large government contracts that need input and coordination across multiple parties. Building and monitoring the entire opportunity pipeline, from the initial draft request for proposal to winning the final contract, often requires extensive research on information that’s fragmented across multiple platforms, spreadsheets, emails, and messages.

For business developers, this means a lot of time spent finding and gathering both quantitative and qualitative data on individual opportunities, market trends, government spending, networks and partnerships. Optimizing this workflow is essential to building robust pipelines, closing contracts, and growing your federal business.

Before you’re able to optimize your workflow, you must first define your business development strategy. This is the plan of action your company will use to identify new opportunities, build out their pipeline, write the proposals, and ultimately win contracts. Accomplishing this goal requires a detailed plan and an immense amount of research into market conditions, government spending trends, and competitor analysis.

To define your company’s business development strategy and optimize your workflow, consider conducting both a Black Hat and White Hat review. These assessments provide valuable insights into the current market size, your company’s current position in it, and your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

Black Hat Review

A Black Hat review is all about the competition. You’ll want to write a proposal from their point of view to gain a better understanding of how they would secure the deal. Make a note of any advantages your competitors might have, either in the products or services themselves or their opportunity funnels, and keep track of their weak points.

This exercise can help you determine how your company stacks up to the competition, the right competitive price point at which to market your solution, and whether or not you can win the contract. You’ll also gain key insights on how to position your company against your competitors while building customer relationships with program managers and contracting officers.

White Hat Review

Whereas a Black Hat review focuses on your competitors, a White Hat review targets your company’s capabilities and solutions. This is when you utilize the actionable information from research and assessments to improve your win probability.

Assess and minimize your own weak spots, and explore how your market solutions compare to the competition. It might reveal that you need a partner for a contract or that a niche is oversaturated. In any case, you can use this time to tackle any internal issues, adjust pipeline goals, and target competitor pitfalls with your solutions.

[Explore the tenth annual  BGOV200 Federal Industry Leader rankings  and download the full report.]

While it might be easy to say “define your business development strategy,” taking the necessary actions to create and implement a detailed pipeline plan is no simple feat. Business developers face many challenges throughout their workflows, from time-consuming research on opportunities to qualifying partnerships and contract leads.

Some common frustrations among business development teams include:

• Identifying areas of opportunity in a niche market.
• A shortage of pipeline opportunities and inaccurate information.
• Aggregating and analyzing accurate, reliable data and contracts to win work.
• Staying up-to-date on government spending trends and market conditions.
• Finding the right agency and vendor contacts.
• Facilitating calls or meetings to gain information and expand their networks.
• Clearly communicating with contracting officers.
• Ensuring accurate release dates for RFPs.

With information buried across a multitude of channels, business developers spend most of their time tracking it down or contacting people. These difficulties often hinder strategic growth planning, resulting in companies falling short of their pipeline goals. However, there are strategies and solutions that can help you overcome these hurdles with numerous added benefits.

Bloomberg Government offers a powerful suite of features designed to optimize your entire federal contracting workflow. With BGOV, business developers can easily create viable pipelines that win task orders on contracts and close deals.

Opportunity Search is the market’s most comprehensive search tool. With fast, accurate, and reliable information and access to a vast database of 31+ million contracts, BGOV provides business developers with the resources they need to save time while pursuing government contract opportunities.

BGOV Alerts offers proactive email updates on opportunities and markets of interest. Based on recompete data, machine learning algorithms can forecast which competitors might bid on the same project. BGOV Workspaces can also help you build your pipeline, qualify potential opportunities, and collaborate with team tools.

Backed by the power of Bloomberg News and proprietary expert analytics combined with powerful market intelligence tools provide business developers with a centralized platform for reliable information on current market conditions, government spending trends, and new contract opportunities. Not only does this present valuable context for current strategies and business decisions, it also saves time researching information by organizing disparate data stored on separate systems platforms.

With enhanced pipeline visibility and access to key market insights and information, BGOV enables business developers to produce accurate forecasting and strong opportunity pipelines. This translates into more contracts won and deals closed, growing your federal contracting business and network.

Bloomberg Government helps you streamline the process of taking an opportunity search result from potential to pipeline – and proposal ready. Unparalleled document search capabilities allow you to seek out undiscovered opportunities, gaining a competitive advantage. Track these solicitations and perform competitive analysis to better understand your current market position. Competitive and contract intelligence provides you with accurate, up-to-date information so you can save time on research and focus on business development.

With Bloomberg Government, you receive reliable, actionable data that can propel your opportunities through your pipeline and deliver results. To learn more about how BGOV can help optimize your business development workflows, request a demo .

How Lobbying Firms are Changing their Structures and Advocacy Strategy

Contractor impacts: fy24 defense appropriations, artificial intelligence market profile.

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• A–Z Index

• Operating Status

Strategic Planning

High performing organizations align organizational and individual performance management systems and human capital activities with the organizational strategic plan.  Creating a results-oriented, performance-based culture starts at the top and is cascaded through an agency’s management control tools.  A well designed organizational strategic plan or strategic human capital plan is essential.  OPM Consultants can assist agencies with their strategic planning process.  Given the nature of strategic planning, all projects are tailored to the specific needs of the agency and can range from assisting agencies, cradle to grave, with the step-by-step process for formulating a strategic plan, to facilitating leadership strategic planning off-sites to developing implementation plans.

When facilitating leadership off-sites, a sampling of services that can be provided include:

• Pre-session development of materials and identifying key documents to be used for strategic planning session.
• Pre-session discussions with leadership and stakeholders to refine the strategic planning session process goals and outcomes.
• A validation or development of the mission and vision statements either during the strategic planning session or prior to the session.
• A Strength Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis exercise to help agencies understand their distinctive organizational competencies and recognize strategic implications.
• A Strategic Issues Identification exercise to help agencies identify strategic issues – the fundamental challenges affecting the mission, mandates, values, structure, processes, and its management.
• A Strategic Goal and Objective Identification exercise to help agencies identify strategic goals and objectives to deal with the strategic issues identified. These goals and objectives will be the foundation of the strategic plan.
• A summary report of the strategic planning session’s activities and outcomes that can be translated into a strategic planning document.

Related Information

• Watch GovExec's Performance Management Viewcast

Get More Information

For additional information on this topic, or to learn more about implementing the best strategies today for the best workforce tomorrow, contact us via email at [email protected] .

Local Government Strategic Planning Process + Example

Strategic planning in government can be challenging. You need to ensure stakeholder input is taken into account, your strategy is aligned across all city departments, capital projects are linked to multiple plans, and all involved are bought into the strategy.

The good news is, it can be done and the process may be easier than you think. The even better news is, we'll be sharing our local government strategic planning process for achieving this here.

We've worked with a number of local governments through the process of implementing strategy in their organization. During these implementation projects we're often asked about the best way to structure and create their strategic plan.

In order to shed some light on this recurring issue, we've decided to address this in our local government strategic planning guide.

Local Government Strategic Planning Process

The local government strategic planning process should follow the steps below:

Environmental Scan

• Writing Your City Strategic Plan
• Strategy Roll-out to Divisions and Departments (We will touch on this in later articles)
• Executing Strategic Plan (We will touch on this in later articles)

While the above steps are a slightly simplified version of our local government strategic planning process, it should help give you an understanding of the phases in the strategy cycle as a basis - before you get caught up in the detail of the different things involved in each step.

We'll now look into the first two phases mentioned above and explain what it is, what the different components are, and how to go through each phase successfully to arrive at the next to create you government strategic plan.

When city/town managers and other executive leaders take on the task of strategic planning in government, an environmental scan should always be the first step. The environmental scan will require local governments to study and analyze the current and emerging forces that exist within their municipalities internal and external environment.

It provides city managers with comprehensive information on the current conditions of the city that may present potential opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses to take advantage of or mitigate. 

Internal Analysis

An internal analysis examines your organization’s internal environment in order to assess its resources, competencies, and competitive advantages. Performing an internal analysis allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, as well as the opportunities and threats that face your organization.

This knowledge aids the strategic decision making of management while they carry out the strategy formulation and execution process. We've already created a guide to conducting an internal analysis in an earlier article, so check it out , and then come on back here to continue. As a quick overview, things you'll probably want to cover in your internal analysis will include:

• A Strategy Analysis - to help you evaluate how well you performed against your current strategic plan, what you can do better, and where you should be focusing. 
• Internal Stakeholder Analysis - allows you to gather insight into the concerns and views of all internal stakeholders of your city and the impact they may have. 
• SWOT Analysis - will be beneficial in gaining a holistic view of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that face your city/town. 
• VRIO Analysis - will help you identify any competitive advantages you have, and how to turn them into sustained competitive advantages. 

External Analysis

An external analysis is the process of researching and examining the external environment your organization operates in, in order to determine where opportunities and threats to your town/city lie.

Just like any organization, local governments are affected by factors outside of their immediate control that they must prepare for. For example, changing legislation and policies, demographic changes, or climate concerns. Things you'll probably want to cover in an external analysis will include:

• A PESTLE analysis - to assist in identifying the different areas that may impact your city. 
• An External Stakeholder Analysis - allows you to gather insight into the concerns and views of all external stakeholders of your local government and the impact they may have.

Local Government Strategic Plan Example

The actual creation of your cities strategic plan can now begin. Armed with the information and insights gathered during your environmental scan, you should now be well equipped to formulate great strategies to achieve your municipalities goals.

There is one more thing you will need to consider before actually writing your strategy - and that is the 'model' (design of strategic plan structure) that you will actually use. For the purpose of this article we're going to be using 'The Cascade Model' as we have found that this approach to strategic model is simply more effective when it comes to execution than any other model we've tried.

We've slightly adapted some of the terminology in the model to work in the context of local governments. So, with that being said.. 

What is the Cascade Model?

The Cascade Model is made up of 6 components. We've put together a diagram below of what the components of The Cascade Model look like in use for local government.

Your vision statement defines  where you want to get to . Your Vision Statement is the anchor that stops you getting lost at sea. It will help to tunnel your strategy towards the outcomes that matter the most to your municipality.

Every single thing that you write into your plan from this point onward, will ultimately be helping you to get closer to your Vision. If your city needs a hand writing it's vision statement, check out this article for a complete guide.  

An example vision statement for a local government may be.. 'A safer, smarter, healthier city which allows all our citizens to thrive'

Values represent  how you'll behave as an organization as you work towards your vision. Think of Values as the 'enablers' to your Vision Statement. Don't be afraid to be honest about how you want the people in your local government organization to act and think through their day to day work contributing to the strategy. If you need a hand finding the core values of your city, check out this article for a complete guide . 

An examples of values held by a local government may include.. 'Diversity' 'Respect' 'Innovation' 'Trust'.

Focus Areas

Your focus areas are  the high level areas that you’ll be focusing your city's efforts around as you strive towards your vision. We usually suggest creating between 3 to 5 Focus Areas. Any fewer and they will probably be too vague. Any more, and well.....I for one certainly can't focus on more than 5 things at once! For a complete guide on creating key focus areas, check out this article!

Continuing on with our local government example, focus areas may include.. 'Safe & healthy community' 'Urban experience' 'Innovative infrastructure' ''Economic vibrancy and employment'. 

Strategic Objectives

Strategic Objectives represent  what your city actually want to accomplish  - they’re reasonably high level, but should still have a deadline attached. Your Strategic Objectives (also known as strategic goals) should align to one or more of your Focus Areas and should start to put some tangibility into what you think achieving your focus areas will look like. Typically you’ll have between 3-6 objectives for each focus area. Check out this article for a complete guide to creating awesome strategic objectives.

Borrowing from our example of focus areas above, if we were creating strategic objectives for the focus area 'Safe & Healthy Community', examples of strategic objectives may be

• 'Improve neighborhood safety by 31st of December 2022'   
• 'Increase housing security by 30th of June 2022'
• 'Improve services to youth and vulnerable populations by 31st of December 2022'

Work plans describe  what you will do  to accomplish your objectives (or goals). They help convert the big picture into smaller, more manageable outcomes and tasks. It is at this point in your strategic planning process that you will start to scope out exactly what actions you will take in order to achieve certain objectives, and what skills, experience and resources will be needed. If you need a hand creating your work plans, check out this resource.

Taking our strategic objective from above 'Improve services to youth and vulnerable populations by 31st of December 2021' , an example of a work plan that would fall under this may be 'Fund an collaborate with a myriad of community organizations working in human and social services' 

KPI’s are  how you will measure progress towards your strategic objectives. KPI's are measurable values that show your organization’s progress towards achieving key business objectives. 

KPIs should be developed to contribute to achieving a specific goal or objective, and are how you will know if you have achieved your strategic objective or not. If you need a hand developing great KPIs, we've created a 4 step process for creating awesome KPIs.

An example of a KPI for the strategic objective ' Improve services to youth and vulnerable populations by 31st of December 2021' may be something like 'Decrease the unmet need for mental health services to 0% by 31st of December 2021'. 

Local Government Strategic Plan

Following the steps detailed in this article should allow you to create a great city strategic plan. The strategic planning process should not stop here though, the strategy roll out is just as crucial to the planning process as writing the city strategic plan.

This is because the roll-out phase is when you'll have the opportunity to share the strategy with the rest of the departments in your municipality, in order for those departments to then create their own strategic plans based off the cities plan.

Without cascading the city strategy down through the organization, poor alignment between departments can foster, and confusion and inefficiencies are created.

Popular articles

Corporate Strategy Breakdown: Components, Types & Examples

Strategic Analysis Complete Guide: Definition, Tools & Examples

Annual Planning: 5 Easy Steps To Plan Next Year (+Template)

11 Best Strategic Frameworks For Your Organization + Free eBook

Your toolkit for strategy success.

FAC Number: 2024-06 Effective Date: 08/29/2024

Part 7 - Acquisition Planning

7.000 scope of part., subpart 7.1 - acquisition plans, 7.101 definitions., 7.102 policy., 7.103 agency-head responsibilities., 7.104 general procedures., 7.105 contents of written acquisition plans., 7.106 additional requirements for major systems., 7.107 additional requirements for acquisitions involving consolidation, bundling, or substantial bundling., 7.107-1 general., 7.107-2 consolidation., 7.107-3 bundling., 7.107-4 substantial bundling., 7.107-5 notifications., 7.107-6 solicitation provision., 7.108 additional requirements for telecommuting., subpart 7.2 - planning for the purchase of supplies in economic quantities, 7.200 scope of subpart., 7.201 [reserved], 7.202 policy., 7.203 solicitation provision., 7.204 responsibilities of contracting officers., subpart 7.3 - contractor versus government performance, 7.300 [reserved], 7.301 definitions., 7.302 policy., 7.303 [reserved], 7.304 [reserved], 7.305 solicitation provisions and contract clause., subpart 7.4 - equipment acquisition, 7.400 scope of subpart., 7.401 acquisition considerations., 7.402 acquisition methods., 7.403 general services administration assistance and omb guidance., 7.404 contract clause., subpart 7.5 - inherently governmental functions, 7.500 scope of subpart., 7.501 [reserved], 7.502 applicability., 7.503 policy..

This part prescribes policies and procedures for-

(a) Developing acquisition plans;

(b) Determining whether to use commercial or Government resources for acquisition of supplies or services;

(c) Deciding whether it is more economical to lease equipment rather than purchase it; and

(d) Determining whether functions are inherently governmental.

As used in this subpart-

Acquisition streamlining means any effort that results in more efficient and effective use of resources to design and develop, or produce quality systems. This includes ensuring that only necessary and cost-effective requirements are included, at the most appropriate time in the acquisition cycle, in solicitations and resulting contracts for the design, development, and production of new systems, or for modifications to existing systems that involve redesign of systems or subsystems.

Life-cycle cost means the total cost to the Government of acquiring, operating, supporting, and (if applicable) disposing of the items being acquired.

Order means an order placed under a-

(1) Federal Supply Schedule contract; or

(2) Task- order contract or delivery- order contract awarded by another agency, ( i.e., Governmentwide acquisition contract or multi-agency contract ).

Planner means the designated person or office responsible for developing and maintaining a written plan, or for the planning function in those acquisitions not requiring a written plan.

(a) Agencies shall perform acquisition planning and conduct market research (see part  10 ) for all acquisitions in order to promote and provide for—

(1) Acquisition of commercial products or commercial services , or to the extent that commercial products suitable to meet the agency’s needs are not available, nondevelopmental items , to the maximum extent practicable ( 10 U.S.C. 3453 and 41 U.S.C. 3307); and

(2) Full and open competition (see part  6 ) or, when full and open competition is not required in accordance with part  6 , to obtain competition to the maximum extent practicable, with due regard to the nature of the supplies or services to be acquired ( 10 U.S.C. 3206(a)(1) and 41 U.S.C. 3306a)(1)).

(3) Selection of appropriate contract type in accordance with part  16 ; and

(4) Appropriate consideration of the use of pre-existing contracts, including interagency and intra-agency contracts, to fulfill the requirement, before awarding new contracts. (See 8.002 through 8.004 and subpart  17.5 ).

(b) This planning shall integrate the efforts of all personnel responsible for significant aspects of the acquisition . The purpose of this planning is to ensure that the Government meets its needs in the most effective, economical, and timely manner. Agencies that have a detailed acquisition planning system in place that generally meets the requirements of 7.104 and 7.105 need not revise their system to specifically meet all of these requirements.

The agency head or a designee shall prescribe procedures f or the following:

(a) Promoting and providing for full and open competition (see part  6 ) or, when full and open competition is not required in accordance with part  6 , for obtaining competition to the maximum extent practicable, with due regard to the nature of the supplies and services to be acquired ( 10 U.S.C. 3206(a)(1) and 41 U.S.C. 3306(a)(1)).

(b) Encouraging offerors to supply commercial products or commercial services , or to the extent that commercial products suitable, to meet the agency needs are not available, nondevelopmental items in response to agency solicitations ( 10 U.S.C. 3453 and 41 U.S.C. 3307).

(c) Ensuring that acquisition planners address the requirement to specify needs, develop specifications, and to solicit offers in such a manner to promote and provide for full and open competition with due regard to the nature of the supplies and services to be acquired ( 10 U.S.C. 3206(a)(1) and 41 U.S.C. 3306(a)(1)). (See part  6 and 10.002 .)

(d) Ensuring that acquisition planners document the file to support the selection of the contract type in accordance with subpart 16.1 .

(e) Establishing criteria and thresholds at which increasingly greater detail and formality in the planning process is required as the acquisition becomes more complex and costly, including for cost-reimbursement and other high-risk contracts ( e.g. , other than firm-fixed-price contracts) requiring a written acquisition plan. A written plan shall be prepared for cost reimbursement and other high-risk contracts other than firm-fixed-price contracts, although written plans may be required for firm-fixed-price contracts as appropriate.

(f) Ensuring that the statement of work is closely aligned with performance outcomes and cost estimates.

(g) Writing plans either on a systems basis, on an individual contract basis, or on an individual order basis, depending upon the acquisition .

(h) Ensuring that the principles of this subpart are used, as appropriate, for those acquisitions that do not require a written plan as well as for those that do.

(i) Designating planners for acquisitions .

(j) Reviewing and approving acquisition plans and revisions to these plans to ensure compliance with FAR requirements including 7.104 and part 16 . For other than firm-fixed-price contracts, ensuring that the plan is approved and signed at least one level above the contracting officer .

(k) Establishing criteria and thresholds at which design-to-cost and life-cycle-cost techniques will be used.

(l) Establishing standard acquisition plan formats, if desired, suitable to agency needs.

(m) Waiving requirements of detail and formality, as necessary, in planning for acquisitions having compressed delivery or performance schedules because of the urgency of the need.

(n) Assuring that the contracting officer , prior to contracting , reviews:

(1) The acquisition history of the supplies and services; and

(2) A description of the supplies , including, when necessary for adequate description, a picture, drawing, diagram, or other graphic representation.

(o) Ensuring that agency planners include use of the metric system of measurement in proposed acquisitions in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 205b (see 11.002 (b)) and agency metric plans and guidelines.

(p) Ensuring that agency planners -

(1) Comply with the policy in 11.002 (d) regarding procurement of sustainable products and services (as defined in 2.101 ) in accordance with subpart 23.1 ;

(2) Comply with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and Associated Instructions (Guiding Principles), for the design, construction , renovation, repair, or deconstruction of Federal buildings (see 36.104). The Guiding Principles can be accessed at https://www.sustainability.gov/​pdfs/​guiding_​principles_​for_​sustainable_​federal_​buildings.pdf ; and

(3) Require contractor compliance with Federal environmental requirements, when the contractor is operating Government-owned facilities or vehicles, to the same extent as the agency would be required to comply if the agency operated the facilities or vehicles.

(q) Ensuring that acquisition planners specify needs and develop plans, drawings, work statements, specifications, or other product or service requirements ( e.g. , help desks, call centers, training services, and automated self-service technical support) descriptions that address information and communication technology (ICT ) accessibility standards (see 36 CFR 1194.1 ) in proposed acquisitions and that these standards are included in requirements planning (see subpart  39.2 ).

(r) Making a determination, prior to issuance of a solicitation for advisory and assistance services involving the analysis and evaluation of proposals submitted in response to a solicitation , that a sufficient number of covered personnel with the training and capability to perform an evaluation and analysis of proposals submitted in response to a solicitation are not readily available within the agency or from another Federal agency in accordance with the guidelines at 37.204 .

(s) Ensuring that no purchase request is initiated or contract entered into that would result in the performance of an inherently governmental function by a contractor and that all contracts or orders are adequately managed so as to ensure effective official control over contract or order performance.

(t) Ensuring that knowledge gained from prior acquisitions is used to further refine requirements and acquisition strategies. For services, greater use of performance-based acquisition methods should occur for follow-on acquisitions .

(u) Ensuring that acquisition planners , to the maximum extent practicable-

(1) Structure contract requirements to facilitate competition by and among small business concerns; and

(2) Avoid unnecessary and unjustified bundling that precludes small business participation as contractors (see 7.107 ) (15 U.S.C. 631(j)).

(v) Ensuring that agency planners on information technology acquisitions comply with the capital planning and investment control requirements in 40 U.S.C. 11312 and OMB Circular A-130.

(w) Ensuring that agency planners on information technology acquisitions comply with the information technology security requirements in the Federal Information Security Management Act (44 U.S.C. 3544), OMB’s implementing policies including Appendix III of OMB Circular A-130, and guidance and standards from the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.

(x) Ensuring that agency planners use project labor agreements when required (see subpart 22.5 and 36.104 Policy. ).

(y) Ensuring that contracting officers consult the Disaster Response Registry via https://www.sam.gov , Search Records, Advanced Search, Disaster Response Registry Search as a part of acquisition planning for debris removal, distribution of supplies , reconstruction, and other disaster or emergency relief activities inside the United States and outlying areas . (See 26.205 ).

(a) Acquisition planning should begin as soon as the agency need is identified, preferably well in advance of the fiscal year in which contract award or order placement is necessary. In developing the plan, the planner shall form a team consisting of all those who will be responsible for significant aspects of the acquisition , such as contracting , small business, fiscal, legal, and technical personnel. If contract performance is to be in a designated operational area or supporting a diplomatic or consular mission, the planner shall also consider inclusion of the combatant commander or chief of mission , as appropriate. The planner should review previous plans for similar acquisitions and discuss them with the key personnel involved in those acquisitions . At key dates specified in the plan or whenever significant changes occur, and no less often than annually, the planner shall review the plan and, if appropriate, revise it.

(b) Requirements and logistics personnel should avoid issuing requirements on an urgent basis or with unrealistic delivery or performance schedules, since it generally restricts competition and increases prices. Early in the planning process, the planner should consult with requirements and logistics personnel who determine type, quality, quantity, and delivery requirements.

(c) The planner shall coordinate with and secure the concurrence of the contracting officer in all acquisition planning . If the plan proposes using other than full and open competition when awarding a contract, the plan shall also be coordinated with the cognizant advocate for competition.

(d) The planner shall coordinate the acquisition plan or strategy with the cognizant small business specialist when the strategy contemplates an acquisition meeting the thresholds in 7.107-4 for substantial bundling unless the contract or task order or delivery order is totally set-aside for small business under part  19 . The small business specialist shall notify the agency Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization or the Office of Small Business Programs if the strategy involves-

(1) Bundling that is unnecessary or unjustified; or

(2) Bundled or consolidated requirements not identified as such by the agency (see 7.107 ).

(e) The planner shall ensure that a COR is nominated as early as practicable in the acquisition process by the requirements official or in accordance with agency procedures. The contracting officer shall designate and authorize a COR as early as practicable after the nomination. See 1.602-2 (d).

In order to facilitate attainment of the acquisition objectives, the plan must identify those milestones at which decisions should be made (see paragraph (b)(21) of this section). The plan must address all the technical, business, management, and other significant considerations that will control the acquisition . The specific content of plans will vary, depending on the nature, circumstances, and stage of the acquisition . In preparing the plan, the planner must follow the applicable instructions in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, together with the agency’s implementing procedures. Acquisition plans for service contracts or orders must describe the strategies for implementing performance-based acquisition methods or must provide rationale for not using those methods (see subpart  37.6 ).

(a) Acquisition background and objectives -

(1) Statement of need . Introduce the plan by a brief statement of need. Summarize the technical and contractual history of the acquisition . Discuss feasible acquisition alternatives, the impact of prior acquisitions on those alternatives, and any related in-house effort.

(2) Applicable conditions . State all significant conditions affecting the acquisition , such as-

(i) Requirements for compatibility with existing or future systems or programs; and

(ii) Any known cost, schedule, and capability or performance constraints.

(3) Cost. Set forth the established cost goals for the acquisition and the rationale supporting them, and discuss related cost concepts to be employed, including, as appropriate, the following items:

(i) Life-cycle cost . Discuss how life-cycle cost will be considered. If it is not used, explain why. If appropriate, discuss the cost model used to develop life-cycle-cost estimates.

(ii) Design-to-cost . Describe the design-to-cost objective(s) and underlying assumptions, including the rationale for quantity, learning-curve, and economic adjustment factors. Describe how objectives are to be applied, tracked, and enforced. Indicate specific related solicitation and contractual requirements to be imposed.

(iii) Application of should -cost . Describe the application of should -cost analysis to the acquisition (see 15.407-4 ).

(4) Capability or performance . Specify the required capabilities or performance characteristics of the supplies or the performance standards of the services being acquired and state how they are related to the need.

(5) Delivery or performance-period requirements . Describe the basis for establishing delivery or performance-period requirements (see subpart  11.4 ). Explain and provide reasons for any urgency if it results in concurrency of development and production or constitutes justification for not providing for full and open competition .

(6) Trade-offs . Discuss the expected consequences of trade-offs among the various cost, capability or performance, and schedule goals.

(7) Risks . Discuss technical, cost, and schedule risks and describe what efforts are planned or underway to reduce risk and the consequences of failure to achieve goals. If concurrency of development and production is planned, discuss its effects on cost and schedule risks.

(8) Acquisition streamlining . If specifically designated by the requiring agency as a program subject to acquisition streamlining , discuss plans and procedures to-

(i) Encourage industry participation by using draft solicitations , presolicitation conferences, and other means of stimulating industry involvement during design and development in recommending the most appropriate application and tailoring of contract requirements;

(ii) Select and tailor only the necessary and cost-effective requirements; and

(iii) State the timeframe for identifying which of those specifications and standards, originally provided for guidance only, shall become mandatory.

(b) Plan of action—

(1) Sources .

(i) Indicate the prospective sources of supplies or services that can meet the need.

(ii) Consider required sources of supplies or services (see part  8 ) and sources identifiable through databases including the Governmentwide database of contracts and other procurement instruments intended for use by multiple agencies available at https://www.contractdirectory.gov/contractdirectory/ .

(iii) Include consideration of small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns (see part  19 ).

(iv) Consider the impact of any consolidation or bundling that might affect participation of small businesses in the acquisition (see 7.107 ) (15 U.S.C. 644(e) and 15 U.S.C. 657q). When the proposed acquisition strategy involves bundling , identify the incumbent contractors and contracts affected by the bundling .

(v) Address the extent and results of the market research and indicate their impact on the various elements of the plan (see part  10 ).

(2) Competition.

(i) Describe how competition will be sought, promoted, and sustained throughout the course of the acquisition . If full and open competition is not contemplated, cite the authority in 6.302 , discuss the basis for the application of that authority, identify the source(s), and discuss why full and open competition cannot be obtained.

(ii) Identify the major components or subsystems. Discuss component breakout plans relative to these major components or subsystems. Describe how competition will be sought, promoted, and sustained for these components or subsystems.

(iii) Describe how competition will be sought, promoted, and sustained for spares and repair parts. Identify the key logistic milestones, such as technical data delivery schedules and acquisition method coding conferences, that affect competition.

(iv) When effective subcontract competition is both feasible and desirable, describe how such subcontract competition will be sought, promoted, and sustained throughout the course of the acquisition . Identify any known barriers to increasing subcontract competition and address how to overcome them.

(3) Contract type selection . Discuss the rationale for the selection of contract type. For other than firm-fixed-price contracts, see 16.103 (d) for additional documentation guidance. Acquisition personnel shall document the acquisition plan with findings that detail the particular facts and circumstances, ( e.g. , complexity of the requirements, uncertain duration of the work, contractor’s technical capability and financial responsibility, or adequacy of the contractor’s accounting system), and associated reasoning essential to support the contract type selection. The contracting officer shall ensure that requirements and technical personnel provide the necessary documentation to support the contract type selection.

(4) Source-selection procedures. Discuss the source selection procedures for the acquisition , including the basis for using a reverse auction (when applicable), the timing for submission and evaluation of proposals, and the relationship of evaluation factors to the attainment of the acquisition objectives (see subpart 15.3 ). When an EVMS is required (see FAR 34.202 (a)) and a preaward IBR is contemplated, the acquisition plan must discuss-

(i) How the pre-award IBR will be considered in the source selection decision;

(ii) How it will be conducted in the source selection process (see FAR 15.306 ); and

(iii) Whether offerors will be directly compensated for the costs of participating in a pre-award IBR.

(5) Acquisition considerations.

(i) For each contract contemplated, discuss use of multiyear contracting , options , or other special contracting methods (see part  17 ); any special clauses, special solicitation provisions, or FAR deviations required (see subpart  1.4 ); whether sealed bidding or negotiation will be used and why; whether equipment will be acquired by lease or purchase (see subpart  7.4 ) and why; and any other contracting considerations. Provide rationale if a performance-based acquisition will not be used or if a performance-based acquisition for services is contemplated on other than a firm-fixed-price basis (see 37.102 (a), 16.103 (d), and 16.505 (a)(3)).

(ii) For each order contemplated, discuss-

(A) For information technology acquisitions , how the capital planning and investment control requirements of 40 U.S.C. 11312 and OMB Circular A-130 will be met (see 7.103 (v) and part  39 ); and

(B) Why this action benefits the Government, such as when-

(1) The agency can accomplish its mission more efficiently and effectively ( e.g., take advantage of the servicing agency ’s specialized expertise; or gain access to contractors with needed expertise); or

(2) Ordering through an indefinite delivery contract facilitates access to small business concerns, including small disadvantaged business concerns , 8(a) contractors, women-owned small business concerns , HUBZone small business concerns, veteran-owned small business concerns, or service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns.

(iii) For information technology acquisitions using Internet Protocol, discuss whether the requirements documents include the Internet Protocol compliance requirements specified in 11.002 (g) or a waiver of these requirements has been granted by the agency’s Chief Information Officer.

(iv) For information technology acquisitions , identify the applicable ICT accessibility standard(s). When an exception or an exemption to the standard(s) applies, the plan must list the exception and/or exemption, and the item(s) to which it applies. For those items listing 39.204 or 39.205 (a)(1) or (2), the corresponding accessibility standard does not need to be identified. See subpart  39.2 and 36 CFR 1194.1 .

(v) For each contract (and order ) contemplated, discuss the strategy to transition to firm-fixed-price contracts to the maximum extent practicable. During the requirements development stage, consider structuring the contract requirements, i.e. , line items , in a manner that will permit some, if not all, of the requirements to be awarded on a firm-fixed-price basis, either in the current contract, future option years, or follow-on contracts. This will facilitate an easier transition to a firm-fixed-price contract, because a cost history will be developed for a recurring definitive requirement.

(6) Budgeting and funding. Include budget estimates, explain how they were derived, and discuss the schedule for obtaining adequate funds at the time they are required (see subpart  32.7 ).

(7) Product or service descriptions. Explain the choice of product or service description types (including performance-based acquisition descriptions) to be used in the acquisition .

(8) Priorities, allocations, and allotments . When urgency of the requirement dictates a particularly short delivery or performance schedule, certain priorities may apply. If so, specify the method for obtaining and using priorities, allocations, and allotments, and the reasons for them (see subpart  11.6 ).

(9) Contractor versus Government performance . Address the consideration given to OMB CircularNo.A-76 (see subpart  7.3 ).

(10) Inherently governmental functions . Address the consideration given to subpart  7.5 .

(11) Management information requirements . Discuss, as appropriate, what management system will be used by the Government to monitor the contractor’s effort. If an Earned Value Management System is to be used, discuss the methodology the Government will employ to analyze and use the earned value data to assess and monitor contract performance. In addition, discuss how the offeror ’s/contractor’s EVMS will be verified for compliance with the Electronic Industries Alliance Standard 748 (EIA-748), Earned Value Management Systems , and the timing and conduct of integrated baseline reviews (whether prior to or post award). (See 34.202 .)

(12) Make or buy. Discuss any consideration given to make-or-buy programs (see 15.407-2 ).

(13) Test and evaluation. To the extent applicable, describe the test program of the contractor and the Government. Describe the test program for each major phase of a major system acquisition . If concurrency is planned, discuss the extent of testing to be accomplished before production release.

(14) Logistics considerations . Describe-

(i) The assumptions determining contractor or agency support, both initially and over the life of the acquisition , including consideration of contractor or agency maintenance and servicing (see subpart  7.3 ), support for contracts to be performed in a designated operational area or supporting a diplomatic or consular mission (see 25.301-3 ); and distribution of commercial products or commercial services ;

(ii) The reliability, maintainability, and quality assurance requirements, including any planned use of warranties (see part  46 );

(iii) The requirements for contractor data (including repurchase data) and data rights, their estimated cost, and the use to be made of the data (see part  27 ); and

(iv) Standardization concepts, including the necessity to designate, in accordance with agency procedures, technical equipment as "standard" so that future purchases of the equipment can be made from the same manufacturing source.

(15) Government-furnished property . Indicate any Government property to be furnished to contractors, and discuss any associated considerations, such as its availability or the schedule for its acquisition (see 45.102 ).

(16) Government-furnished information. Discuss any Government information, such as manuals, drawings, and test data, to be provided to prospective offerors and contractors. Indicate which information that requires additional controls to monitor access and distribution ( e.g. , technical specifications, maps, building designs, schedules, etc.), as determined by the agency, is to be posted via the enhanced controls of the Governmentwide point of entry (GPE ) at https://www.sam.gov (see 5.102 (a)).

(17) Environmental and energy conservation objectives . Discuss—

(i) All applicable environmental and energy conservation objectives associated with the acquisition (see part  23 );

(ii) The applicability of an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement (see 40 CFR part 1502 );

(iii) The proposed resolution of environmental issues; and

(iv) Any sustainable acquisition requirements to be included in the solicitation and contract (see 11.002 and 23 ).

(18) Security considerations .

(i) For acquisitions dealing with classified matters, discuss how adequate security will be established, maintained, and monitored (see subpart  4.4 ).

(ii) For information technology acquisitions , discuss how agency information security requirements will be met.

(iii) For acquisitions requiring routine contractor physical access to a Federally-controlled facility and/or routine access to a Federally-controlled information system , discuss how agency requirements for personal identity verification of contractors will be met (see subpart  4.13 ).

(iv) For acquisitions that may require Federal contract information to reside in or transit through contractor information systems, discuss compliance with subpart  4.19 .

(19) Contract administration . Describe how the contract will be administered. In contracts for services, include how inspection and acceptance corresponding to the work statement’s performance criteria will be enforced. In contracts for supplies or service contracts that include supplies , address whether higher-level quality standards are necessary ( 46.202 ) and whether the supplies to be acquired are critical items ( 46.101 ).

(20) Other considerations. Discuss, as applicable:

(i) Standardization concepts;

(ii) The industrial readiness program;

(iii) The Defense Production Act;

(iv) The Occupational Safety and Health Act;

(v) Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (SAFETY Act) (see subpart  50.2 );

(vi) Foreign sales implications;

(vii) Special requirements for contracts to be performed in a designated operational area or supporting a diplomatic or consular mission ; and

(viii) Any other matters germane to the plan not covered elsewhere.

(21) Milestones for the acquisition cycle . Address the following steps and any others appropriate:

Acquisition plan approval.

Statement of work.

Specifications.

Data requirements.

Completion of acquisition -package preparation.

Purchase request.

Justification and approval for other than full and open competition where applicable and/or any required D&F approval.

Issuance of synopsis.

Issuance of solicitation .

Evaluation of proposals, audits, and field reports.

Beginning and completion of negotiations.

Contract preparation, review, and clearance.

Contract award.

(22) Identification of participants in acquisition plan preparation. List the individuals who participated in preparing the acquisition plan, giving contact information for each.

(a) In planning for the solicitation of a major system (see part  34 ) development contract, planners shall consider requiring offerors to include, in their offers , proposals to incorporate in the design of a major system -

(1) Items which are currently available within the supply system of the agency responsible for the major system , available elsewhere in the national supply system, or commercially available from more than one source; and

(2) Items which the Government will be able to acquire competitively in the future if they are likely to be needed in substantial quantities during the system’s service life.

(b) In planning for the solicitation of a major system (see part  34 ) production contract, planners shall consider requiring offerors to include, in their offers , proposals identifying opportunities to assure that the Government will be able to obtain, on a competitive basis, items acquired in connection with the system that are likely to be acquired in substantial quantities during the service life of the system. Proposals submitted in response to such requirements may include the following:

(1) Proposals to provide the Government the right to use technical data to be provided under the contract for competitive future acquisitions , together with the cost to the Government, if any, of acquiring such technical data and the right to use such data.

(2) Proposals for the qualification or development of multiple sources of supply for competitive future acquisitions .

(c) In determining whether to apply paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, planners shall consider the purposes for which the system is being acquired and the technology necessary to meet the system’s required capabilities. If such proposals are required, the contracting officer shall consider them in evaluating competing offers . In noncompetitive awards, the factors in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, may be considered by the contracting officer as objectives in negotiating the contract.

(a) If the requirement is considered both consolidated and bundled, the agency shall follow the guidance regarding bundling in 7.107-3 , 7.107-4 , and 7.107-5 .

(b) The requirements of this section 7.107 do not apply-

(1) If a cost comparison analysis will be performed in accordance with OMB Circular A-76 (except 7.107-4 still applies);

(2) To orders placed under single-agency task- order contracts or delivery- order contracts, when the requirement was considered in determining that the consolidation or bundling of the underlying contract was necessary and justified; or

(3) To requirements for which there is a mandatory source (see 8.002 or 8.003 ), including supplies and services that are on the Procurement List maintained by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled or the Schedule of Products issued by Federal Prison Industries, Inc. This exception does not apply–

(i) When the requiring agency obtains a waiver in accordance with 8.604 or an exception in accordance with 8.605 or 8.706 ; or

(ii) When optional acquisitions of supplies and services permitted under 8.713 are included.

(a) Consolidation may provide substantial benefits to the Government. However, because of the potential impact on small business participation, before conducting an acquisition that is a consolidation of requirements with an estimated total dollar value exceeding $2 million, the senior procurement executive (SPE) or chief acquisition officer (CAO) shall make a written determination that the consolidation is necessary and justified in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 657q, after ensuring that-

(1) Market research has been conducted;

(2) Any alternative contracting approaches that would involve a lesser degree of consolidation have been identified;

(3) The determination is coordinated with the agency's Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization or the Office of Small Business Programs;

(4) Any negative impact by the acquisition strategy on contracting with small business concerns has been identified; and

(5) Steps are taken to include small business concerns in the acquisition strategy.

(b) The SPE or CAO may determine that the consolidation is necessary and justified if the benefits of the acquisition would substantially exceed the benefits that would be derived from each of the alternative contracting approaches identified under paragraph (a)(2) of this section, including benefits that are quantifiable in dollar amounts as well as any other specifically identified benefits.

(c) Such benefits may include cost savings or price reduction and, regardless of whether quantifiable in dollar amounts-

(1) Quality improvements that will save time or improve or enhance performance or efficiency;

(2) Reduction in acquisition cycle times;

(3) Better terms and conditions; or

(4) Any other benefit.

(d) Benefits.

(1) Benefits that are quantifiable in dollar amounts are substantial if individually, in combination, or in the aggregate the anticipated financial benefits are equivalent to-

(i) Ten percent of the estimated contract or order value (including options ) if the value is $94 million or less; or

(ii) Five percent of the estimated contract or order value (including options ) or $9.4 million, whichever is greater, if the value exceeds $94 million.

(2) Benefits that are not quantifiable in dollar amounts shall be specifically identified and otherwise quantified to the extent feasible.

(3) Reduction of administrative or personnel costs alone is not sufficient justification for consolidation unless the cost savings are expected to be at least 10 percent of the estimated contract or order value (including options ) of the consolidated requirements, as determined by the SPE or CAO (15 U.S.C. 657q(c)(2)(B)).

(1) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, the approving authority identified in paragraph (e)(2) of this section may determine that consolidation is necessary and justified when-

(i) The expected benefits do not meet the thresholds for a substantial benefit at paragraph (d)(1) of this section but are critical to the agency's mission success; and

(ii) The procurement strategy provides for maximum practicable participation by small business.

(2) The approving authority is–

(i) For the Department of Defense, the SPE: or

(ii) For the civilian agencies, the Deputy Secretary or equivalent.

(f) If a determination is made that consolidation is necessary and justified, the contracting officer shall include it in the acquisition strategy documentation and provide it to the Small Business Administration (SBA) upon request.

(a) Bundling may provide substantial benefits to the Government. However, because of the potential impact on small business participation, before conducting an acquisition strategy that involves bundling , the agency shall make a written determination that the bundling is necessary and justified in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 644(e) . A bundled requirement is considered necessary and justified if the agency would obtain measurably substantial benefits as compared to meeting its agency's requirements through separate smaller contracts or orders .

(b) The agency shall quantify the specific benefits identified through the use of market research and other techniques to explain how their impact would be measurably substantial (see 10.001 (a)(2)(iv) and (a)(3)(vii)).

(c) Such benefits may include, but are not limited to-

(1) Cost savings;

(2) Price reduction;

(3) Quality improvements that will save time or improve or enhance performance or efficiency;

(4) Reduction in acquisition cycle times, or

(5) Better terms and conditions.

(d) Benefits are measurably substantial if individually, in combination, or in the aggregate the anticipated financial benefits are equivalent to-

(1) Ten percent of the estimated contract or order value (including options ) if the value is $94 million or less; or

(2) Five percent of the estimated contract or order value (including options ) or $9.4 million, whichever is greater, if the value exceeds $94 million.

(e) Reduction of administrative or personnel costs alone is not sufficient justification for bundling unless the cost savings are expected to be at least ten percent of the estimated contract or order value (including options ) of the bundled requirements.

(1) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) through (e) of this subsection, the approving authority identified in paragraph (f)(2) of this subsection may determine that bundling is necessary and justified when

(i) The expected benefits do not meet the thresholds for a substantial benefit but are critical to the agency's mission success; and

(ii) The acquisition strategy provides for maximum practicable participation by small business concerns.

(2) The approving authority, without power of delegation, is–

(i) For the Department of Defense, the senior procurement executive ; or

(ii) For the civilian agencies is the Deputy Secretary or equivalent.

(g) In assessing whether cost savings and/or price reduction would be achieved through bundling , the agency and SBA shall -

(1) Compare the price that has been charged by small businesses for the work that they have performed; or

(2) Where previous prices are not available, compare the price, based on market research , that could have been or could be charged by small businesses for the work previously performed by other than a small business.

(h) If a determination is made that bundling is necessary and justified, the contracting officer shall include it in the acquisition strategy documentation and provide it to SBA upon request.

(1) Substantial bundling is any bundling that results in a contract or task or delivery order with an estimated value of—

(i) $8 million or more for the Department of Defense;

(ii) $6 million or more for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the General Services Administration, and the Department of Energy; or

(iii) $2.5 million or more for all other agencies.

(2) These thresholds apply to the cumulative estimated dollar value (including options ) of–

(i) Multiple-award contracts ;

(ii) Task orders or delivery orders issued against a GSA Schedule contract; or

(iii) Task orders or delivery orders issued against a task- order or delivery- order contract awarded by another agency.

(b) In addition to addressing the requirements for bundling (see 7.107-3 ), when the proposed acquisition strategy involves substantial bundling , the agency shall document in its strategy—

(1) The specific benefits anticipated to be derived from substantial bundling ;

(2) An assessment of the specific impediments to participation by small business concerns as contractors that result from substantial bundling ;

(3) Actions designed to maximize small business participation as contractors, including provisions that encourage small business teaming;

(4) Actions designed to maximize small business participation as subcontractors (including suppliers) at any tier under the contract, or order , that may be awarded to meet the requirements;

(5) The determination that the anticipated benefits of the proposed bundled contract or order justify its use; and

(6) Alternative strategies that would reduce or minimize the scope of the bundling , and the rationale for not choosing those alternatives.

(a) Notifications to current small business contractors of agency's intent to bundle .

(1) The contracting officer shall notify each small business performing a contract that it intends to bundle the requirement at least 30 days prior to the issuance of the solicitation for the bundled requirement.

(2) The notification shall provide the name, phone number and address of the applicable SBA procurement center representative (PCR), or if an SBA PCR is not assigned to the procuring activity , the SBA Office of Government Contracting Area Office serving the area in which the buying activity is located.

(3) This notification shall be documented in the contract file.

(b) Notification to public of rationale for bundled requirement . The agency is encouraged to provide notification of the rationale for any bundled requirement to the GPE, before issuance of the solicitation (see 5.201 ).

(c) Notification to the public of consolidation of contract requirements . The SPE or CAO shall publish in the GPE—

(1) A notice that the agency has determined a consolidation of contract requirements is necessary and justified (see 7.107-2 ) no later than 7 days after making the determination; the solicitation may not be publicized prior to 7 days after publication of the notice of the agency determination; and

(2) The determination that consolidation is necessary and justified with the publication of the solicitation . See 7.107-2 for the required content of the determination.

(d) Notification to the public of substantial bundling of contract requirements . The head of the agency shall publish in the GPE—

(1) A notice that the agency has determined that a procurement involves substantial bundling (see 7.107-4 ) no later than 7 days after such determination has been made; the solicitation may not be publicized prior to 7 days after the publication of the notice of the determination; and

(2) The rationale for substantial bundling with the publication of the solicitation . The rationale is the information required for inclusion in the acquisition strategy at 7.107-4 (b).

(e) Notification to SBA of follow-on bundled or consolidated requirements . For each follow-on bundled or consolidated requirement, the contracting officer shall obtain the following from the requiring activity and notify the SBA PCR no later than 30 days prior to issuance of the solicitation :

(1) The amount of savings and benefits achieved under the prior consolidation or bundling .

(2) Whether such savings and benefits will continue to be realized if the contract remains consolidated or bundled.

(3) Whether such savings and benefits would be greater if the procurement requirements were divided into separate solicitations suitable for award to small business concerns.

(4) List of requirements that have been added or deleted for the follow-on.

(f) Annual notification to the public of the rationale for bundled requirements. The agency shall publish on its website a list and rationale for any bundled requirement for which the agency solicited offers or issued an award. The notification shall be made annually within 30 days of the agency's data certification regarding the validity and verification of data entered in the Federal Procurement Data System to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (see 4.604 ).

(g) Notification to public of bundling policy . In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 644(q)(2)(A)(ii) , agencies shall publish the Governmentwide policy regarding contract bundling , including regarding the solicitation of teaming and joint ventures, on their agency website.

The contracting officer shall insert the provision at 52.207-6 , Solicitation of Offers from Small Business Concerns and Small Business Teaming Arrangements or Joint Ventures ( Multiple-Award Contracts ), in solicitations for multiple-award contracts above the substantial bundling threshold of the agency (see 7.107-4 (a)).

In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 3306(f) , an agency shall generally not discourage a contractor from allowing its employees to telecommute in the performance of Government contracts. Therefore, agencies shall not-

(a) Include in a solicitation a requirement that prohibits an offeror from permitting its employees to telecommute unless the contracting officer first determines that the requirements of the agency, including security requirements, cannot be met if telecommuting is permitted. The contracting officer shall document the basis for the determination in writing and specify the prohibition in the solicitation ; or

(b) When telecommuting is not prohibited, unfavorably evaluate an offer because it includes telecommuting, unless the contracting officer first determines that the requirements of the agency, including security requirements, would be adversely impacted if telecommuting is permitted. The contracting officer shall document the basis for the determination in writing and address the evaluation procedures in the solicitation .

This subpart prescribes policies and procedures for gathering information from offerors to assist the Government in planning the most advantageous quantities in which supplies should be purchased.

(a) Agencies are required by 10 U.S.C. 3242 and 41 U.S.C.3310 to procure supplies in such quantity as-

(1) Will result in the total cost and unit cost most advantageous to the Government, where practicable; and

(2) Does not exceed the quantity reasonably expected to be required by the agency.

(b) Each solicitation for a contract for supplies is required, if practicable, to include a provision inviting each offeror responding to the solicitation -

(1) To state an opinion on whether the quantity of the supplies proposed to be acquired is economically advantageous to the Government; and

(2) If applicable, to recommend a quantity or quantities which would be more economically advantageous to the Government. Each such recommendation is required to include a quotation of the total price and the unit price for supplies procured in each recommended quantity.

Contracting officers shall insert the provision at 52.207-4 , Economic Purchase Quantity- Supplies , in solicitations for supplies . The provision need not be inserted if the solicitation is for a contract under the General Services Administration’s multiple award schedule contract program, or if the contracting officer determines that-

(a) The Government already has the data;

(b) The data is otherwise readily available; or

(c) It is impracticable for the Government to vary its future requirements.

(a) Contracting officers are responsible for transmitting offeror responses to the solicitation provision at 52.207-4 to appropriate inventory management/requirements development activities in accordance with agency procedures. The economic purchase quantity data so obtained are intended to assist inventory managers in establishing and evaluating economic order quantities for supplies under their cognizance.

(b) In recognition of the fact that economic purchase quantity data furnished by offerors are only one of many data inputs required for determining the most economical order quantities, contracting officers should generally take no action to revise quantities to be acquired in connection with the instant procurement . However, if a significant price variation is evident from offeror responses, and the potential for significant savings is apparent, the contracting officer shall consult with the cognizant inventory manager or requirements development activity before proceeding with an award or negotiations. If this consultation discloses that the Government should be ordering an item of supply in different quantities and the inventory manager/requirements development activity concurs, the solicitation for the item should be amended or canceled and a new requisition should be obtained.

Definitions of "inherently governmental activity" and other terms applicable to this subpart are set forth at Attachment D of the Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-76 (Revised), Performance of Commercial Activities, dated May 29, 2003 (the Circular).

(a) The Circular provides that it is the policy of the Government to-

(1) Perform inherently governmental activities with Government personnel; and

(2) Subject commercial activities to the forces of competition.

(b) As provided in the Circular, agencies shall -

(1) Not use contractors to perform inherently governmental activities;

(2) Conduct public-private competitions in accordance with the provisions of the Circular and, as applicable, these regulations;

(3) Give appropriate consideration relative to cost when making performance decisions between agency and contractor performance in public-private competitions;

(4) Consider the Agency Tender Official an interested party in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3551 to 3553 for purposes of filing a protest at the Government Accountability Office; and

(5) Hear contests in accordance with OMB Circular A-76, Attachment B, Paragraph F.

(c) When using sealed bidding in public-private competitions under OMB Circular A-76, contracting officers shall not hold discussions to correct deficiencies.

(a) The contracting officer shall , when soliciting offers and tenders, insert in solicitations issued for standard competitions the provision at 52.207-1 , Notice of Standard Competition.

(b) The contracting officer shall , when soliciting offers , insert in solicitations issued for streamlined competitions the provision at 52.207-2 , Notice of Streamlined Competition.

(c) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.207-3 , Right of First Refusal of Employment, in all solicitations which may result in a conversion from in-house performance to contract performance of work currently being performed by the Government and in contracts that result from the solicitations , whether or not a public-private competition is conducted. The 10- day period in the clause may be varied by the contracting officer up to a period of 90 days.

This subpart—

(a) Implements section 555 of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Reauthorization Act of 2018 ( Pub. L. 115-254 );

(b) Provides guidance when acquiring equipment and more than one method of acquisition is available for use; and

(c) Applies to both the initial acquisition of equipment and the renewal or extension of existing equipment leases or rental agreements.

(1) Agencies shall acquire equipment using the method of acquisition most advantageous to the Government based on a case-by-case analysis of comparative costs and other factors in accordance with this subpart and agency procedures.

(2) The methods of acquisition to be compared in the analysis shall include, at a minimum—

(i) Purchase;

(ii) Short-term rental or lease;

(iii) Long-term rental or lease;

(iv) Interagency acquisition (see 2.101 ); and

(v) Agency acquisition agreements, if applicable, with a State or local government.

(1) The factors to be compared in the analysis shall include, at a minimum:

(i) Estimated length of the period the equipment is to be used and the extent of use within that period;

(ii) Financial and operating advantages of alternative types and makes of equipment;

(iii) Cumulative rent, lease, or other periodic payments, however described, for the estimated period of use;

(iv) Net purchase price;

(v) Transportation, installation, and storage costs;

(vi) Maintenance, repair, and other service costs; and

(vii) Potential obsolescence of the equipment because of imminent technological improvements.

(2) The following additional factors should be considered, as appropriate, depending on the type, cost, complexity, and estimated period of use of the equipment:

(i) Availability of purchase options .

(ii) Cancellation, extension, and early return conditions and fees.

(iii) Ability to swap out or exchange equipment.

(iv) Available warranties .

(v) Insurance , environmental, or licensing requirements.

(vi) Potential for use of the equipment by other agencies after its use by the acquiring agency is ended.

(vii) Trade-in or salvage value.

(viii) Imputed interest.

(ix) Availability of a servicing capability, especially for highly complex equipment; e.g. , can the equipment be serviced by the Government or other sources if it is purchased?

(c) The analysis in paragraph (a) is not required—

(1) When the President has issued an emergency declaration or a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq. );

(2) In other emergency situations if the agency head makes a determination that obtaining such equipment is necessary in order to protect human life or property; or

(3) When otherwise authorized by law.

(a) Purchase method.

(1) Generally, the purchase method is appropriate if the equipment will be used beyond the point in time when cumulative rental or leasing costs exceed the purchase costs.

(2) Agencies should not rule out the purchase method of equipment acquisition in favor of renting or leasing merely because of the possibility that future technological advances might make the selected equipment less desirable.

(b) Rent or lease method.

(1) The rent or lease method is appropriate if it is to the Government's advantage under the circumstances. The rent or lease method may also serve as a short-term measure when the circumstances—

(i) Require immediate use of equipment to meet program or system goals; but

(ii) Do not currently support acquisition by purchase.

(2) If a rent or lease method is justified, a rental or lease agreement with option to purchase is preferable.

(3) Generally, a long term rental or lease agreement should be avoided, but may be appropriate if an option to purchase or other favorable terms are included.

(4) If a rental or lease agreement with option to purchase is used, the contract shall state the purchase price or provide a formula which shows how the purchase price will be established at the time of purchase.

(a) When requested by an agency, the General Services Administration (GSA) will assist in rent, lease, or purchase decisions by providing information such as-

(1) Pending price adjustments to Federal Supply Schedule contracts;

(2) Recent or imminent technological developments;

(3) New techniques; and

(4) Industry or market trends.

(b) For additional GSA assistance and guidance, agencies may —

(1) Request information from the GSA FAS National Customer Service Center by phone at 1-800-488-3111 or by email at [email protected] ; and

(2) See GSA website, Schedule 51 V Hardware Superstore-Equipment Rental, ( https://www.gsa.gov/buying-selling/products-services/industrial-products-services/rental-of-industrial-equipment ).

(c) For additional OMB guidance, see—

(1) Section 13, Special Guidance for Lease-Purchase Analysis, and paragraph 8.c.(2), Lease-Purchase Analysis, of OMB Circular A-94, Guidelines and Discount Rates for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal Programs, ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/circulars/A94/a094.pdf ); and

(2) Appendix B, Budgetary Treatment of Lease-Purchases and Leases of Capital Assets, of OMB Circular A-11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/app_b.pdf ).

The contracting officer shall insert a clause substantially the same as the clause in 52.207-5 , Option to Purchase Equipment, in solicitations and contracts involving a rental or lease agreement with option to purchase.

The purpose of this subpart is to prescribe policies and procedures to ensure that inherently governmental functions are not performed by contractors.

The requirements of this subpart apply to all contracts for services. This subpart does not apply to services obtained through either personnel appointments, advisory committees, or personal services contracts issued under statutory authority.

(a) Contracts shall not be used for the performance of inherently governmental functions.

(b) Agency decisions which determine whether a function is or is not an inherently governmental function may be reviewed and modified by appropriate Office of Management and Budget officials.

(c) The following is a list of examples of functions considered to be inherently governmental functions or which shall be treated as such. This list is not all inclusive:

(1) The direct conduct of criminal investigations.

(2) The control of prosecutions and performance of adjudicatory functions other than those relating to arbitration or other methods of alternative dispute resolution.

(3) The command of military forces, especially the leadership of military personnel who are members of the combat, combat support, or combat service support role.

(4) The conduct of foreign relations and the determination of foreign policy.

(5) The determination of agency policy, such as determining the content and application of regulations, among other things.

(6) The determination of Federal program priorities for budget requests.

(7) The direction and control of Federal employees.

(8) The direction and control of intelligence and counter-intelligence operations.

(9) The selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment, including the interviewing of individuals for employment.

(10) The approval of position descriptions and performance standards for Federal employees.

(11) The determination of what Government property is to be disposed of and on what terms (although an agency may give contractors authority to dispose of property at prices within specified ranges and subject to other reasonable conditions deemed appropriate by the agency).

(12) In Federal procurement activities with respect to prime contracts-

(i) Determining what supplies or services are to be acquired by the Government (although an agency may give contractors authority to acquire supplies at prices within specified ranges and subject to other reasonable conditions deemed appropriate by the agency);

(ii) Participating as a voting member on any source selection boards;

(iii) Approving any contractual documents, to include documents defining requirements, incentive plans, and evaluation criteria;

(iv) Awarding contracts;

(v) Administering contracts (including ordering changes in contract performance or contract quantities, taking action based on evaluations of contractor performance, and accepting or rejecting contractor products or services);

(vi) Terminating contracts;

(vii) Determining whether contract costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable; and

(viii) Participating as a voting member on performance evaluation boards.

(13) The approval of agency responses to Freedom of Information Act requests (other than routine responses that, because of statute, regulation, or agency policy, do not require the exercise of judgment in determining whether documents are to be released or withheld), and the approval of agency responses to the administrative appeals of denials of Freedom of Information Act requests.

(14) The conduct of administrative hearings to determine the eligibility of any person for a security clearance, or involving actions that affect matters of personal reputation or eligibility to participate in Government programs.

(15) The approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections .

(16) The determination of budget policy, guidance, and strategy.

(17) The collection, control, and disbursement of fees, royalties, duties, fines, taxes, and other public funds, unless authorized by statute, such as 31 U.S.C. 3718 (relating to private attorney collection services), but not including-

(i) Collection of fees, fines, penalties, costs, or other charges from visitors to or patrons of mess halls, post or base exchange concessions, national parks, and similar entities or activities, or from other persons, where the amount to be collected is easily calculated or predetermined and the funds collected can be easily controlled using standard case management techniques; and

(ii) Routine voucher and invoice examination.

(18) The control of the treasury accounts.

(19) The administration of public trusts.

(20) The drafting of Congressional testimony, responses to Congressional correspondence, or agency responses to audit reports from the Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office, or other Federal audit entity.

(d) The following is a list of examples of functions generally not considered to be inherently governmental functions. However, certain services and actions that are not considered to be inherently governmental functions may approach being in that category because of the nature of the function, the manner in which the contractor performs the contract, or the manner in which the Government administers contractor performance. This list is not all inclusive:

(1) Services that involve or relate to budget preparation, including workload modeling, fact finding, efficiency studies, and should -cost analyses, etc.

(2) Services that involve or relate to reorganization and planning activities.

(3) Services that involve or relate to analyses, feasibility studies, and strategy options to be used by agency personnel in developing policy.

(4) Services that involve or relate to the development of regulations.

(5) Services that involve or relate to the evaluation of another contractor’s performance.

(6) Services in support of acquisition planning .

(7) Contractors providing assistance in contract management (such as where the contractor might influence official evaluations of other contractors).

(8) Contractors providing technical evaluation of contract proposals.

(9) Contractors providing assistance in the development of statements of work.

(10) Contractors providing support in preparing responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.

(11) Contractors working in any situation that permits or might permit them to gain access to confidential business information and/or any other sensitive information (other than situations covered by the National Industrial Security Program described in 4.402 (b)).

(12) Contractors providing information regarding agency policies or regulations, such as attending conferences on behalf of an agency, conducting community relations campaigns, or conducting agency training courses.

(13) Contractors participating in any situation where it might be assumed that they are agency employees or representatives.

(14) Contractors participating as technical advisors to a source selection board or participating as voting or nonvoting members of a source evaluation board.

(15) Contractors serving as arbitrators or providing alternative methods of dispute resolution.

(16) Contractors constructing buildings or structures intended to be secure from electronic eavesdropping or other penetration by foreign governments.

(17) Contractors providing inspection services.

(18) Contractors providing legal advice and interpretations of regulations and statutes to Government officials.

(19) Contractors providing special non-law enforcement, security activities that do not directly involve criminal investigations, such as prisoner detention or transport and non-military national security details.

(e) Agency implementation shall include procedures requiring the agency head or designated requirements official to provide the contracting officer , concurrent with transmittal of the statement of work (or any modification thereof), a written determination that none of the functions to be performed are inherently governmental. This assessment should place emphasis on the degree to which conditions and facts restrict the discretionary authority, decision-making responsibility, or accountability of Government officials using contractor services or work products . Disagreements regarding the determination will be resolved in accordance with agency procedures before issuance of a solicitation .

Definitions

FAC Changes

Style Formatter

• Data Initiatives
• Regulations
• Smart Matrix
• Regulations Search
• Acquisition Regulation Comparator (ARC)
• Large Agencies
• Small Agencies
• CAOC History
• CAOC Charter
• Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC)
• Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council
• Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee (ISDC)

ACQUISITION.GOV

An official website of the General Services Administration

• Pricing Customers Get a Demo
• Platform Data Reporting Analytics Collaboration Security Integrations
• Solutions Strategic Planning Organizational Alignment Business Reporting Dashboards OKRs Project Management
• Industries Local Government Healthcare Banking & Finance Utilities & Energy Higher Education Enterprise

4 Local Government Strategic Planning Examples

Tricia Jessee

Tricia manages our implementation and onboarding team to ensure the success of ClearPoint customers.

Examine 4 local government strategic planning examples. Understand how these strategies were implemented and the impact they had on the community.

Table of Contents

Working on a strategic plan for your local government ? Whether you’re just starting to develop a set of goals or already looking to implement and execute on initiatives, you've come to the right place. We know that taking your ideas and turning them into real benefits for your community requires a lot of effort.

If there's anything we've learned from working with local governments, it's that you'll do whatever it takes to help your community grow and thrive. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to balance the needs of all your community stakeholders with the realities of time and financial constraints. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide to government planning—to provide both practical guidance and inspiration that will set you on the right path. Keep reading to find out about:

• The necessary components for a solid government strategic plan
• How to align city-wide departmental activities with your strategic plan
• How four real local governments handle strategic planning and execution
• Tips to help you succeed in the planning process

We’ll also explain why our strategy reporting software, ClearPoint, is a valuable tool for strategy planning and execution, and what makes it a great fit for governments in particular. Let’s dive in!

Local Government Planning: Essential Elements

All successful organizations plan—and sometimes get paralyzed by over-planning. Your city likely has a lot of plans ( urban planning, capital improvements, infrastructure, community health, and other areas) on top of department plans. Sometimes it is tough to see how it will all fit together.

A government strategic plan is a city’s overall, long-term vision for the future. It’s a blueprint of the city’s goals, planned projects to achieve those goals, and metrics to determine success.

Strategic plans chart the course for a city over a three- to five-year period, at the end of which the plans should be reevaluated and refreshed. Once a plan is developed, it is rolled out to city departments to execute their individual responsibilities.

Municipal leaders (the city council, mayor, city manager, etc.) drive the process of creating a local government strategic plan, starting with gathering input from key staff members and citizens. The strategy and budget offices also take an active role in the planning process.

5 Essential Components Of A Government Strategic Plan

The point of a strategic plan is to get everyone rowing in the same direction, and that requires having a shared vision and common goals. Those essentials will be impossible to establish without open communication and buy-in.

So, before you even think about developing the components in the list below, make sure everyone is on board with your strategy efforts. Include your staff, managers and directors, city council, and citizens from the start, and engage them as much as possible to ensure your plan focuses on the right initiatives. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to delve into the five main elements of government planning.

Keep in mind that organizations might call these components by different names—and that’s just fine. Figure out what terminology works best for your organization and go with it. Calling something a “goal” or a “strategic priority” doesn’t matter as long as the meaning behind it is there.

1. Core Mission

Your city’s mission statement is the foundation of the plan; it shows what you do for the city, community, and citizens. This is a step that some people don’t take seriously—but this is the main building block that will keep you focused from this point forward.

We recommend that you look around at other municipalities you respect or admire and find some things you really like from them. Then take those components and some of your own, and come together with your staff and/or citizens to see if any or all of those components echo what they want to see.

Finally, with all of this information in mind, you can finalize your core mission, which should be a mix of some things your municipality is now and some things you want to become in the future. Everything else in your city’s strategic plan will need to tie back to this, so be sure it isn’t too specific, and try to keep it concise.

2. Vision Statement

Your vision statement builds on the mission by stating what you are hoping to achieve in the future in order to reach your mission—so this is where you can start getting a little more specific.

Try to take a similar approach to crafting the vision statement as you did for the core mission. Look at other vision statements you’ve seen and reach out to your staff and citizens. Determine where you want to be in 3-5 years (these should be the more practical goals) and also where you want to be 10-20 years in the future (these should be more audacious goals). This is where things can get exciting and fun. Some citizens will propose some far-fetched ideas—say, they’ll want to host the Olympics! That may not actually happen, but it’s neat to have your citizens thinking this way.

3. Strategic Priorities

Certain goals should be focused on above all others. During this step, pick five or six priorities that, if accomplished, will guarantee that you execute your strategy. (These can be called “strategic priorities,” “goals,” or “objectives.”) You’ll want to have only 5-7 strategic priorities which will allow you to focus on achieving your core mission statement and vision. The following are often considered strategic priorities for municipalities:

• Neighborhood livability
• Health & safety
• Transportation
• Culture & entertainment
• Efficient and high performing government

Again, you’ll want to step back and be sure to involve both your citizens and your staff at every level of this process. Be sure to think about what things are really going to help you achieve this vision.

While your city is unique in many ways, it has many similarities to other municipalities due to size or proximity. Reaching out to other cities about how they track their data or perform similar strategic tasks is a great way to get ideas. A neighboring city may have an excellent suggestion on how to set targets for your levels of performance in your strategic plan. To get started, consider the following:

• Join a municipal planning network . We highly suggest finding an organization to help you connect to regional or like-minded municipalities. Begin your search at Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) or through your state-level ICMA organization. If a network of those municipalities doesn’t already exist, consider starting your own! There’s a good chance your next-door neighbors would enjoy and benefit from it.
• Share measure data with other municipalities through benchmarking or through a measures library . This is a great way to learn what others are measuring and how you stack up against them. You can also join these efforts by creating a library of your own measures for others to benchmark against. If you’re uncertain of where to begin in creating this library, this list of municipal planning measures should get you going in the right direction. At ClearPoint, we have more than 20 municipalities sharing over 250 measures they are tracking in their strategic plans. What better way to have up-to-date information at your fingertips!

4. A Rollout Plan

Everyone—from employees to citizens—needs to understand how they fit into the city’s strategic plan. If you’ve involved your staff and citizens in steps 1-3, this fourth step is so much easier.

First, understand that people need to be able to explain your strategic plan back to you in very simple terms to ensure its effectiveness. A really good example of this comes from a STAT meeting I recently sat in on. I saw that someone from the fire department—who wasn’t the fire chief—was presenting. He was third or fourth in command. He explained how the department fit within the strategic plan of the city in very simple terms, demonstrating a strong knowledge of the subject.

Unsure how to communicate your strategic plan? Get ideas from these city and state government strategic plan examples.

Altogether, this process should be extremely transparent. Consider weight loss for a moment: If one of your goals is to lose 20 pounds, it’s a great idea to tell some people about that plan, so they can keep you honest. The same is true for a city strategic plan. You should be able to put it out there and express where you want to go and what you want to do—this acts as an additional motivator and a source of accountability.

Make sure you're sharing your strategic plan externally as well as internally. Citizens, city council members, and elected officials all want to know how you’re actually doing with your strategic plan. A publicly available dashboard is one of the best ways to answer their questions!

A dashboard allows you to display your municipal plan metrics and provides explanations of what you’re doing to improve in areas that need it.

Note that this is very different from an open data platform that provides online access to raw data. While an open data platform may appear to be the “most transparent” way to share data at first look, it is actually very inconvenient for your citizens. They aren’t interested in parsing through hundreds of pages of raw data—they just want an organized, simplified view of whether or not you’re reaching your goals and how you’re working to achieve them. A dashboard meets this requirement straight on.

Learn more about why you should create a dashboard—and what you should include—in this article. You can also reference the excellent community dashboard the City of Fort Collins, Colorado has created.

5. Measures/Measure Owners

You’ll need to establish numerical goals to know if you are on track to reach your goals. To do this, it’s important to select the right key performance indicators (KPIs) that will inform your priorities and goals directly.

The KPI selection process is a very important one—but in the first year or so, you may not have the right ones. For example, if you notice that your KPIs are all green, but your goals and priorities aren’t improving, you may need to go back to the drawing board with your KPIs. You could have the wrong measures, or the targets may not be aggressive enough.

Typically, when you set priorities, you’ll set them for the municipality as a whole. Some organizations will take the additional step of setting up a scorecard for each department right off the bat, and others will expand into departmental scorecards after some experience at the city level. The department's unique priorities should be represented, but be sure that there are elements that tie back to the city level to ensure clear alignment.

Make sure you have a good way to track your data and hold your teammates accountable.

Having a local government strategic plan is one thing—but tracking the data that goes into that plan is another thing entirely. Tracking your data effectively allows you to better report on your strategic process. Unfortunately, many organizations end up in the never-ending cycle of manually adding data. This is not only extremely inefficient and tedious, but manually adding data is also prone to human error and mistakes. In order to cut out these issues, consider the following:

• Make sure every goal, measure, and project has an owner. On top of that, it’s critical to create a reporting calendar for all owners to follow. This ensures everyone is held accountable and knows when to have their information submitted. Using software can help with this, as you can assign responsibility to measure and project owners, have a place where these owners can update and document their reports, send out meeting reminders, and more.
• Load data automatically whenever possible. It’s inevitable that you’ll need to pull in data from a number of different places—automating this process is the most effective way to get most of your data into one place. Software like ClearPoint should be very helpful here assuming your software has data loading capabilities. This capability ensures your owners and leadership don’t waste their time adding data but instead can focus on analyzing and managing the results of your strategy.

Is your strategic plan not producing the results you expected? Uncover 8 things missing from your city's strategic plan here

Linking government strategic plans & work plans.

For strategic planning to work, the strategies of all departments must be aligned with the top-level mission and direction. This requires creating direct links between your city’s overall strategic goals and your departments’ work plans.

A work plan is a department’s operational plan (sometimes referred to as a department business plan). Generally speaking, it’s more tactical and operational in nature than the high-level government strategic plan. The work plan typically covers only 1-2 years of the strategic plan, and is linked to the budget directly, so it can be more concrete and restrictive than the strategic plan.

Ideally, city divisions and departments would have formal strategic plans in place, but most operate off their work plans and the planning process around them. A good work plan outlines each department’s responsibilities in relation to the strategic plan, including:

• Department mission statement
• Goals and measures
• Mandatory initiatives (e.g. legal requirements)
• Projects and initiatives to improve performance
• Budget and resource allocations
• Core competencies and developments in human resources within the department

Depending on the size of a city’s division, it might be necessary to break down a work plan by department, service area, or program. If “sub-work plans” are created, they must roll up to the department’s larger work plan, which will then roll up to the overarching government strategic plan. It’s a cascading effect and all plans should link to each other.

It’s important for the work plan to align with the city-wide strategic plan. For example, if the city has a larger goal to develop transit infrastructure that supports population growth, the Public Works division will have more granular goals and metrics. It might have goals around traffic speed during rush hour and metrics related to road maintenance.

This city-wide alignment may sound difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible. By learning about each part of the process, you’ll be better equipped to institute good governance at every level.

How Should Government Strategic Plans and Work Plans Be Linked?

Work plans and strategic plans should inform one another, but do not have to be the same.

In other words, don’t fall into the trap of focusing on operational and tactical items during the government strategic planning process. Your strategic plan should include items that are top-level, forward-looking priorities. Operational initiatives and goals should be reserved for department work plans.

Let’s say a city wants to address a rise in criminal activity. The city’s strategic plan and the police force’s work plan may both have a goal around lowering the crime rate, but the work plan will include hard targets and details, while the strategic plan will have a broader goal to improve community safety.

Having both a strategic plan and work plans will help you create alignment across the city, as well as within departments. This also helps you gain buy-in from employees because they can see how their role and department connects to the larger, long-term vision.

A last word of advice is to be methodical with the government strategic planning process. Don’t try to create work plans and strategic plans at the same time as it will cause an overload of change management issues. Choose one to focus on first and you’ll be more successful. Most organizations build a strategic plan and then ask departments to align their key activities to this plan.

Manage Your Government’s Strategic Plan With ClearPoint Strategy Software

The wide array of responsibilities shouldered by local governments makes it a challenge to coordinate efforts across a city. To overcome those challenges and achieve your short- and long-term goals, it’s imperative that you take advantage of strategy software tools like ClearPoint.

ClearPoint simplifies nearly everything associated with strategy planning and execution. That simplicity is what makes it possible for government organizations like yours to stick with it—and keep your eye on the prize—throughout the duration of the lengthy strategy execution process.

Important elements of strategy planning and execution that ClearPoint supports include:

• Strategic alignment. In ClearPoint you can make a high-level strategic plan as well as department-level work plans, and align division, department, and team activities with your municipal goals. (This is known as “cascading” your strategy.) You can even create reports that clearly show the relationship linkages.

• Strategy buy-in. Give access to top-level or department-level plans to anyone in your organization, so they can see where they fit into the bigger picture of what you’re trying to achieve.

• Reporting. Creating regular strategy reports is a necessity for tracking progress. ClearPoint automates the bulk of that reporting process, even sending out reminders to individuals to make updates. (No need to manually collect data or create new reports each quarter—the software handles it!) You can also take advantage of our attractive report templates, which are fully customizable to match your specific reporting requirements. Make your reports as granular and detailed as you’d like!

• Accountability. In ClearPoint, you can define owners of projects and measures to promote accountability for reaching goals internally. You can also create public-facing dashboards to reinforce your awareness of the community’s needs and allow citizens to stay up to date with progress.

With the support of ClearPoint, some ambitious local governments have managed their strategic planning processes so successfully that they’ve won awards (see one of those stories in Chapter 3). If you’re serious about making your community vision a reality, there’s no better tool than ClearPoint to help you do it!

See ClearPoint Strategy in action! Click here to watch a quick DEMO on the software

4 government strategic plan examples.

Cities have started to adopt the same strategic planning process as the private sector over the last few years. With tightened budgets, it’s critical that city governments can accomplish as much as possible with fewer resources. Here are four government strategic plan examples you can learn from:

Germantown, TN

What’s special about the City of Germantown’s strategic planning process is its corporate-style approach. This Tennessee city views citizens as customers and city services as “goods” provided to their customers, which keeps the focus on citizen priorities. For example, instead of saying, “We need a new park,” the city takes the attitude of, “The citizens need a place to connect, exercise, and enjoy the outdoors.” Using outcomes as a starting point, Germantown creates its priorities and shapes its strategy.

City leaders did an excellent job organizing citizen focus groups as part of the “Germantown Forward 2030” vision plan. They formed an internal, 30-person steering committee (consisting of staff from across departments) to gather citizen input, assembled a citizen task force, and made sure planning stayed on track.

Their dedication to strategy execution paid off. Not only did it benefit the citizens of Germantown, but the municipality won an Excellence Award from the esteemed Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence in 2017. In 2019, the city of Germantown also won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, an honor reserved for U.S. organizations that demonstrate unceasing drive for “radical innovation, thoughtful leadership, and administrative improvement.”

Continue Reading: City of Germantown: Building, Implementing, and Executing a Strategic Plan

Fort Collins, CO

The City of Fort Collins, Colorado, provides a great example of how to perfect the strategic planning process for your government over time. The city started with a large number of measures that were reviewed by an equally large group of staff. It then refined the planning process until only the most important key metrics were reviewed by the right stakeholders. From there, the focus shifted toward examining the key outcomes, strategic objectives , and initiatives that drove progress on the key metrics. City leaders went through several iterations to get the plan just right, realizing the process was an evolution.

One particularly successful tactic Fort Collins used was to incorporate their departments into the planning process. Core strategic planning team members met regularly with department heads to get feedback and make adjustments to the plan, ensuring it worked for everyone involved. The result? The city has strong buy-in across the organization and everyone understands how their departments contribute to Fort Collins’ long-term goals. This high-touch, personal approach of involving every department in the process was integral to Fort Collins’ success.

If you’re working through your own local government strategic planning process, here’s an inside look at how Fort Collins put together their internal team:

First, they put together a steering committee for the strategy that included the:

• Chief finance officer
• Director of financial planning and analysis
• Director of budgeting
• Performance excellence manager
• City manager
• Deputy city manager
• City manager’s intern

This steering committee then decided on seven focus areas for the city to include in their strategic plan . They selected a chairperson for each of their focus areas and then integrated a cross-sectional self-nomination process to fill each focus area team. For example, anyone in the municipality could nominate themselves to serve on the team for the focus area titled “Safe Community.” This is a unique approach, as other municipalities may only take individuals who serve in police or fire departments. Letting anyone participate ensures that the groups are focused and experienced but also helps individuals from other departments get a sense of what is going on across the municipality.

When budgeting is linked to strategy, the budgeting process runs much more smoothly. The individuals in Fort Collins create their municipal budgets every other year, on even years, and structure their reporting calendar therein. At the end of non-budgeting years, those involved send out a citizen survey and set up events to gather feedback from the community. This information is brought back to the steering committee and the chairs of the focus areas, who disseminate the feedback throughout the organization.

They also hold city council elections on odd years and host a city council retreat directly following the elections. This retreat is used as a time to discuss issues facing the municipality and how resources in the next budgeting cycle may be allocated . This information is passed along to the steering committee. Then at the beginning of the budgeting year, the steering committee presents the strategic plan to the council, who then approves the plan so the city can budget accordingly.

Continue Reading: Achieving the Fort Collins Vision Through Effective Performance Review

Fort Lauderdale, FL

To activate its ambitious, community-driven vision plan, the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida has embarked on a sweeping new program of strategy management. In the process, the city has embraced performance measurement with equal parts discipline, dedication, and passion.

One of the biggest takeaways from Fort Lauderdale is how the city prioritized gathering citizen input. The vision plan, two and a half years in the making, was systematically developed through extensive community outreach: interviews, open houses, telephone town halls, and a social website. In total, the city collected 1,562 ideas from highly invested neighbors. The outreach efforts and feedback helped create a very citizen-centric vision plan. Fort Lauderdale is now confident that its priorities are based on what’s important to its citizens.

Fort Lauderdale tackled the issues and challenges of getting citizen input and engagement head-on with three innovative ideas:

• They did a great job marketing and branding their strategic plan outside the organization so it became recognizable in the community.
• Over the course of several months, Fort Lauderdale held several “telephone town halls.” The mayor, the city manager, and various other municipal leaders were on a conference line, and anyone who wished to do so could call in, participate, listen to others, and ask any questions they had. That way people with busy schedules (who doesn’t have one of those?) could still be active in the community while they, for example, made dinner.
• The city also created a city council meeting “in a box.” Interested citizens could sign up to host a community meeting and would be sent a box filled with detailed questions to ask and information to disseminate. Meetings could be held anywhere—a park, someone’s home, a church, a school—and the meeting host would capture information from the attendees and then ship it back to the municipal offices. Using this method, Fort Lauderdale gained 40,000 touch points with citizens. (In a city of just over 260,000, that is an incredible amount!) The ideas—which ranged from hosting the Olympics to creating more park space—gave the leadership an idea of what the community was interested in. Furthermore, those involved took more pride and ownership in the projects because they felt involved and knew their voices were being heard.

Continue Reading: From Vision To Action: Fort Lauderdale’s Strategy Management Journey

The City of Durham, North Carolina, engaged in two rounds of their performance management execution program. The first focused on developing a strategic plan that emphasized data-driven decision-making and advanced the city’s goal of transparent, civic-minded government. Durham’s fervent attention to performance measurement and monitoring helped the city align its spending and activities with strategic priorities. This alignment helped them partner in unprecedented ways with Durham County.

Yet, there was no central ownership or organized way to hold users accountable for keeping strategic performance data up to date, necessitating another round of performance management execution. For this second phase, Durham was very deliberate about assigning roles and responsibilities. The city also formed an Office of Performance and Innovation to spearhead the strategic planning process and help employees understand why performance is so important to the government’s success.

Continue Reading: City of Durham: Strategy Refresh & Organization Buy-In

8 Strategic Planning Tips For Government Organizations

Based on our experience as strategy management experts and our work with local governments, here are some strategic planning tips that will help you make the most of your efforts.

1. Involve your stakeholders in your local government strategic plan

This could be your staff and/or your citizens. If you go through the whole process without their input and then your staff or citizens don’t agree, you’ve created a headache for yourself. Being open and inclusive during the strategic planning process for your government is vital to its success.

2. Be bold, but realistic

Feel free to set aggressive goals, but keep a realistic mindset. Again, if one of your citizens suggests hosting the Olympics in ten years, you should be thrilled with their enthusiasm—but still aware that this may not be something that will actually happen.

3. Don’t be afraid of your weaknesses

Sometimes organizations are tempted to create comfortable strategic plans, so they don’t fall short of their goals—but this is a mistake. Great strategic plans have a mix of things the municipality does really well and things it doesn’t do well. This is also important, so your citizens can see you have a good perspective on what is going well and what isn’t going well within the community.

4. Don’t neglect your strengths

On the other side of the coin, you should be sure to include several things that your organization does well in your strategic plan! Even if your municipality excels in a particular area already, there’s always room for improvement.

5. Don’t go in alone; seek out help when needed

One of the great things about the municipal space is that most cities will share a lot of information. If you see a municipality with a really great local government strategic plan, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and learn from what they’re doing. Putting yourself on an island will only hurt your municipality.

6. Keep your focus on the long term

There will be times that are both difficult and frustrating when you’re leading and implementing something this large. But once you get things up and running, it will pay off—so just keep going!

As part of that focus, don’t be afraid to make changes to your planning process when you need to. If something isn’t working, adjust it and keep going. (Remember how Fort Collins executed multiple iterations of its process.) Don’t abandon your strategy—focus on changing it for the better.

7. Avoid scope creep

Don’t lose sight of your long-term goals by letting your strategic plan slide into operational tasks. Scope creep can infect the strategic plan for your department or entire organization—you might notice that you’re tracking certain measures just because it’s easy or someone has asked you to...but with no tie to strategy. Avoid the creep by periodically reviewing your strategic plan to be sure the right goals are in place and all the projects you’re undertaking and measures you’re tracking directly align to those goals.

8. Don’t let your local government strategic plan sit on a shelf

Once you’ve created your strategic plan, you can’t leave it alone to gather dust. Set expectations for what information needs to be updated, and how often you will report on your progress, in addition to getting that all-important buy-in and making sure everyone understands why strategic planning in government organizations is so important.

Keep In Mind... The Most Important Thing Is to Just Get Started!

Remember, you don’t have to be a master at strategic planning, and the process will never be entirely perfect. Even cities that win awards for their strategic management weren’t always winning awards. They were simply consistent in their processes and were flexible to adapt and learn.

Remember, too, to communicate with your citizens, internal organization, and peer organizations. Share your successes and your failures. Most citizens won’t fault their local government for putting forth an honest effort to be better than they currently are.

If you're ready to improve execution on your plan, our team would love to help! With ClearPoint, you can better organize your plan, ensure your KPIs and initiatives align, and improve communication. On top of all that, you can find the data you need when you need it, and share it all through reports and dashboards.

Reach out to us to schedule a demo —we’d be happy to show you around.

Book your FREE 1-on-1 DEMO with ClearPoint Strategy

Can local government levy taxes.

Yes, local governments can levy taxes. Local governments typically have the authority to impose various types of taxes, such as property taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes, to generate revenue for public services and infrastructure projects. The specific types of taxes and the extent of this authority can vary based on state laws and local regulations.

Are local government salaries public information?

Yes, local government salaries are generally public information. Salaries of public employees, including those working for local governments, are typically considered public records. This transparency ensures accountability and allows citizens to see how public funds are being spent. Information about salaries can usually be accessed through public records requests or published reports.

Why is local government important?

Local government is important because:

- Proximity to Citizens: Local governments are closest to the people and can address community-specific needs and concerns more effectively. - Public Services: They provide essential public services such as police, fire protection, public health, education, and infrastructure maintenance. - Community Development: Local governments play a crucial role in zoning, land use planning, and economic development to enhance community growth and sustainability. - Civic Engagement: They offer opportunities for citizen participation in government through public meetings, consultations, and local elections. Regulation and Enforcement: Local governments enforce local laws and ordinances, ensuring community safety and quality of life.

Can local government use eminent domain?

Yes, local governments can use eminent domain. Eminent domain is the power to seize private property for public use, with compensation to the property owner. Local governments may exercise this authority for various public projects, such as building roads, schools, or parks. The use of eminent domain is subject to legal requirements and must serve a legitimate public purpose.

How does local government work?

Local government works through a structured system that typically includes:

- Elected Officials: Local government is often led by elected officials, such as mayors, city council members, and county commissioners, who make policy decisions and represent the interests of the community. - Departments and Agencies: Various departments and agencies handle specific functions such as public safety, health, education, and public works. - Public Services: Local governments provide essential services like law enforcement, fire protection, sanitation, and public transportation. - Regulation and Enforcement: They regulate land use, building codes, and local ordinances to maintain community standards. - Budget and Finance: Local governments create and manage budgets, levying taxes and allocating funds to different services and projects. - Public Participation: Citizens can participate in local government through public meetings, hearings, and elections, influencing decisions and policies that affect their community.

Latest posts

The ClearPoint Strategy Success Framework: Simplifying Execution

ClearPoint Strategy at the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference

The Power of Software in Managing a City Strategic Plan

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some are essential to make our site work; others help us improve the user experience. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Read our  privacy policy  to learn more.

Government financial planning in a time of uncertainty

Finding the right kpis can help organizations of all types navigate challenging times..

• Management Accounting
• Governmental Auditing

As the pandemic slowed the world down in the spring of 2020, the next five years was not at the forefront of most people's attention, particularly those of us working in government. Instead, our priority was on responding to the immediate service needs of our customers or constituents.

For City Utilities of Springfield (Mo.), a municipal utility providing electricity, natural gas, water, transit, and broadband to more than 111,000 customers over 320 square miles, our major focus was on how we could continue to provide these essential services to our customers while protecting our employees and the community. However, as our annual budget process started, local stay - at - home orders began being issued and we had to transition many employees to work - from - home situations, casting a shroud of uncertainty on our plans.

However, in this uncertain time, governments and governmental agencies must continue to look ahead and prepare a budget. For many governments, the planning process may fulfill a legal requirement to produce a fiscal - year budget, but effective planning should be about more than just meeting this obligation. An effective planning process is a key element of sound financial management and can help an organization become more resilient.

Throughout our planning process, KPIs are a major focus as we project our revenue budget and determine how to approach what spending we could responsibly include in the next year.

Developing the right KPIs and a strong planning process during a "normal" season can further prepare your organization or government entity to continue that planning when the assumptions do not align with the environment that your organization suddenly encounters. Viewing the budget development as more than just a requirement but also as a way to forecast the output indicators that are most important for your organization will strengthen your organization's resilience.

APPLYING AN AGILE MINDSET

Unsure of the impact the pandemic would have on our organization, I consulted frequently with our CFO, my boss, and we chose to continue with our normal planning process. We decided that the process might need to be altered, but it would not be prudent, or statutorily allowable, to delay.

There was also concern over what assumptions to use. Like the rest of the world, we did not know what to expect for future revenues or other impacts. Applying an agile mindset helped us adapt to change and modify our processes. Forecasting staff would provide estimates to some managers to help them reduce the time commitment of participating in the budget process, when managing in the pandemic demanded their primary attention.

But we chose to continue with development of our five - year operating plan, which requires developing planned revenues and expenditures for the next five years. During this time, we paused cutoffs for nonpayment of our service. This would lead to an increase in accounts receivable, but there was no historical period to benchmark and there was uncertainty about the future for our customers.

Planning and the conversations it created were going to be critical to ensuring that we had the proper level of resilience and were prepared to provide important services to our customers throughout this period.

We concentrate on two types of KPIs throughout our planning process. The first are input KPIs, which are used to create assumptions that impact our revenue projections. Some examples of these are customer growth and changes in customer usage. We must first determine these types of assumptions due to their significant impact on the next decisions in the planning process. This led to identifying data that needs to be collected and tracked so that we can forecast these metrics. For example, we began reporting accounts receivable based on types of customers. This would have a direct impact on fund balances.

We monitor these KPIs from a historical basis, but that does not necessarily reflect the future impact. During the early days of the pandemic, these were especially difficult to project. How would it change? Not wanting to just guess at the impact, we chose to follow our proven method of using historical data and trends to guide these projections. We would continue to watch these actual results to determine if additional adjustments should be made.

The second type of KPIs that we use are output indicators. These are impacted directly by the input KPIs and are integral to determining our financial results and the future success and well - being of the organization. We drilled down on projected fund balances, accounts receivables, or inventory levels throughout the planning process. We needed to be realistic with the input KPIs, but the output indicators were the focus. It was important for us to know how certain decisions and inputs would affect the plan. We have target ranges for many of our output indicators. For example, we translate our working capital level to days of cash, based on our average daily spend. This allows us to better communicate to our board and management the level of cash available on a comparable basis.

CHECKING THE KPIs

As we entered late spring, it was important to monitor our input KPIs monthly to determine how our projections compared with the actual results we were experiencing. This was critical to affirm or modify our input KPIs. Analyzing these results to a much greater level and frequency allowed us to confirm that our input KPIs were reasonable for the future planning period.

With many of our outputs, we focused on planning for a higher range than normal. This forced us to reduce some of our spending projections but allowed us to build some flexibility into our output projections, based on the uncertain input KPIs. In our five - year plan, we deferred some electric equipment purchases and installations. This was directed toward items that could be delayed a year or two without raising a significant risk to the system. These could be funded if conditions improved and our KPIs showed our results being better than expected, or additional funding was realized.

Reforecasting the KPIs does not require rebudgeting every line, but it is important to identify the key drivers behind these KPIs. As we progressed through the summer, it was important that we reforecast, even if informally, to give our management a greater view of where we expected certain KPIs, such as fund balances or working capital, to end the year.

This helped us to make key decisions through the end of the fiscal year that would better prepare us for the next year. With travel essentially on hold, we could better focus our travel and training budgets. This gave us the ability to use some of those dollars on providing additional training through virtual means and also allowed us to reallocate a portion of the travel budget to an unanticipated increase in costs in another area that had not been fully funded previously.

A successful planning process never really ends. For City Utilities, as in other areas for all government entities, the planning process has specific time frames where project managers are more involved in submitting and justifying their budget requests. We began looking at changes for next year following the completion of the budget process. Instead of requiring managers to make process adjustments, moving forward, forecasting staff can now make efficiency improvements.

Throughout the year, we have check - ins to determine if other needs have arisen that require a shifting of budget priorities. We have also implemented open - book management in operating areas. This has increased fluency with the drivers to the financials and has increased the engagement associated with ensuring that we have a strong planning culture throughout the organization.

About the author

Jeffrey Parkison, CPA, CGMA , is the director of Forecasting and Power Marketing at City Utilities of Springfield (Mo.) and the chair of the AICPA Government Performance and Accountability Committee.

To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Drew Adamek, a JofA senior editor, at [email protected] .

AICPA RESOURCES

• " Forecasting and Impairment Tips for an Unprecedented Time ," JofA , Dec. 21, 2020

LEARNING RESOURCES

Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting in Uncertain Times

PUBLICATION: Assists financial managers and management accountants in developing an integrated network of business models to plan, monitor, and optimize organization performance. The authors analyze the current problems of planning within organizations and propose a framework that deals with the complexity and volatility of today's business environment.

Financial Forecasting: Planning for Success

CPE SELF-STUDY: Get the tools necessary to project the balance sheet and statements of income and cash flow, as well as determine the company's maximum sustainable growth and predict its external fund requirements.

Forecasting and Predictive Analytics Certificate

CPE SELF-STUDY: Gain the fundamental techniques used for predictive analytics so you can implement an analytics practice in a practical way.

Forecasting Techniques

CPE SELF-STUDY: The purpose of forecasting in the budgeting process is to establish realistic assumptions for planning.

For more information or to make a purchase, go to future.aicpa.org/cpe-learning or call the Institute at 888-777-7077.

Where to find September’s digital edition

The Journal of Accountancy is now completely digital. 

SPONSORED REPORTS

Be prepared for tax season early

Our expert tax report highlights the important issues that tax preparers and their clients need to address for the 2024 tax year. Stay informed and proactive with guidance on critical tax considerations before year-end.

4 questions to drive your audit technology strategy

Discover how AI can revolutionize the audit landscape. This report tackles the biggest challenges in auditing and shows how AI's data-driven approach can provide solutions.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Single-owner firms: The thrill of flying solo

CPAs piloting their own accounting practices share their challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to "About this site"
• Departments

Language selection

• Search and menus

2022 Deputy Minister's Transition Book: Integrated Business Plan

Document navigation for "2022 deputy minister's transition book: public services and procurement canada".

• Previous page
• Table of contents

On this page

Message from the deputy minister and associate deputy minister, about the integrated business plan, where we are going, the department, core responsibilities, corporate enablers, annex a: minister of public services and procurement mandate commitments, annex b: beyond 2020/public service renewal, annex c: gender-based analysis plus at public services and procurement canada, annex d: core responsibilities 1 to 4: results, priorities and deliverables, annex e: service at public services and procurement canada, annex f: corporate enablers—results, priorities and deliverables.

We are pleased to provide Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) Integrated Business Plan (IBP), April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024. The IBP outlines the priorities the department is working to achieve over the next 3-year period as we continue embedding integrated business planning across the department to align our efforts and resources to meet departmental priorities.

This is PSPC ’s second annual IBP . It has been shaped by the environmental context in which we operate and, in particular, reflects the impacts the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on the department.

PSPC has played an important role in supporting and protecting citizens and federal government employees. As the purchaser of goods and services on behalf of the federal government, PSPC has actively pursued the procurement of vaccines as well as personal protective equipment and related equipment and goods for more than a year. The Receiver General function has played a key role in assuring that Canadians receive government payments quickly and efficiently. The Translation Bureau has provided increased volumes of translations and interpreters have supported the new virtual parliamentary context. These are but a few examples of the impact that COVID-19 has had on our work, and the impact PSPC has had in supporting Canada’s response.

The department had to refocus resources on emerging issues in response to the outbreak. We must continue to be prepared to respond quickly to issues as they arise given the continued uncertainty of our operational context during the ongoing pandemic. The nature of our work also allows us to make key contributions toward economic recovery.

At the same time, we continue to make strides in meeting key Government of Canada priorities such as diversity and inclusion, accessibility, and Indigenous reconciliation and engagement. Work continues to advance on these commitments and other broad initiatives such as greening and service excellence, which cut across our diverse business lines with all branches and regions playing a part.

The priorities established in the IBP will guide our work activities over the next 3 years. These priorities help us, as One PSPC , deliver on our results for our clients and Canadians as we progress through these uncertain times. As we carry out activities in support of these priorities, there is a need to constantly assess where we can be more efficient in focusing our work.

Additionally, we are working toward a better future for PSPC employees. With over 17,000 employees across Canada, we consider all of our team members to be our greatest assets. We are supporting employees in adapting to our new reality through regular consultations on what they need to do their work, how we can improve based on our recent experiences, and how they would like to work in the future. Their feedback informs our plans and way forward. We have also ramped up support services and implemented flexible work arrangements and workspaces, making sure that we are supporting their health, safety and well-being every step of the way.

The Integrated Business Plan (IBP), April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024, is Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) second annual integrated business plan. The plan has been streamlined to focus on results and priorities, and provides a more concise summary of the mandate of each core responsibility and corporate enabler. The IBP will continue to evolve as the integrated business planning process matures over time.

Introduction

Integrated business planning plays a fundamental role in creating a culture of One PSPC by promoting collaborative information sharing and collective decision making to support better resource management. The Integrated Business Plan is intended to strengthen transparency and alignment across PSPC by establishing a set of priorities to anchor departmental activities, defined as deliverables in the IBP , over the next 3 fiscal years for each core responsibility and corporate enabler.

Core responsibilities , the enduring functions and roles performed by the department, are described in PSPC ’s departmental plan and departmental results report. PSPC core responsibilities 1 to 4 Footnote 1 are:

• Purchase of goods and services
• Payments and accounting
• Property and infrastructure
• Government-wide support

Corporate enablers are groups of related activities and resources (internal services) that support operational programs to deliver on their priorities and/or required to meet corporate obligations in accordance with their functional authorities. PSPC corporate enablers are:

Management and oversight

Communications.

• Human resources

Financial management

Information management/information technology.

Through the implementation of regular reporting, it is possible to track and evaluate progress against deliverables in the plan. This provides an overall measure for how the department is progressing towards meeting its priorities and provides a basis upon which to assess which deliverables, and their associated priorities, are at risk.

Departmental risk

Risk is an integral part of the conversation when establishing and implementing departmental priorities. Risks can be unique to a specific program or activity, but most are interconnected across PSPC ’s business and service delivery lines. Delivering high-quality, economical, and timely services depends on the department’s capacity to identify, manage, and monitor opportunities, challenges, interdependencies, and impacts on internal and external stakeholders.

PSPC is continuing to mature its risk management culture. The Integrated Risk Management Framework (available to Public Services and Procurement Canada employees only) is intended to help employees across PSPC better understand and navigate the challenges and opportunities that may exist in the context of their work and how risk information can contribute to planning and priority setting. Following the principles and practices of the Integrated Risk Management Framework, information on risks and their management is collected through the Evergreen Departmental Risk Profile and branch and region risk registers. This information is used to inform the IBP and forms part of the approach to report against the plan’s progress.

In this section

Public services and procurement canada operating context, corporate priorities: shaping public services and procurement canada’s future, social responsibility, indigenous reconciliation and engagement, service excellence.

Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) work and its identified priorities are influenced by the external environment, including COVID-19, and other emerging national trends.

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 public health crisis has impacted all facets of society, and the effects of the pandemic continue to be felt by the department as it responds to the needs of federal government employees and Canadian citizens.

In addition, a minority government brings with it heightened scrutiny of government operations and increased requirements to produce information regarding operations, decisions, and expenditures. In the pandemic context, supporting the operations of Parliament has meant shifting to virtual and remote work arrangements.

Social, economic, political, environmental, and technological trends also impact the department’s priorities, activities, and ways of working. Examples of these trends include:

• increasing numbers of young workers entering the workforce
• Canadians’ increasing awareness of systemic racism and discrimination
• the economic effects of the pandemic such as disrupted global supply chains
• climate change
• advances in artificial intelligence

To adapt to the changing environment, PSPC is working to equip the department with the right skills, knowledge, and capabilities needed to meet evolving expectations.

The department also contributes to Government of Canada priorities as outlined in the minister’s mandate letter. On January 15, 2021, the Prime Minister issued a supplementary mandate letter to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, listing 9 responsibilities in addition to those specified in the mandate letter of December 13, 2019. These commitments outline further responsibilities and prioritize key areas of focus to address COVID-19 and ensure Canada’s strong economic recovery.

As directed in the minister’s supplementary mandate letter, PSPC will procure leading vaccine candidates and critical supplies for the country, support the distribution of vaccines and tests in the provinces and territories, and reinforce international efforts to ensure people around the world have access to health interventions against COVID-19.

The department will also continue to:

• increase the diversity of bidders on government contracts
• explore enhanced flexibility in working arrangements for federal public servants
• work towards updating and replacing outdated information technology (IT) systems while modernizing the way government delivers benefits and services to Canadians
• advance federal emissions reduction, resiliency and greening government initiatives aligned with the Greening Government Strategy

The commitments from the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Mandate Letter and Supplementary Mandate Letter are summarized in Annex A: Minister of Public Services and Procurement mandate commitments .

Did you know

Western Region is working with provinces and energy suppliers to develop a strategy to power federal buildings with 100% clean electricity, where available, by 2022. Western Region is well-positioned to contribute towards this mandate letter commitment and is actively procuring clean electricity in Alberta, with its deregulated energy market, directly through a power purchase agreement and renewable energy credits on behalf of federal entities that are consuming electricity outside of Alberta. The region is also negotiating with SaskPower for an arrangement to supply federal assets with renewable energy in Saskatchewan.

Diversity and inclusion

PSPC is proud to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace, where opportunities are provided for all employees to succeed. PSPC is taking action along 3 themes:

• shifting towards a more inclusive culture
• strengthening representation
• building for the future by updating its policies and programs

PSPC has made it a priority to take action to combat racism and discrimination, bolster equity and foster inclusion. PSPC ’s approach to diversity and inclusion includes acting with resolution to remove known barriers to inclusion and initiating and maintaining a dialogue with diverse groups to refine departmental actions based on their lived experiences on issues related to all forms of discrimination within the department.

In October 2020, an Employment Systems Review was conducted. The results will provide a clear way forward on how to conform to existing legislation and address barriers to inclusion within the department’s policies, programs and initiatives.

In December 2020, a task force on anti-racism, diversity and inclusion was established to carry out employee engagement and outreach. The task force is working closely with PSPC ’s Accessibility Office and the Reconciliation and Indigenous Engagement Unit to ensure its alignment with both the departmental Accessibility Plan and the Reconciliation Framework and Strategy.

To complement the Task Force, an advisory council was created and is comprised of equity group members and key stakeholders. This advisory council will strengthen the cultural competence and policy expertise at PSPC . PSPC is also allocating funds to each of its diversity employee networks for full time resources to enable them to mobilize, organize and represent their communities’ interests to senior management through the advisory council.

The Human Resources Management Corporate Enabler is responsible for delivering strategic people management programs and services that support a diverse workforce and an inclusive and respectful work environment at PSPC . PSPC is developing performance measures and assessing where improvements can be made over the next four years to meet employment equity goals. PSPC is also developing strategy to partner with civil society groups, employment organizations and communities across the country to facilitate the recruitment and retention of qualified diverse talent.

Actions being taken within the department that support diversity and inclusion are listed as deliverables in Annexes D, E, and F. Some examples of activities being carried out over the fiscal year include:

• establishing a new mental health strategy
• increasing flexibility and innovation in talent sourcing, such as national recruitment and more flexible employment arrangements and work location to support timely recruitment, mobility, and diversity and inclusion
• specific/tailored strategies for Visible Minorities
• Indigenous Peoples
• Persons with Disabilities
• Women in accordance with the Accessibility and Reconciliation agenda

The Office of the Ombud for Mental Health is an independent, neutral and confidential resource at PSPC . The office can serve as a central point of contact for PSPC 's programs and services as well as external resources on mental health. It also addresses concerns and makes departmental recommendations for improvement in its annual report to the deputy minister and rolls out various initiatives that put people first.

The Quebec Region is in the process of obtaining the 3 levels of healthy enterprise recognition and the healthy enterprise certification (CAN/BNQ 9700-800/2020). A regional wellness coordinator (a new, full-time human resources position) was appointed and a Regional Wellness Committee was formed with members representing the region’s different activity areas. The committee is implementing 3 strategies from its annual action plan developed in 2020:

• improve workload management capability
• commit to the continuous, structured development of supervisors and managers, including succession employees
• encourage employees to take care of their physical and psychological health

By aligning itself with recognized best practices, the Quebec Region is confident that there will be many positive effects on the overall health, work environment, management practices and work-life balance of its employees in the years to come.

PSPC is building an inclusive and sustainable future in part by leveraging its role of common service provider for the Government of Canada. By advancing work in key areas, the department strives to create a positive impact on Canada. For example, PSPC works to increase the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as Black-, women-, and Indigenous-owned or operated businesses in federal procurement.

PSPC is also working to create a barrier-free, truly inclusive Canada in its built environment, such as office infrastructure, and in its procurement processes. PSPC has launched a plan to increase the awareness, understanding, and application of accessibility criteria in federal procurements, among both buyers and suppliers, and has established an Accessible Procurement Resource Centre to advance this plan and serve as a centre of expertise for accessibility in federal procurement.

To assess how diverse groups of women, men and non-binary people may experience departmental policies, programs and services, PSPC applies gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) throughout the lifecycle of its initiatives, from design to evaluation, to assess how diverse groups of women, men, and gender diverse people may experience departmental policies, programs and services. GBA+ is an analytical tool that informs decision making and helps develop better policies, better programs, and better services. GBA+ applies to all PSPC lines of business.

PSPC is leading by example through operations that are low-carbon, resilient and green. The department is committed to sustainable consumption and production, which requires a reduction in resource use, degradation, and pollution along the whole life cycle and supply chain of the materials and products consumed. Examples of green initiatives include the Energy Services Acquisition Program and the conversion of government fleets to zero-emission vehicles. More recently, Ontario Region developed the Ontario Region Low Carbon Roadmap, which serves as a planning tool for incorporating greenhouse gas emissions into portfolio management.

Actions being taken within the department that support social responsibility are listed as deliverables in Annexes D, E, and F. Some examples of activities being carried out over the next fiscal year include:

• continuing to track progress on initiatives in the Women Action Plan to increase the participation of women-owned businesses in procurement
• developing a social procurement policy and program that will allow PSPC to create targeted approaches to increase diversity in its procurements, leverage trade agreements that permit socio-economic procurement, and provide the authorities necessary to collect information on socio-economic characteristics of suppliers
• continuing to implement the Black Businesses Procurement Pilot and monitor for lessons learned
• progressing towards full implementation of Technical Accessibility Assessment to enhance the accessibility of the built environment of both Crown-owned and lease purchase assets
• completing and implementing the Universal Accessibility Action Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct
• launching a refreshed Interim Accessibility Plan and reporting on progress, while continuing to monitor key performance metrics identified in the in the Performance Measurement Framework
• gradual year over year improvements are forecasted at 2% per year, which will be monitored through the Government of Canada Greenhouse gas reporting protocol

PSPC strives to meaningfully advance reconciliation and a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples. The Reconciliation and Indigenous Engagement Unit (RIEU), housed within the Management and Oversight Corporate Enabler, is responsible for coordinating the department’s efforts in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and is developing an Indigenous Engagement and Action Plan. To support these efforts, a new Director General Steering Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Engagement was recently established to support the development of a departmental reconciliation plan to advance reconciliation and renewed relationships with Indigenous peoples.

The department also supports reconciliation through the increased and sustained socio-economic participation of Indigenous peoples in PSPC ’s projects and initiatives. This includes the development of contribution and partnering agreements with Indigenous communities, organizations and institutions.

Actions being taken within the department that support Indigenous reconciliation and engagement are listed as deliverables in Annexes D, E, and F. Examples of activities being carried out over the next fiscal year include:

• working with Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Indigenous Services Canada, client departments and Indigenous partners to develop a government-wide approach to award at least 5% of federal contracts to Indigenous businesses
• continuing to work with client departments and agencies to increase the benefits targeted to the local Indigenous communities through Indigenous Benefits Plans in procurement
• continuing to work with Indigenous organizations and other federal partners to increase Indigenous participation in federal real property projects and economic opportunities through Indigenous institutional development, partnering, and capacity building initiatives
• Providing Indigenous language services
• engaging with PSPC branches and regions to identify and promote the uptake of best practices for working with Indigenous partners and clients

As a common service provider, client service excellence remains at the forefront of how PSPC delivers services with a client service competency that has been integrated in:

• performance management
• employee recognition

PSPC is continuously working to leverage service design, data management, innovation, and exploration to push the modernization of public sector service delivery.

PSPC will be focusing on transforming its service delivery models in line with the Policy on Service andDigital . This will foster an integrated approach, bringing together key elements of service culture, single-point of access, service and innovation, and real-time performance.

PSPC will build upon its current “Pulse Check,” which measures client satisfaction across the department. The results will be used to improve service delivery in areas such as:

• real property
• translation and interpretation
• acquisitions
• contract security
• pay and pensions
• enabling solutions such as case management

While PSPC provides services to its external clients, internal services are provided to PSPC by its corporate enablers. PSPC corporate enablers are modernizing, enhancing, or adapting their functions and services in areas such as communications, pay, IM/IT , and finance, among others, to improve service delivery to branches. The Corporate Enabler chapter briefly describes these services and Annex F provides each of the corporate enablers’ deliverables.

Ontario Region plays a national role in managing a 24-hour, 7-day per week National Service Call Centre (NSCC) for all PSPC real property clients across the country. The NSCC offers a single point of contact to federal departments and manages calls for 2,200 Crown-owned buildings, 2,800 leased properties, and 1,200 assets managed on behalf of others. The NSCC receives and dispatches tenant requests nation-wide on building maintenance concerns and distributes information for building managers and service providers. With the pandemic, the NSCC remained dynamic, evolving its services to address the changing landscape.

Public Services and Procurement Canada key facts

Employee distribution, pacific region, western region, ontario region, quebec region, atlantic region, spotlight on indigenous reconciliation and engagement in the regions.

Total budgetary operating expenditures from 2021 to 2022 Main Estimates is:

• $2.7 billion in vote 1

Total budgetary capital expenditures from the 2021 to 2022 Main Estimates is:

• $1.6 billion in vote 5
• $0.6 billion in statutory

Public Services and Procurement Canada by the numbers

As of March 1, 2021: 17,291 current employees.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is one of the largest federal employers.

As of April 2020:

• 7.4% workforce growth
• 969 new students hired
• 2,471 new positions created
• 6,646 Employee and Organization Assistance Program sessions were held

Acquisitions

• 8% for construction
• 43% for goods
• 49% for services
• More than 25,000 transactions annually

Phoenix pay system

• Issues payments to more than 300,000 employees bi-weekly
• Over 2,500 systems fixes and enhancements implemented to stabilize the system
• Decreased the backlog of transactions with financial implications beyond the normal workload from 384,000 in January 2018 to 98, 000 in April 2021

Pension administration

• More than $12.0 billion in pension payments made on an annual basis
• 904,000 plus active and retired members
• Over 5.0 million pension payments issued annually

Real property

• Total Crown-owned and leased property portfolio: $7.5 billion
• $1.2 billion rental payments
• 261,585 public servants accommodated in 1,543 locations across Canada

Government-wide services

• 343 million words translated for departments, agencies and parliament
• 8,478 days of conference interpretation
• 1,060 translation requests and 17 interpretation requests in Indigenous languages
• 40 million images created annually
• Supports and maintains 370 applications and systems

Responded to COVID-19 requirements

• Connected every employee for remote work
• Deployed Microsoft Teams to over 18,000 employees
• Packaged and shipped 8,211 information technology (IT) kits
• Served 138 client departments for shared platform services
• Processed 6,786 security screening files for PSPC employees
• Held more than 30 information sessions on reconciliation and Indigenous engagement with over 2,000 PSPC employees
• Published the first ever Integrated Business Plan in May 2020
• Published the new Integrated Risk Management Framework in April 2021
• Responds to an average of 1,600 media inquiries annually

Public Services and Procurement Canada supports over 140 federal client departments and agencies, and delivers services to Canadians across the country. The department’s nearly 17,300 employees can be found in the National Capital Region and across Canada in 5 geographically-diverse regions that employ nearly 40% of PSPC ’s workforce.

Figure 2: Employee distribution Footnote 2

As of March 1, 2021, the number of PSPC employees located in the 6 geographic regions across Canada and in the National Capital Region, is as follows:

• Pacific: 584
• Western: 713
• Ontario: 645
• Quebec: 1,485
• Atlantic: 2,960
• National Capital Region: 10,904

Source: MyGCHR. Prepared by Human Resources Strategies, Planning and Performance Analytics.

Pacific Region serves the geographic areas of British Columbia (BC) and Yukon. Its 2 main offices are located in Vancouver, BC and Victoria, BC , serving over 75 federal client departments and agencies. The region’s 3 largest federal client departments or agencies are:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• National Defence
• the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Because of its coastal location, Pacific Region has developed expertise in remediation of:

• contaminated harbours and water
• remediation and removal of large abandoned vessels
• hydrographic services
• marine procurement

The region supports Canada’s marine and environmental strategies, including the Ocean Protection Plan, through its work at the:

• Esquimalt Graving Dock
• Esquimalt Harbour
• Pacific Environmental Centre site
• Big Bar landslide remediation on the Fraser River
• remediation on the Faro Mine Site in the Yukon

Pacific Region is also home to over 200 First Nations communities spread across every corner of the region. Consultation, engagement, and advancing reconciliation with First Nations forms an important part of nearly every file the region works on.

Western Region provides services to:

• Saskatchewan
• the Northwest Territories

More than half of the PSPC employees located in Western Region report through the regional director general and the majority of these employees are located in the 4 major cities of:

The 3 largest federal client departments Footnote 3 or agencies are:

• Public Health Agency of Canada
• National Defence, and Crown-Indigenous Relations
• Northern Affairs Canada

With approximately 54% of Canada’s land mass and the longest coastline with no deep sea ports, PSPC ’s Western Region is the department’s largest and most geographically-diverse, and is responsible for project and service delivery in remote locations, such as the north. This includes project management and procurement services for the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, the Eureka Recapitalization project, and the remediation of Giant Mine. Western Region’s Real Property Portfolio and client base is also distributed throughout the region with departments having a presence in 7 major centres and numerous small communities. This adds to the complexity of delivering PSPC ’s real property services and in long term portfolio planning.

Ontario Region services the province of the same name, excluding the National Capital Region. The majority of its employees work out of the regional headquarters located in Toronto. The region also has 8 regional offices with Ottawa and Kingston housing the largest number of employees outside regional headquarters. Its 3 largest federal client departments or agencies are Parks Canada, National Defence, and the Public Health Agency of Canada Footnote 4 . The Region’s work on the historic Trent-Severn and Rideau Canal waterways has translated into unique expertise in heritage waterway conservation and implementing innovative approaches in construction management and in selecting consulting services.

Ontario Region spans more than 1 million square kilometres, is the second largest province in the country, and contains 40% of the population of Canada with approximately 11% of its population living in rural areas. Ontario has 133 First Nation communities, and 2.8% of the population is Indigenous. Ontario also has the largest number of remote First Nations communities in Canada. 36.7% of all small and medium enterprises in Canada are found in Ontario. The Greater Toronto Area is responsible for 20% of Canada’s gross domestic product, and the location of 40% of business’ head offices.

Quebec Region serves the province of the same name, with the exception of the National Capital Region where it provides PSPC services solely for Employment and Social Development Canada. Its employees are located mainly in Montreal and Quebec. Quebec Region has service points in Dorval, Longueuil, Rimouski and Sainte-Flavie. The 3 largest federal client departments or agencies are National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Canada Border Services Agency.

The region stands out for its historical heritage and its geography. It has a considerable number of federal heritage buildings and national historic sites. The region therefore has developed expertise in heritage conservation architecture, landscape architecture and conservation engineering. The central presence of the St. Lawrence River and the largest number of airports owned by Transport Canada have enabled it to develop expertise in the fields of maritime and airport civil engineering. The region is also unique in that it is home to the national and international headquarters of the National Film Board and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Atlantic Region’s employees are located in the regional headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia and throughout the region with offices in Sydney, Nova Scotia; Moncton and Saint John, New Brunswick; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and St. John’s and Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. Including employees from other branches, Atlantic Canada is home to nearly 3,000 PSPC employees Footnote 5 – the greatest number of any region outside of the National Capital Region. With Atlantic Canada’s long and storied maritime tradition and some 30% of the nation’s coastline, the region’s largest federal client department or agency in terms of project delivery is Fisheries and Oceans Canada with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parks Canada generating the region’s next largest business volumes.

The region boasts Canada’s oldest legislature and the birthplace of confederation, and is rich in cultural diversity. It has been inhabited for at least 11,000 years by Indigenous peoples. French and English colonies were established in the 16th century, and Black Loyalists and refugees established the first Black communities in the 1700s, in what would become Canada.

PSPC regions are responsible for advancing Indigenous reconciliation and engagement initiatives across the country. Some specific examples of this work being undertaken through Core responsibility 1: Purchase of goods and services, are highlighted below.

Pacific Region has incorporated Indigenous benefits in major contracts to modernize Indigenous participation in federal procurement. Since 2019, this innovative approach has resulted in construction contracts that included over 60,000 hours of training and labour in subcontracting to two local First Nations. Real Estate Services Pacific is working with the PSPC National Centre of Excellence and other regions to create a new Indigenous Consultation Policy and consultation tools to be used on a national basis, subject to regional variations. The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) in Pacific Region is the Indigenous Entrepreneur Centre of Engagement for OSME across Canada, providing support and guidance to all OSME offices in their engagement with Indigenous companies and communities. Pacific Region has also established a Regional Indigenous Engagement Network.

Western Region plays a lead role in fulfilling requirements of the Nunavut directive through Article 23 (requirement for a departmental Inuit Employment Plan) and article 24 (procurement and leasing requirements). A strong focus on training promotes awareness to have deeper consultations with local Indigenous peoples, while also sharing the benefits targeted to local First Nations through Indigenous Benefits Plans. In conjunction with training, the Article 24 implementation team works closely with every contracting authority throughout each procurement stage to explore opportunities to realize benefits in the Nunavut Settlement Area (NSA). The team has established a notification system where both Indigenous Services Canada and the OSME are notified as soon as a NSA requirement is received to facilitate early engagement on Inuit firm capacity and procurement strategy.

In Ontario Region, PSPC and National Defence are developing a sole source standing offer with an Indigenous benefits plan for unexploded explosive ordnance clearance to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nations (KSPFN) and their joint venture partner. This will provide social and economic benefits to the KSPFN members in the form of: training, employment, subcontracting, and procurement of goods and services from KSPFN members. As part of Ontario Region’s Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, a $375,000 contract has been awarded for construction work in the Akwesasne First Nations community. Under the corporate enabler Management and Oversight, Ontario Region has a well-established Indigenous Relations Committee that enhances employee awareness in matters related to Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

In Quebec Region, the Regional Acquisitions Directorate, a working group on responsible purchasing, is developing expertise and training buyers in the drafting and integration of Indigenous benefit plans into contracts. Quebec Region is working with the construction manager to award contracts to Indigenous subcontractors and to make a significant effort to hire Indigenous workers in the major construction of a new building in Shawinigan. The region is also including an Indigenous participation plan in the construction manager contract for the New Montreal Judicial Complex to award up to 5% of the value of the goods and services construction cost to Indigenous businesses and is adding a requirement for the consultants on two projects to offer an internship to an Indigenous college or university student in architecture or engineering.

Atlantic Region is working to increase benefits to Indigenous peoples through their involvement in major projects and procurement initiatives, such as the contract for the Canadian Coast Guard College Mechanical Project, which PSPC is managing on behalf of the Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard. That contract has resulted in 885 training hours and approximately 23,000 hours of employment for Indigenous persons, so far. Atlantic Region is also committed to building and maintaining relationships with Indigenous representative organizations through set-aside contracts under the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, consultation and the inclusion of benefits on construction projects, and through real estate divestitures. Additionally, PSPC Atlantic leads a regional, interdepartmental working group on recruitment of Indigenous peoples in the federal public service.

Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) core responsibilities 1 to 4 are:

Core responsibility 1: Purchase of goods and services

Core responsibility 2: payments and accounting, core responsibility 3: property and infrastructure, core responsibility 4: government-wide support.

The priorities for each of the core responsibilities are listed in their respective sections below. The following icons identify where corporate enabler support is needed to effectively deliver on the priority:

• Human Resources management

The Procurement Ombudsman is a neutral and independent organization of the Government of Canada and is not included in this plan.

Public Services and Procurement Canada supports the daily operations of the Government of Canada as its central purchasing agent, contributing to the priorities of job creation, stimulating the economy and providing socio-economic benefits to Canadians.

PSPC provides sound procurement stewardship through leading practices in procurement management, effective risk management, a robust policy framework and effective performance management.

Every day, PSPC employees work on a wide range of procurement activities, including the purchase of office supplies, ships and aircraft, security systems, and everything in between. PSPC provides expert advice, guidance and support in:

• identifying the goods or services to be procured
• selecting the most effective procurement approach
• considering socio-economic factors
• developing appropriate evaluation criteria
• calling for, receiving, and evaluating bids
• developing procurement instruments, such as standing offers and supply arrangements
• negotiating and administering contracts

PSPC is working closely with its federal partners to achieve a world-class accessible procurement system that provides value for money while advancing the government’s socio-economic objectives, simplifying the procurement system for suppliers and client departments and delivering results for Canadians. To this end, the department is modernizing its processes and embracing innovative and agile approaches in procurement, with service excellence as the ongoing priority.

As Canada’s central purchasing agent, PSPC has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department is prioritizing its support for the government’s response to COVID-19, buying personal protective equipment, medical and testing equipment and services, and vaccines and therapeutics on behalf of client departments and agencies. PSPC is responding to challenges caused by intense global competition and constrained supply chains by implementing a number of measures to mitigate these risks, including ongoing exploration of long-term contracts with well-established suppliers to ensure stable and predictable access to critical supplies, maintaining a diversified roster of suppliers where possible, and continuing to support investments in robust domestic capacity. PSPC is also a contributor to the development of enhanced logistical support for the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Budget 2021 identified funding investments in support of several initiatives being undertaken through Core responsibility 1:

• $87.4 million over 5 years starting in 2021 to 2022 and $18.6 million ongoing to modernize federal procurement and create opportunities for specific communities by diversifying the federal supplier base
• $43 million over 5 years, starting in 2021 to 2022, to continue to deliver procurement services to client departments and agencies, negotiate increasingly complex high-value contracts, and develop and implement a vendor performance management framework
• $1.1 million in 2021 to 2022 to augment the Cost and Profit Assurance Program, which saves millions annually through the audit and oversight of defence contracts
• $70.8 million over 10 years, starting in 2021 to 2022, to ensure the timely delivery of defence and marine procurement projects
• $30 million in program integrity funding, in 2021 to 2022, to continue service delivery to federal departments and agencies, maintain federal employee salaries, and to support employee safety during the pandemic

In 2020 to 2021, PSPC launched CanadaBuys , a new suite of online procurement services. CanadaBuys is being used to support the Government’s response to COVID-19, including for select procurements for personal protective equipment. In 2021 to 2022, the phased implementation of the Electronic Procurement Solution will continue, including the launch of a new Government of Canada Tendering Service that will replace BuyandSell.gc.ca/tenders.

With CanadaBuys , PSPC is moving federal procurement online and changing the way government and suppliers interact to buy and sell goods and services. Procurement practices will become more accessible and less administratively burdensome, while also encouraging greater competition and including practices that support PSPC ’s economic policy goals. It will be easier and faster for suppliers, including small and medium-sized companies, to do business with the government.

On August 3, 2020, PSPC launched the Essential Services Contingency Reserve (ESCR). Through the ESCR , essential service organizations can apply for temporary, urgent access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical supplies. The ESCR complements existing PPE support being provided to frontline health care workers by the Public Health Agency of Canada. It helps other essential service organizations bridge critical, short-term gaps in their supplies to avoid any significant disruptions in services to Canadians.

In delivering this core responsibility, PSPC is focused on the following departmental results:

• ensure value for money in government procurements
• strengthen relationships with stakeholders and other government organizations
• advance key procurements and related activities as part of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• advance key procurements in support of Canada’s defence policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged and the National Shipbuilding Strategy
• advance implementation of a modernized, cloud-based electronic procurement platform
• strengthen procurement data and increase transparency
• align procurement processes to commercial best practices
• increase participation of Indigenous businesses in federal procurement, as well as the value of procurements awarded to Indigenous businesses
• increase participation of small and medium-sized businesses owned by under-represented groups in federal procurement
• enable departments to integrate environmental considerations (for example plastics, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions) into procurements and to purchase more environmentally preferable goods and services
• continue to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility in federal procurement
• address the risk of forced labour and human trafficking in federal procurement supply chains

Visit Annex D: Core responsibility 1: Purchase of goods and services planned deliverables

Public Services and Procurement Canada serves Canadians by collecting revenues and issuing payments, administering pay services and pension services for the Government of Canada, issuing financial reports and maintaining the financial accounts of Canada.

PSPC ’s responsibilities for payments directly impact Canadian individuals and businesses on a daily basis, and provide the backbone of financial security to millions of Canadians in receipt of pay, pension, and government social benefits payments. The department also explores options to value unique federal properties such as national parks and military bases to improve predictability of payments in lieu of taxes and consistency of valuation strategies.

The department continues to work closely with Payments Canada and Canadian financial institutions on a multi-year plan to modernize the Canadian payment industry and offer new and innovative payment solutions to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Planning is underway to renew the legacy information technology (IT) systems that support the Receiver General’s treasury function in support of this same objective.

The department will continue to prioritize the stabilization of pay administration across the Government of Canada, working closely with federal partners and the private sector to leverage their expertise.

Budget 2021 identified $47 million over 2 years, starting in 2021 to 2022, to support the workforce dedicated to processing pay transactions, which will help the department achieve its target of eliminating the backlog of Phoenix pay system transactions by December 2022.

MyGCPay is an innovative new web application that provides employees with a centralized and simplified view of their pay and benefits, and helps them identify pay issues earlier and monitor their open cases with more detail.

In June 2014, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation was dissolved, which transferred a number of real property assets and other responsibilities from the former Crown corporation to PSPC Atlantic Region, including a number of human resource obligations. This included administering benefits for over 1,800 former employees, including, but not limited to, early retirement incentive benefits, life insurance, Workers Compensation Board benefits, medical benefits and a domestic coal/heating program.

• offer modern solutions to improve payments and revenue collection efficiency
• make digital investments to enable enhanced payment services to client departments and Canadians
• ensure sound financial and risk management, internal controls and system practices are maintained
• improve the user experience and enable more services through innovation with a view to increase program efficiency and effectiveness Footnote 6
• equip departments and agencies to reduce intake ( HR -to-Pay Program Office)
• case processing capacity and productivity meet the government’s needs (Pay Administration Branch (PAB), Pay Solutions Branch (PSB))
• stabilize HR -to-Pay systems through technology enhancements and fixes ( PSB , PAB)
• improve pay data integrity
• foster employee confidence through increased pay transparency and continued oversight
• deliver projects that will improve the efficiency of accounting operations and enable employees to focus on strategic advice
• pursue digital solutions to modernize the overall operations of the central accounting functions

Visit Annex D: Core responsibility 2: Payments and accounting planned deliverables.

Public Services and Procurement Canada serves Canadians and the Government of Canada by managing and providing federal employees and Parliamentarians with office space, and overseeing the daily operations of major engineering assets and public infrastructure across the country, such as:

• bridges and dams
• managing legacy assets and contaminated sites
• protecting the heritage assets across the country, including the Parliamentary Precinct
• supporting federal science and the revitalization of Canadian federal laboratories

Through 4 asset portfolio long-term plans, PSPC provides property and infrastructure under the following 4 asset categories:

• office (including Crown-owned, leases, and disposals): managing and providing affordable office accommodations
• engineering infrastructure overseeing the daily operations of bridges, dams, and heritage assets
• parliamentary infrastructure: providing stewardship, rehabilitation, and modernization of 35 Crown-owned buildings and associated lands located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, including large scale heritage restorations (Centre Block, West Block, East Block, 100 Wellington and blocks 1, 2 and 3)
• science infrastructure: supporting federal science and the revitalization of Canadian federal laboratories

PSPC ’s responsibilities for property and infrastructure give rise to socio-economic benefits, such as:

• green buildings
• sustainability
• job creation
• health and safety
• preservation of national heritage
• affordable housing
• accessibility

For example, Budget 2021 identified $14.9 million over 4 years, starting in 2022 to 2023, with $77.9 million in future years, for a Federal Clean Electricity Fund to purchase renewable energy certificates for all federal government buildings.

The department will continue to leverage partnerships, technology, and innovation to deliver better services and to create an environment to support the new way of working for a digitally-enabled, responsible, inclusive, high-performing public service.

As a result of the change in demand for federal office space brought about by COVID-19, the department will need to review its space requirements while continuing to modernize and support the long-term sustainability of the remote workforce.

PSPC ’s Cape Breton Operations (CBO) has a long-term strategy in place to divest of approximately 800 parcels of land and water lots located across 40 communities within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

As part of its on-going environmental efforts, CBO manages facilities that treat 6 billion litres of mine water annually, as well as the ongoing remediation and monitoring of sites impacted from centuries of coal mining.

The Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) project at the Gulf Fisheries Centre site in Moncton, New Brunswick is a keystone project in the renewal of federal science infrastructure, created under the Laboratories Canada Initiative of PSPC to foster science facilities that enable world class multi-disciplinary research and science programs. PSPC is supporting Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Research Council Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency in the development of ASEC . This project will provide a newly-built science annex and redeveloped and modernized office accommodations. ASEC will focus on providing science-based solutions that conserve and protect Canada’s coastal ecosystems and environments under one roof, making aquatic science more accessible, promote ocean and freshwater literacy, promote community engagement, and help train the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics researchers.

The Pacific Region supports Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Big Bar Landslide Remediation Project to help Pacific salmon reach their spawning grounds. Without intervention, vulnerable species of Pacific salmon face local extinction, which would severely impact commercial and recreational fishing activity, the Canadian economy, as well as food security and cultural activities for more than 140 First Nations.

• PSPC is the mandatory provider of office space to 99 federal departments and agencies, serving approximately 261,585 federal employees
• The total Government of Canada portfolio is made up of more than 38,000 buildings (including leases), and covers approximately 28 million square metres. PSPC is responsible for 6,968,355 square metres
• PSPC is responsible for a portfolio of 17 engineering assets (bridges, dams, wharves, the Alaska Highway and the Esquimalt Graving Dock) that provide essential services to the public
• Since 2005, PSPC has reduced greenhouse gas in PSPC ’s Crown-owned building portfolio by 58.1%, exceeding the Government of Canada target of 40% by 2030
• enhance portfolio-based planning, right-sizing (reducing, optimizing and recapitalization of assets) and operating of national real property infrastructure assets, Parliamentary Precinct, and heritage sites across the country
• strengthen Canada’s science community through the renewal of federal science infrastructure
• modernize office building and workplace technology in collaboration with clients and key partners, including Shared Services Canada and the Office of the Chief Human Resource Officer
• improve payment timeliness for all federal construction contracts
• update the Policy Suite
• advance sustainability, climate resiliency, and the green agenda for federal real property and infrastructure assets
• improve accessibility of federal buildings
• advance socio-economic benefits in support of federal mandates, such as Indigenous reconciliation and affordable housing

Visit Annex D: Core responsibility 3: Property and infrastructure planned deliverables.

Public Services and Procurement Canada plays a critical role in the daily operations of the Government of Canada as its common service provider and linguistic authority. To achieve service excellence and keep pace in an ever-changing environment, the department strives to find innovative solutions and modernize its processes to meet the current and future needs of clients and Canadians for translation and interpretation, the protection of sensitive information and assets, and provision of administrative services and tools.

The Translation Bureau will continue to prioritize work to provide quality remote interpretation services and adapt to the rapid digital transformation in the language industry, including experimentation with artificial intelligence and other technologies, and is working at maintaining and monitoring its capacity to translate and interpret Indigenous languages, as well as to provide sign languages interpretation.

Budget 2021 identified funding of $18 million over 2 years, starting in 2021 to 2022, to respond to a higher volume of translation and interpretation requests while continuing to support a remote working environment. This will ensure that Parliamentarians and Canadians receive timely translation and interpretation services in both official languages as well as Indigenous languages, sign languages, and other languages spoken across Canada.

In 2020 to 2021, the Translation Bureau launched a new version of the Language Navigator search engine on the Language Portal of Canada.

The Translation Bureau provides Video Remote Interpreting and sign language interpretation for the Prime Minister and the Public Health Agency of Canada press conferences and PSPC Deputy Minister town halls.

The department is progressing on several innovative initiatives, such as experimenting with artificial intelligence solutions, designing data analytic tools to better prevent and detect instances of fraud, collusion and other forms of wrongdoing in PSPC procurement, and launching the Next Generation Travel program to modernize the way public servants travel for business.

With PSPC adapting to and becoming more reliant on technologies, and with the majority of the PSPC workforce working remotely, the department faces an increased risk of physical and digital security challenges, such as cyber attacks.

• provide timely and high quality linguistic services and tools so Canadians can enjoy the full benefits of our country’s 2 official languages
• enable employees and Canadians who are deaf, deafblind, deafened and hard of hearing to access government information and participate fully in activities organized in the federal context using linguistic services that meet their communication requirements
• enable parliamentarians and the public service to avail themselves of translation and interpretation services in Indigenous languages, enhancing visibility and positively impacting the status and future vitality of Indigenous languages in Canada
• enhance integrity of federal procurement and real property transactions
• make use of a client-focused delivery approach to safeguarding sensitive and strategic government information and assets
• enhance stakeholder engagement with security and intelligence departments and agencies, as well as law enforcement partners
• improve awareness of business dispute management and resolution options when managing contracts
• enhance fraud prevention and detection measures
• enhance data analytics tools
• offer digitally enabled products and tools, such as modernized applications and e-platforms
• expand the client base for targeted services to other government departments, provinces, territories and municipalities
• improve the user experience and enable more services through innovation with a view to increase program efficiency and effectiveness Footnote 7
• expand the client base for targeted services to other government departments and agencies

Visit Annex D: Core responsibility 4: Government-wide support planned deliverables.

Service at Public Services and Procurement Canada

Human resources management.

Departmental results were developed within the Integrated Business Plan for each of the corporate enablers. These results reflect the definitions of internal services provided by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

As departmental integrated business planning matures, it is intended that the Integrated Business Plan will be structured in future years to better support corporate enablers so they can more effectively respond to the needs of the core responsibilities.

The priorities for each of the corporate enablers are listed in their respective sections below. The following icons identify where corporate enabler support is needed to effectively deliver on the priority:

Justice Canada provides legal services to Public Services and Procurement Canada to help achieve its objectives within the law by providing advice on procurement activities, contract disputes, federal real property transactions, human resources, conflict of interest issues, and access to information issues.

As a common service provider, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) plays a strategic role in the daily operations of the federal government. Every day, PSPC delivers a broad range of common, shared, and central services to other government departments and agencies, each with their own specific needs and operational priorities.

PSPC continues to reassess and strengthen digital service delivery models by harnessing service transformation momentum across the department, breaking down silos and inspiring new service transformations that are digitally enabled.

PSPC is developing the One PSPC Service Framework, which serves as a cohesive departmental approach to providing quality services that are accessible, standardized, digitally integrated, transparent, and designed with client centricity in mind, while relying on data-driven decision making to ensure quality of service delivery.

A revamped departmental service catalogue will bundle services for clients. In addition, an “integrated digital environment” will leverage a new enterprise platform to improve capabilities.

Result: PSPC clients and partners can rely on a consistent and positive service experience.

The department will achieve this result by delivering on the following 3-year priorities:

• establish and implement a PSPC service framework to support PSPC employees in all client engagement activities
• enhance service design and planning for programs
• enhance service levels, client satisfaction and increased awareness and marketing of PSPC services
• corporate enablers work as strategic partners to provide consistent service delivery in support of our business lines and transformation initiatives

Visit Annex E: Service at Public Services and Procurement Canada for all service deliverables.

Management and oversight services are delivered by the Departmental Oversight Branch, the Policy, Planning and Communications Branch, and the Office of the Chief Audit, Evaluation and Risk Executive. These branches serve the department by providing activities such as strategic direction and governance, security, program planning and design, values and ethics, and conducting audits and evaluations.

This integrated approach creates a more comprehensive, robust regime for providing oversight on departmental activities, programs and processes in support of the department’s priorities.

PSPC is ensuring effective detection tools and protection to deter potential cyber threats. It is also raising awareness to ensure employees know their roles and responsibilities for safeguarding information and are attuned to the security risks associated with remote work.

PSPC supports 2 portfolio partners, Canada Post and the National Capital Commission, on 2 Minister of Public Services and Procurement mandate letter commitments: implementing a new vision for Canada Post and working with the National Capital Commission in its core functions of federal lands planning, stewardship of public places of national significance, and creative partnerships for development and conservation.

Result: Implement strategies to advance on departmental priorities through enhanced services, processes and structures, and undertake activities to analyze and mitigate exposure to risk.

• embed integrated business planning throughout the department to help inform decisions related to business activities
• strengthen governance to improve project oversight and management through a renewed PSPC governance architecture
• optimize security throughout the department by establishing a 3-year departmental security plan and building security specialist capacity and expertise across the department
• fully implement a data strategy to enable strategic and operational decision making
• strengthen integrated risk management culture at PSPC through the operationalization of a risk management framework and the development of supporting comprehensive learning and communications strategies
• through modernization, position audit, evaluation and risk management functions as integrated business support and provide recommendations to the key strategic partners
• increase agility, timeliness, accessibility, and comprehensiveness of the departmental audit and evaluation functions to provide independent and reasonable assurance on risk management, control, governance and program value
• establish a departmental reconciliation plan to advance reconciliation and renewed relationship with Indigenous people
• strengthen accessibility and inclusion at PSPC by removing barriers to full participation in the way we work and in the services we provide
• implement the departmental transparency strategy to establish PSPC as a leader in supporting the Government’s transparency and openness priority
• make increased use of experimentation for improved service delivery
• effectively communicate the department’s One PSPC story to Cabinet, Parliament and Canadians through increased horizontal integration and enhanced strategic analysis
• strengthen support to the Minister and senior management in delivering priorities related to the portfolio entities by providing timely, strategic advice and guidance; supporting the fulfillment of the Government’s commitment to timely, open, transparent and merit-based Governor in Council (GIC) selection processes; and managing Treasury Board and Cabinet submissions as they pertain to the portfolio entities to ensure that departmental and client priorities are respected
• strengthen ties with provincial and territorial governments and international counterparts in areas of shared interest

Visit Annex F: Management and oversight planned deliverables.

Communications services are delivered by the Policy, Planning and Communications Branch (PPCB). Through storytelling , PPCB plays a leadership role in communicating Public Services and Procurement Canada’s role as the government’s central purchasing agent, real property manager, treasurer, accountant, linguistic authority, and pay and pension administrator

PPCB provides external and internal communications strategic advice, support and services to the department’s business lines and senior executive offices. It serves as the focal point for the flow of strategic and operational communications to advance departmental and governmental priorities. On behalf of the department, PPCB supports the transparency of information and data, making it more readily available to Canadians, government entities, and businesses.

Over the next 3 years, PPCB will make efforts to strategically modernize the communications function within PSPC .

Result: Ensure that Government of Canada communications are effectively managed, well-coordinated, and responsive to the diverse information needs of the PSPC employees, clients and partners, and of the public.

• align strategic communications plans to PSPC priorities
• provide effective and engaging internal communications information to employees across the department
• streamline PSPC ’s websites and meet Government of Canada web requirements
• strengthen proactive communications to support programs across the department
• effectively manage issues by anticipating, preparing and responding to emerging issues

Visit Annex F: Communications for all communications planned deliverables.

Public Services and Procurement Canada strives to give all employees opportunities to achieve organizational, professional and personal goals in a respectful, healthy, diverse and inclusive workplace, supported by leadership at all levels. In partnership with its regional counterparts, the Human Resources Branch (HRB) delivers core people management services and provides a wide range of support activities that serve departmental and employee needs.

Through the priorities outlined in PSPC ’s Strategic People Management Plan for One PSPC , the department will pursue major people management initiatives over the next 3 years to continue to support current and future workforce and workplace needs, including strengthening diversity and inclusion and advancing evolution of work and the human resources (HR) service improvement agenda.

Result: Foster a workplace that enshrines psychological health, safety, well-being, linguistic duality, inclusion and accessibility.

• support employees at all levels in the prevention, intervention and resolution of conflictual situations and provide them with a healthy, safe and inclusive work environment
• optimize HR -to-Pay support for management and employees and contribute to pay issues prevention

Result: Develop and manage talent, including leadership.

• equally on-board, integrate, and fully support all new employees when they start a new position
• provide access for employees at all levels to continuous learning opportunities that are supported by career and talent management

Result: Recruit a talented, agile and diverse workforce.

The department will achieve this result by delivering on the following 3-year priority:

• recruit and staff a national and diverse workforce that possesses the competencies that are required now and for the future and that supports the inclusive work environment

Result: Evolve human resources (HR) client-oriented core services.

• establish a strong, efficient and streamlined human resources (HR) core business to efficiently support the department
• provide access to business systems and technology, including digital automation to increase efficiency, maximize resources and better deliver HR services to clients, for HR as well as clients

Result: Aspiration: By 2023, employee satisfaction levels will reach 75%.

• undertake to increase employee satisfaction levels to 75% by 2023

Visit Annex F: Human resources management for all human resources management planned deliverables.

The Finance Branch (FB) is a value-added business partner providing key financial services. FB delivers financial management and strategic support, and oversight of all investment decisions, for the department.

FB manages Public Services and Procurement Canada’s accounting operations, implements financial policies, and provides financial policy advice, external reporting services, and oversees a robust system of internal controls to keep track of PSPC ’s revenues and expenditures. The branch also ensures that the organization has a reliable departmental financial system that leverages modern technology to produce quality data and reports for better decision making and oversight.

In collaboration with Real Property Services and Digital Services Branch, FB leads the transformation of the enterprise resource planning system to the next generation systems, applications and products (SAP) S/4HANA platform by leveraging and contributing to the Government of Canada Digital Core for Canada solution. The transformation provides an opportunity to standardize, streamline and automate existing processes to offer improved integrated business solutions and enhanced user experience while maintaining current business capabilities.

Result: Ensure the prudent use of public resources, including planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, control and oversight, analysis, decision support and advice, and financial systems.

• maximize the use of accrual budgeting in the planning and management of PSPC ’s operations and assets
• enhance partner model and portfolio planning to improve service delivery and maximize regional expertise
• enhance financial management practices to support the department and facilitate efficient and effective resource allocation (such as simplifying and reducing the number of internal service agreements, reengineer financial pressure process, etc.)
• enhance technology and processes, including delivering the new solution to the SAP platform
• increase implementation of PSPC initiatives, including the Workplace Renewal Initiative and greening of PSPC ’s fleet
• adopt and implement an investment management system that is aligned to the Government of Canada Fixed Asset Review recommendations and proposed way-forward
• document all internal controls processes and sub-processes and test for design effectiveness by March 31, 2024 (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) requirement)
• support leaders and emerging leaders at all levels and of all diversities to develop and refine leadership competencies

Visit Annex F: Financial management for all financial management planned deliverables.

Departmental information management and information technology (IM/IT) services support the Public Services and Procurement Canada service transformation initiative and the digital government vision . Partnering with internal branches, the Digital Services Branch leads IM/IT corporate enablement.

As outlined in PSPC ’s 2019 to 2022 Information Management/Information Technology Plan, the department is pursuing improvements to IT infrastructure that yield tangible efficiencies for PSPC programs. The benefits to clients include the realization of efficiencies, increased support for program integrity, and outcomes that truly enable PSPC ’s service provisioning in a digitally-enabled environment.

COVID-19 has accelerated PSPC ’s digital agenda. PSPC had to adjust its priorities and drive the use of new digital technologies to support recovery, enable a remote workforce, and build resilience without compromising data protection, privacy or security.

Working in close collaboration with Shared Services Canada, PSPC expanded Virtual Private Network access points – from 10,000 to more than 16,000 – to enable the PSPC workforce to work remotely and continuously. PSPC also increased the network bandwidth, upgraded the email system infrastructure and deployed Microsoft Teams to facilitate employee collaboration with video conferencing, and to help ease the transition to remote work and the new COVID-19 reality.

For more information on the department’s IM/IT Plan, contact the departmental IM/IT planning team in the Digital Services Branch at: tpsgc.plandesinvestissementsgiti-imitinvestmentplan.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Result: Ensure that information management and the use of information technology is efficient and effective and supports government priorities, and program delivery, to increase productivity, foster informed decision making and enhance services to the public.

The department will achieve this 3-year priority by delivering on:

• improving the IM/IT tools and security posture
• implement a digital strategy and enhanced change management capacity to improve horizontal planning of IT investments across PSPC
• reduce business risk by moving applications from at-risk legacy datacenters and/or obsolete IT infrastructure to modern, reliable and secure infrastructure
• improve productivity by providing tools to connect employees to the people, information, and content they need to work in a wireless environment, securely, remotely and from any device
• increase the digital footprint, including smart investments in Cloud solutions
• enhance the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and open data
• enhance modern service design capabilities that put users first and drive the business change/vision
• enhance innovation network and infrastructure that supports experimentation

Visit Annex F: Information management/information technology for all information management/information technology planned deliverables.

Supplementary mandate letter commitments, January 15, 2021

Covid-19 procurement.

• Procure leading vaccine candidates
• Ensure COVID-19 vaccines continue to be efficiently and widely distributed
• Help provinces and territories increase COVID-19 testing capacity and deploy new, safe and approved tests
• Continue to procure critical supplies
• Reinforce international efforts to ensure access to health interventions to fight COVID-19

Procurement modernization

• Develop government-wide initiatives to increase the diversity of bidders on government contracts

Digital services

• Explore enhanced flexibility in working arrangements
• Update and replace outdated information technology (IT) systems

Greening government operations

• Advance federal emissions reduction, resiliency and greening government initiatives aligned with the Greening Government Strategy

For more information, visit the Minister of Public Services and Procurement supplementary mandate letter—Archived .

Mandate letter commitments, December 13, 2019

• Modernize procurement practices
• Publish clear metrics and make government data more available
• Develop better vendor management tools
• Increase bidder diversity
• Support Canadian Apprenticeship Service

Defence procurement

• Bring forward analyses and options to create Defence Procurement Canada
• Renew the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy fleets
• Enter into a contract for Canada’s fighter aircraft fleet
• Develop strategy for clean electricity and commit to being a first purchaser of new clean electricity/renewable power sources as they become available
• Support the conversion of government fleets to zero-emission vehicles

Pay stabilization

• Eliminate pay backlog and rebuild employee confidence in the integrity of their pay and pensions
• Support the Next Generation Pay and Human Resources System

Government services

• Oversee implementation of a new vision for Canada Post
• Work with the National Capital Commission in its core functions
• Improve crossings in the National Capital Region

Reconciliation

• Conclude space for Indigenous peoples
• Create 5% target for contracts with Indigenous businesses
• Increase translation and interpretation services for Indigenous languages

Blueprint 2020 is a government-wide initiative that was launched in 2013 to build a world-class public service equipped to serve Canada and Canadians now and into the future. It is a renewal exercise in a continuum of other initiatives; the major difference being the grassroots approach. The initiative has led to a growing spirit of innovation and collaboration across the public service.

In 2019, public servants from across the country were engaged in consultations to help refine the ongoing public service renewal journey. This culminated in Beyond 2020, a refreshed framework with a focus on mindsets and behaviours.

Over the past year, the public service has demonstrated a high level of agility in adapting to the new environmental context (for example, COVID-19, diversity and inclusion, and anti-Black racism). At a time increasingly characterized by data, digital, new workplace designs, flatter work cultures, and multiple generations working together, it is critical to examine and adopt the mindsets and behaviours that will meet the changing expectations of Canadians. The desired outcome is a public service that is more agile, inclusive, and better equipped.

Areas of focus for Beyond 2020

• A-1: Mobilize resources and people to key priorities
• A-2: Empower our workforce
• A-3 Embrace uncertainty and learn through experimentation
• I-1: Create an environment where individuals are safe to express themselves
• I-2: Expand partnerships and remove barriers to collaborate
• I-3: Co-create by bringing different perspectives to the table
• E-1: Design work environments to optimize performance
• E-2: Make learning a fundamental part of your job
• E-3: Explore technology and tools to help you be more effective in your role

How Public Services and Procurement Canada is supporting beyond 2020 efforts

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) contributes to a culture that is agile in delivering results, inclusive in developing ideas and decision making, and equipped for excellence.

The Integrated Business Plan will serve as a tool to monitor and track progress made towards achieving Beyond 2020 objectives, which includes efforts to empower the workforce, create an enhanced culture of diversity and inclusion, and optimize the work environment to equip employees for success. Through a continued focus on Beyond 2020 and public service renewal, the department will look to identify the collective mindsets, behaviours and culture needed to thrive in the future. 

Over the past year, the environmental context has changed significantly, calling for a shift in focus. PSPC will need a refreshed Beyond 2020 strategy that addresses current realities and future directions. To do so, the department created a committee of executive level representatives from each branch and region to conduct a taking stock exercise, identify gaps and a way forward.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) is an analytical process by which a policy, program, initiative or service can be examined for its differentiated impacts on various groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. GBA+ captures the realities of people affected by a particular issue at a specific time, based on identity factors that can often be intersecting (for example, race, gender and socio-economic status). GBA+ allows Government of Canada analysts, researchers, evaluators and decision makers to continually improve their work and attain better and more equitable results for Canadians by being more responsive to their specific needs and circumstances.

The Government of Canada has resolutely adopted GBA+ as a tool for assessing gender and diversity impacts in the development of inclusive policies, programs and legislation. GBA+ is embedded in Cabinet and Budget proposals and in legislation, and Canada is internationally-recognized for its use of GBA+ as a tool to advance gender equality and diversity. Additional efforts are being deployed to strengthen GBA+ across government, including through greater quality and accountability, increased capacity, more engagement, outreach and awareness, and advancing gender budgeting.

Implementation of gender-based analysis plus at Public Services and Procurement Canada

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is committed to applying GBA+ throughout the lifecycle of its initiatives, from design to evaluation.

The department has a GBA+ responsibility centre, situated within the Policy, Planning and Communications Branch’s strategic policy unit, to provide oversight, direction and promotion of GBA+ across PSPC , with specific focus on supporting GBA+ governance and management, ensuring monitoring and reporting on GBA+ application and compliance with government direction on GBA+ , increasing awareness of GBA+ , and increasing GBA+ capacity.

PSPC ’s GBA+ community of practice supports the consistent, rigorous and robust implementation of GBA+ across the department's programs and services. The community of practice includes representatives from all of the department's branches and regions, who meet several times annually to share information and leverage best practices from across the department, discuss issues related to the implementation of GBA+ , and foster consistent and robust implementation of GBA+ across programs, policies and service areas of PSPC .

PSPC will explore measures to improve availability of research and data in support of GBA+ , to allow for effective planning and decision making. For example, to align with the Treasury Board Secretariat Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices, some branches are conducting a review of their service lines to ensure that the policy direction is implemented, that GBA+ is a key consideration in new or existing policies, programs, and initiatives, and that a third gender option (non-binary gender option) is included in documents, forms/letters and surveys/questionnaires. More branches and regions are also opting to collect gender information by default (instead of sex information) when relevant in data collection efforts.

Data will be collected on suppliers to support efforts to increase the participation of Indigenous peoples and under-represented groups in federal procurement and real property solicitations. In addition, the department will maintain its commitment to providing greater opportunities for supplier diversity. PSPC will bolster its outreach activities to communities that are currently under-represented in federal procurement, and will continue to develop and apply lessons learned from current pilot projects.

PSPC will continue to conduct technical accessibility assessments on its nationwide Crown-owned and lease purchase portfolio. As a result of these assessments, PSPC will identify accessibility improvements to bring base building elements in conformity with the 2018 Accessibility Standard and address new legislative requirements under the Accessible Canada Act .

The Translation Bureau is continuing to work with partners to explore options to provide sign language interpretation in American Sign Language (ASL) and langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) at high-visibility events. In addition, the Translation Bureau will explore additional services to ensure access to information to Canadians who are deaf, deafblind and deafened, and whose primary language of communication is ASL or LSQ . Moreover, the Translation Bureau will continue to encourage inclusive writing in all communications and promote its Gender and Sexual Diversity Glossary, a resource for linguistic recommendations on gender-inclusive writing in both official languages.

PSPC recognizes that lived experience is the cornerstone of the Digital Accessibility Strategy. By taking into account and emphasizing the lived experiences of persons with disabilities, the strategy seeks to remove the concept of “exception,” choosing rather to view disability as an intersection of the identity of a multi-faceted individual.

Finally, the Federal Pay Administration Program provides pay system and services for Government of Canada employees. The program plans on broadening its use of existing GBA+ data, from the pay system and other sources, such as Public Service Employee Survey data, to better understand if and how employees of different gender identities may be disproportionally affected by pay issues.

• Member Communities
• Learning Dashboard
• Materials Library
• Best Practices

Multi-Year Capital Planning

State and local governments should prepare and adopt comprehensive, fiscally sustainable, and multi-year capital plans to ensure effective management of capital assets.

Infrastructure, technology, and major equipment are the physical foundation for providing services to constituents. The procurement, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of capital assets are a critical activity of governments and therefore require careful planning. Capital planning is critical to water, sewer, transportation, sanitation, and other essential public services. It is also an important component of a community's economic development program and strategic plan. Capital facilities and infrastructure are important legacies that serve current and future generations. It is extremely difficult for governments to address the current and long-term needs of their citizens without a sound multi-year capital plan that clearly identifies capital needs, funding options, and operating budget impacts.

A properly prepared capital plan is essential to the future financial health of an organization and continued delivery of services to citizens and businesses.

GFOA recommends that state and local governments prepare and adopt comprehensive, fiscally sustainable, and multi-year capital plans to ensure effective management of capital assets. A prudent multi-year capital plan identifies and prioritizes expected needs based on a’ strategic plan, establishes project scope and cost, details estimated amounts of funding from various sources, and projects future operating and maintenance costs. A capital plan should cover a period of five to 25 years or more.

Identify needs . The first step in capital planning is identifying needs. Governments should develop a capital asset life cycle for major capital assets. The capital asset life cycle should include costs to operate, maintain, administer and renew or replace the capital asset. This will assist in identifying the need and schedule for capital asset replacement or major renewal. In addition, using information such as development projections, strategic plans, comprehensive plans, facility master plans, and regional plans; governments should identify present and future service needs that require capital infrastructure or equipment. In this process, attention should be given to:

• Infrastructure improvements that support private development and the good of the public
• Changes in policy or community entity needs
• Incorporating input and participation from major stakeholders and the general public
• Projects with revenue-generating potential
• Analyze the non-financial impacts of the project (e.g., environmental) on the community

Determine financial impacts . GFOA recommends that the full extent of the capital project/asset and the associated life cycle costs be determined when developing the multi-year capital plan. In this process, attention should be given to:

• The scope and timing of a planned project should be well defined in the early stages of the planning process
• Governments should identify and use the most appropriate approaches when estimating project costs and potential revenues If a government’s internal resources are not sufficient to estimate a capital project's cost, revenues and/or life cycle costs, outside assistance should be procured
• For projects programmed beyond the first year of the plan, governments should adjust cost projections based on anticipated inflation
• A clear estimate of all major components required to implement a project should be outlined, including land acquisition needs, design, construction, contingency and post-construction costs
• The ongoing life cycle costs associated with each project should be quantified, and the sources of funding for those costs should be identified. Life cycle costs will impact future annual operating budgets

Prioritize capital requests . Though the initial prioritization process may be impacted by legal requirements and/or mandates, GFOA recommends that, when evaluating capital requests, governments should first prioritize based on:

• Health and Safety - Priority should be given to high risk safety issues that require a capital project to correct
• Asset Preservation - Capital assets that require renewal or replacement based on capital asset life cycle
• Service/Asset Expansion/Addition - Infrastructure improvements needed to support government’s policies, plans, and studies

In this process, attention should be given to:

• Coordination with related entities 
• Allow submitting agencies to provide an initial prioritization
• Incorporate input and participation from major stakeholders and the general public
• The impact on operating budget impacts resulting from capital projects
• Apply analytical techniques, as appropriate, for evaluating potential projects (e.g., net present value, payback period, cost-benefit analysis, life cycle costing, cash flow modeling)
• Use a rating system to facilitate decision-making

Develop a comprehensive financial plan . GFOA recommends that governments develop a viable overall multi-year financing plan covering the multi-year period of the capital plan to ensure that the proposed capital plan is achievable within expected available resources. Financing strategies should align with expected project requirements while sustaining the financial health of the government. Governments undertaking a capital financing plan should:  

• Anticipate expected revenue and expenditure trends including their relationship to multi-year financial plans and ongoing impacts to the operating budget due to the capital plan
• Prepare cash flow projections of the amount and timing of the capital financing
• Continue compliance with all established financial policies
• Recognize appropriate legal constraints
• Consider and estimate funding amounts from all appropriate funding alternatives
• Consider sources and uses for debt service
• Ensure reliability and stability of identified funding sources
• Evaluate the affordability of the financing strategy, including the impact on debt ratios, applicable tax rates, and/or service fees

Integrate Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Considerations in Planning. Successful execution of a capital plan is often linked to the government’s ability to finance the designated projects, as a matter of intergenerational equity. Debt plays a key role in funding capital projects for many governments, and with municipal investors heightening both their demand and scrutiny of ESG risks with a nexus to credit (see ESG Disclosure and in some cases, the utilization of designated bonds (see Marketing Municipal Bonds as Green, Sustainable, Social, or Other Alternatively Designated Bonds) , the integration of these metrics in risk disclosures and in ongoing continuing disclosures to investors is increasingly crucial in the drafting of capital plans. Acknowledging the risks and opportunities of ESG factors help a government to choose the financing technique that best meets its cost and risk profile. GFOA recommends integrating ESG into capital planning by:

• Indicating any project that has a direct or related E, S or G material risk or measurable benefit with a brief description to inform finance officers in charge of obtaining funding
• Summarizing potential ESG projects in the final Capital Plan to highlight the initiatives for public consumption
• Considering prioritizing debt financing for ESG projects

Last updated in September 2022.

The County of San Diego, CA was awarded the GFOA Award for Excellence for outstanding use of GFOA's Best Practice on Multi-Year Capital Planning. To learn more about the County's implementation process, please visit their  award page.

• Board approval date: Friday, September 23, 2022

• Skip to main content
• Skip to "About this site"
• Skip to section menu
• Departments

Language selection

• Search and menus

We are currently moving our web services and information to Canada.ca .

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website will remain available until this move is complete.

Integrated planning guide

Archived information.

Archived information is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject à to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

This page has been archived on the Web.

Note : The integrated planning guidebook is an evergreen document.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

• Integrated planning environment
• Integrated planning in a delegated environment chart
• Management accountability framework

People component of the management accountability framework

Integrated planning calendar.

• Line manager’s guide to integrating HR and business planning
• Integrated human resources and business planning checklist
• Supplement to the integrated HR and planning checklist
• Access to public service demographic information
• Training in integrated planning
• Links to planning-related publications and web sites of interest
• Frequently asked questions
• Succession planning and management tool for senior managers
• Succession planning and management tool for senior managers checklist
• Succession planning and management tool for managers
• Succession planning and management tool
• Annex 1-Integrated planning: working through the five-step approach

Integrated planning is the foundation for assessing and understanding the current and future needs of departments, agencies and the Public Service as a whole.

Integrated planning is central to the successful implementation of the Public Service Modernization Act and to the promotion of healthy organizations that retain competent, committed and engaged employees across the Public Service.

Integrated planning is an important building block in continuously improving and building the human capacity of the Public Service to deliver services to Canadians (Results for Canadians). Integrated, rigorous planning can mitigate risks associated with aging workforces, tight labour markets, technological change, and so on. Integrated planning can help identify optimal strategies and activities for such important HR management components as recruitment, retention, learning, development, employee engagement, promotion, succession, employment equity and official languages.

Some departments and agencies are recognized as having taken innovative approaches to planning. Overall, however, there is widespread recognition at all levels of government that over the last ten years, the HR planning capacity across the Public Service of Canada has diminished. The time is right to rigorously rebuild capacity in HR planning. The need for sound integrated planning with business planning, has never been more important.

Why integrated planning?

• It aligns an organization’s workforce with the government’s priorities, and the organization’s mission, strategic plan and budgetary resources;
• It is central to the successful implementation of modern HR management as referenced in the Public Service Employment Act;
• It supports HR strategies (e.g. training, career development, organization design and classification) that are tailored to meet the current and future needs of the organization;
• It supports the achievement of business excellence by promoting initiatives to attract and retain an engaged, sustainable, competent and diverse workforce;
• It leads to a supportive workplace and continuous learning culture through planning efforts associated with both employee and organizational learning;
• It informs the development of business cases to justify resources identified through current and future HR needs analysis;
• It assists managers in realigning their workforce (e.g. reduction, expansion, change in business lines);
• It ultimately helps managers meet their responsibilities and accountabilities;
• It helps develop and ensure sustained, strong leadership across the Public Service; and
• It facilitates performance improvement and reporting through the development of performance measures, which is an important aspect of any planning-related

Defining HR planning

HR planning is defined as follows:

Human resources planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources needs for an organization to achieve its goals. Human resources planning should serve as a link between human resources management and the overall strategic plan of an organization.

Integrated planning principles

Some key principles of integrated planning are as follows:

• Planning takes place at all levels : Reflecting business needs and strong people management practices, rigorous, integrated HR and business planning takes place in all organizations and at all levels across the Public Service.
• Planning is information driven : Planning processes and decisions are based on factual and timely information on current and future needs (demographic data, environmental scans, employee feedback, labour market information, etc.).
• Planning identifies risks and challenges : Planning processes identify challenges and key risks in delivering on priorities, and outlines options to mitigate critical issues.
• Planning is transparent, values-based and well communicated : Plans are communicated to employees and stakeholders.
• Regular reporting on integrated planning takes place : Planning efforts and results are reported on annually by all organizations.
• Planning efforts are monitored, measured and evaluated : Processes are established in all organizations to monitor performance and progress in achieving HR objectives outlined in the integrated plan.

The integrated planning environment chart has been created to illustrate the links between the drivers, processes and tools that contribute to the development and implementation of integrated planning within the Public Service.

Section 1: Legislative base and other drivers of integrated planning

Legislative base.

The coming into force of the Accountability Act established a broad legislative context for Deputy Head accountabilities with regard to the performance of any assigned duties in relation to the administration of departments/agencies. Departmental administration includes the management of the organization’s human resources and part of that function involves integrated planning.

The legislative base for HR planning is the Financial Administration Act and the Public Service Employment Act contained in the Public Service Modernization Act . Other related Acts include the Employment Equity Act and Official Languages Act .

The Public Service Modernization Act (through the Financial Administration Act and the Public Service Employment Act ), clearly establishes the Employer’s responsibility to identify the current and future needs of the Public Service; to determine the human resource requirements of the Public Service; and to provide for the allocation and effective utilization of human resources within the Public Service – all of which are key to the integrated planning process.

For additional information visit the Public Service Modernizations Act on the Agency website.

Other drivers

Guidance for Deputy Ministers , an important document issued by the Clerk of the Privy Council, is intended to clarify how Deputy Ministers fulfill their role in the Government of Canada. The document sets out the key elements of responsible government as a backdrop for understanding the individual and collective responsibility and accountability of Ministers. It further sets out the responsibilities of Deputy Ministers and their accountabilities, including the management of human and financial resources.

Guidance for Deputy Ministers signals that, “Effective departmental management requires careful integration of human resources management planning with the planning of departmental activities.”

For additional information visit this guidance for deputy ministers link.

The Clerk’s Corporate Priorities reinforced the concept of integrated human resources and business planning, with one of the priorities relating to the implementation of the Public Service Modernization Act , including the strengthening of human resources planning.

For additional information visit this clerk’s priorities link.

The Auditor General’s Findings related to Human Resources Planning (1999 to Today) are also a driver that strongly identifies planning as a central function to the healthy management of an organization. It speaks to the lack of human resources planning in the entirety of the Public Service and more specifically, of the lack of efficiencies and effectiveness incurred by the lack of integrated planning.

The Management Accountability Framework flows from Results for Canadians and the Comptrollership Modernization initiative. It establishes the framework of accountability for Deputy Heads - also establishing a close link to the responsibilities and accountabilities of Deputy Ministers as defined in Guidance for Deputy Ministers - to ensure that the conditions for good management are set in place in order to achieve Results for Canadians. It includes performance measures and indicators for ten identified outcomes. One of the outcomes is the People Component which relates to the management of people, and aims at measuring an organization’s human resources capacity including having a workforce that is renewable and affordable over time - again emphasizing the need for good integrated planning and effective management of resources.

For additional information on the Management Accountability Framework, visit the Treasury Board Secretariat Web site: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/maf-crg/index-eng.asp

The Staffing Management Accountability Framework comprises part of this accountability suite. It establishes the Deputy Minister’s accountabilities to the Public Service Commission with regard to staffing systems and delegated staffing authorities.

For additional information on the Staffing Management Accountability Framework, visit the Public Service Commission Web site: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/plcy-pltq/frame-cadre/acco-resp/smaf-crgd-eng.htm

Together, the legislation and drivers described above set the direction for Deputy Heads and senior managers to inculcate good management practices through integrated planning in order to meet their corporate objectives.

Section 2: integrated planning principles and process

Six principles of integrated planning.

At the heart of integrated planning are the six guiding principles. These principles form the basis on which planning activities and processes are to be developed and implemented.

Based on the Six Principles of Integrated Planning, the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada has developed an integrated planning calendar . The Calendar illustrates a four-phase approach to aligning human resources and business lines to achieve integrated planning. It also provides approximate timeframes for each of the four phases.

Five-step approach to determining and building for current and future needs

A five-step approach to determining and building for current and future needs was also developed to guide organizations in their efforts to implement integrated planning. The Integrated Human Resources and Business Planning Checklist is a “how to” model, and provides some important questions for managers to consider as they develop their plans. More specifically, the five steps include:

• Step 1 determining your business goals;
• Step 2 analyzing your environment to see if you have the right mix and complement to meet your current and future needs;
• Step 3 assessing the gaps in your workforce - what are you missing from a human resources perspective in order for you to achieve your goals;
• Step 4 taking action and initiating strategies to close the gap and help obtain the required resources; and
• Step 5 reviewing, monitoring and measuring whether efforts were successful.

Together, the six principles, the planning calendar, and the five-step approach outlined above form the basis from which planning activities, tool and instruments should be derived.

Section 3: integrated planning tools

Having set in place the main elements of the integrated planning process, departments and agencies can then use a variety of instruments or tools to help them fulfill their operational requirements. The last section of the Integrated Planning Environment Chart outlines a number of tools that have been developed by the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada to assist departments with procedures leading to the formulation of integrated plans.

These tools are evergreen and complement the original Integrated Human Resources and Business Planning Tool Kit that was issued in November 2004. These tools are available for use by Deputy Ministers and Senior Managers, Managers and Human Resources professionals either as is, or for tailoring to specific departmental/agency needs.

Specifically, the tools include Integrated Planning – A Handbook for Deputy Ministers and Senior Managers, the Succession Planning and Management Tool, the Succession Planning and Management Tool for Senior Managers, and the Succession Planning and Management Tool for Managers. Also under development are Integrated Planning Templates ( refer to Annex 1 ), which will provide departments and agencies with easy to follow instructions in applying the five-step approach in their organizations. The tools noted above are available on the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada Web site.

Text Version

Integrated planning guidebook: integrated planning in a delegated environment chart

Overview of human resources planning process and the planning cycle.

See graphic version for the following content

Integrated Planning Calendar

• Discussing strategic direction: April - June
• Getting the priorities right: July - September
• Detailed work planning: October - December
• Reporting and readiness: January - March

Fiscal year 2 , implement steps 1 to 4 and begin new planning cycle

Fiscal year 3 , report on previous fiscal year, implement year 2 plan, and begin new planning cycle

Responsibilities of key partners in effective planning

• Align priorities
• Share information
• Proactively inform HR of risks
• Plan resource allocation ($ and people)
• Integrate HR into business planning

Human resources

• Proactively advise management on HR issues, risks, decisions and policies
• Provide HR tools to managers
• Support efforts to mitigate risks

Corporate planners

• Guide/facilitate planning process (RPP/DPR)
• Communicate approaches to planning
• Include HR requirements in relevant call letters to branches/regions

Integrated Human Resources and Business Planning Checklist

A five-step approach to determining and building for current and future needs

The following steps are widely recognized as key to integrating HR and business planning. They reflect national and international research into the practices of leading public and private sector employers.

Moreover, they have been validated in the PS by way of extensive consultation across the country with stakeholders. Line managers, HR professionals, bargaining agent representatives, as well as functional community representatives and other stakeholders all contributed to this model.

STEP ONE: Determine your business goals

A solid understanding of your business goals is critical for integrated planning. Ask the following questions:

• What are your key goals and deliverables for the next fiscal year?
• Do you foresee any changes in direction that might have an impact on your business goals or HR requirements?
• Who are the strategic partners you need to work with to achieve your goals?

For additional information on step one, have a look at the document entitled “ Supplement to the Integrated Human Resources and Business Planning Checklist ”.

STEP TWO: Scan the environment

A) workforce analysis.

A key component of HR planning is understanding your workforce and planning for projected shortages and surpluses in specific occupations and skill sets. By way of example, has the following workforce information been analyzed for various occupational categories in your team?

• Demographics and employment characteristics (eligibility for retirement, vacancy rates, turnover rates, internal staff mobility such as deployments, promotions, secondments)
• Skills/competencies (e.g. training/learning data, performance management data, language competencies?)

B) Internal Scan

It is important for line managers to identify factors internal to the organization that may affect the HR capacity of their teams with regard to meeting projected goals.

• Have you considered, for example…
• Potential changes in program and/or service delivery
• Management-union relations that might affect your team
• Anticipated changes to funding levels
• Changes in leadership & priorities
• Client satisfaction

C) External Scan

Are external environmental factors expected to affect workforce capacity, given known operational and HR priorities and emerging issues.

Have you considered, for example

• Demand and supply of employees with the skills you need
• Sources of recruitment

STEP THREE: Conduct a gap analysis

Based on an analysis of your business goals, as well as your understanding of environmental issues and your workforce, what do you see as your key current and future HR needs?

Examples of Considerations:

• Do you have any immediate hiring needs?
• Based on projections, do you foresee a skills shortage in specific occupational groups on your team?
• Will changes in program delivery require the acquisition of new skills on your team?
• Do you have enough qualified people on your team ready to fill key vacancies in the event of unexpected departures? If not, are you aware of where you can go to attract the right people?
• Have official language and employment equity obligations been met?
• Have you conducted a risk assessment on HR issues critical to your team's success?

STEP FOUR: Set HR priorities to help achieve goals

Based on the organization's goals, environmental scan and gap analysis: 1) What are the major HR priorities; and 2) What strategies will achieve the desired outcomes? Work plans may include strategies on:

Recruitment/ Staffing, Mobility/Redeployment, Employment Equity, Official Languages training, Training and Development, Corporate knowledge Retention and sharing and Workplace well-being

STEP FIVE: Measure, Monitor and Report on Progress

Measuring, monitoring and reporting is key to assessing progress.

• Does your team have clear and measurable HR-related goals?
• Are the HR performance measures aligned with indicators in the TBS Management Accountability Framework?
• Do you have a mechanism to track performance outcomes?

Determine your business goals

A solid understanding of organizational priorities and the business planning cycle is critical for effective alignment of human resources (HR) and business goals. As you begin your integrated HR and business planning, ask the following questions:

• What are the government's key priorities (e.g. Clerk's priorities, Speech from the Throne)?
• What are your organization's ongoing HR and business priorities?
• Have you reviewed the call letter on the Report on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Report?
• What emerging directions and changes will have an impact on HR issues?
• What legislative reforms relevant to your mandate need to be considered (e.g. HR modernization)?
• Have all necessary strategic partnerships been established to facilitate your integrated HR and business planning efforts (e.g. corporate or program sector)?
• Are you developing your plan in consideration of accountability requirements and HR supporting material (e.g. TBS Management Accountability Framework, People Component of the Management Accountability Framework, the Integrated HR and Business Planning Calendar)?

Scan the environment

Workforce analysis.

A key component of integrated planning is understanding your workforce and planning for projected shortages and surpluses in specific occupations and skills sets.

Has the following employment information been analyzed for various occupational categories or functional communities?

• Demographics and employment characteristics (e.g. employment equity (EE) designated groups, official languages (OL), age profile, average age of retirement, and years of service, employment type, leave usage, reasons for leaving, absenteeism, grievances, use of Employee Assistance Program)
• Skills/competencies (e.g. training/learning data, performance management data, language competencies)?
• Internal workforce trends (e.g. eligibility for retirement, vacancy rates, turnover rates, internal staff mobility such as deployments, promotions, secondments)

Internal Scan

Identify factors internal to the organization that may affect HR capacity to meet organizational goals. Have you considered…?

• Changes in legislation, policy platform, program delivery
• Labour management relations
• Changes to collective agreements
• Employee engagement
• HR Initiatives (e.g. EE)
• Organizational re-structuring
• Corporate culture change
• Capacity and quality of information systems
• Health and Safety

External Scan

Determine the most important environmental factors expected to affect workforce capacity, given known operational and HR priorities and emerging issues. Have you considered…?

• Current workforce trends (e.g. retirement patterns, growing occupations)
• Demand and supply of employees in growing occupations
• Current and projected economic conditions
• Technological advancements which may make certain occupational positions obsolete or create new employment
• International policies that may affect your workforce capacity
• Immigration and/or regional migration patterns that may affect your workforce capacity
• Federal, provincial, regional realities

Examples of Considerations

• Have you considered your contingent workforce in your workforce analysis (e.g. casuals, students)?
• Have you consulted documents such as audit reports, employee survey findings, HR annual reports (e.g. OL, EE, staffing), Departmental Performance Report, Report on Plans and Priorities, etc?
• Have you checked with functional community secretariats for information relevant to your department/agency?

Conduct a gap analysis

Based on an analysis of the environmental scan and business goals, what are the organization's current and future HR needs?

• Based on projections, do you foresee a skills shortage in specific occupational groups?
• Will changes in program delivery require the acquisition of new skills?
• Do you have enough qualified middle managers to feed into the EX group?
• Have OL and EE obligations been met?
• Have you conducted a risk assessment on elements of the scan critical to your organization's success (i.e. probability of occurrence and their projected impact)?

Set HR priorities to help achieve business goals

• Recruitment/Staffing
• Mobility/Redeployment
• Classification/Organizational Design
• Change Management
• Systems Capacity
• Leadership Development
• Learning, Training and Development
• Performance Management
• Competency/Skills Development
• Succession Planning and Management and Contingency Plans
• Corporate Knowledge Retention
• HR Planning
• Employee Engagement
• Reward and Recognition
• Workplace Well-being
• Workplace Accommodation
• Labour Management Relations
• Values and Ethics
• Organizational Development
• Disability Management
• Are the HR priorities and key planning issues included as part of the Report on Plans & Priorities?
• Are budgetary considerations factored into the work plan/strategy?
• Is it possible to leverage expertise through partnerships with other organizations (e.g. Federal Regional Councils, Functional Community Secretariats)?
• Are you incorporating the research from “promising practices” into your work plan/strategy?
• Are you taking advantage of your departmental/agency staffing program and tools?
• Is the work plan/strategy being cascaded to organizational units?
• Are strategies effective and efficient in achieving objectives?

Measure, monitor and report on progress

Measuring, monitoring and reporting HR performance outcomes is key to assessing progress in target areas, organizational learning and improvement and determining future priorities.

• Does the organization have clear and measurable HR-related goals?
• Are the HR performance measures aligned with indicators in the TBS Management Accountability Framework and the People Component of the Management Accountability Framework?
• Are systems in place to track performance indicators and analyze cost benefit?
• Do results from your performance indicators inform your priority setting for the next fiscal year?
• Does your Departmental Performance Report include a section on the degree of success of your integrated planning and management-related efforts?
• Have you analyzed data elements that are included under formal reporting requirements (e.g. EE, OL)?

STEP 1 - determine your business goals

A solid understanding of organizational priorities and the business planning cycle is critical for effective alignment of human resources and business goals. As you begin your integrated HR and business planning, ask the following questions:

• What are the government’s key priorities (e.g. Clerk’s priorities, Speech from the Throne)?
• What are your organization’s ongoing HR and business priorities?
• Are you developing your plan taking into consideration the accountability requirements and HR supporting material (e.g. Treasury Board Secretariat Management Accountability Framework, People Component of the Management Accountability Framework, the Integrated HR and Business Planning Calendar)?

In this step, managers review business objectives in light of any issues likely to impact the business (e.g. government priorities, legislative reform, etc). As key input to the process, HR provides information regarding legislative and/or labour market data affecting the workforce.

In order to assess whether there is sufficient capacity (including skills, competencies and resources) to deliver on the business, it is first necessary to have a clear understanding of where the organization/region/branch is headed. In addition to knowing the strategic priorities at both the organization and branch/regional level, it is important to take into consideration government-wide priorities (e.g. Speech from the Throne, Clerk’s priorities) since they may well have an influence on the business priorities.

Supporting points to consider in determining your business goals

• What are your vision and goals for your branch/region/directorate/unit?
• Clerk’s priorities;
• Speech from the Throne;
• Department/Agency’s priorities;
• Your mandate;
• The performance agreement of your manager?
• What emerging directions and/or changes to your business will have an impact on HR issues?
• What impact will your vision and goals have on your finance, HR and information technology needs?

Additional information:

• The organization’s strategic direction, mission and objectives are typically found on the organization’s intranet site.
• The Clerk’s priorities
• The Speech from the Throne
• The Treasury Board Secretariat Management Accountability Framework

STEP 2 - scan the environment

Workforce analysis.

A key component of planning is understanding your workforce and planning for projected shortages and surpluses in specific occupations and skill sets. Workforce analysis is an important element in the planning process. This section of the kit discusses nine areas that managers may consider in an effort to better understand their workforce.

• Skills and competencies
• Learning, training and development
• Employment type and resourcing
• Organization structure
• Employment equity
• Official languages
• Workplace well-being
• Values and ethics

Analysis in these areas can include both quantitative and qualitative data.

A discussion of each of these areas follows.

A) Skills and competencies

The skills and competencies of the workforce (or team) are important contributing factors to organizational capacity. Key terms used to define an organization's capability are “competencies” and “skills”.

Competence is a combination of knowledge, skill, understanding, ability, application, behaviour, aptitude, attitude and performance. Skill is the practised application of a topic, technique or concept.

Information on skills and competencies could include the education profile of employees (e.g. major field of study, degree attained) and the skills, competency levels and learning/development required.

Questions to consider:

• Have you developed a profile of the knowledge, skills and competencies that you will need to achieve your business objectives, now and in the future?
• Based on the skill requirements of your key positions, do you have/foresee any gaps and if so, is there an appropriate course of action from a readiness perspective?
• Do you know what the skills and competencies are of key feeder groups?
• Do the employees have the tools to self-assess against the competencies of their positions?
• Do the members of your team meet the language requirements? Are the results accurate and are any changes foreseen?
• Am I using performance management and employee learning plans to the greatest extent possible in support of skills and competencies development?

Additional sources of information:

To obtain additional sources of information for the following documents, visit the Canada Public Service Agency Web site:

• Training, Learning and Development
• Key Leadership Competencies

The Public Service Commission Web site has several articles and publications on skills and competencies. Use the search engine and type in competencies for a full listing: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca .

Your departmental/agency staffing program and supporting tools.

B) Training, learning and development

Training, learning and development can be important tools in ensuring effective integration of HR and business planning.

The Government established a Policy on Learning, Training and Development (which, on January 1, 2006, replaced the Policy for Continuous Learning in the Public Service). The objective of the policy is stated as follows: “…to help build a skilled, well-trained and professional workforce; to strengthen organizational leadership; and to adopt leading-edge management practices to encourage innovation and continuous improvements in performance.”

The Public Service Learning Policy Centre has identified core learning needs and requirements through the establishment of a Library of Common Knowledge for managers of the Public Service. It covers the ten key elements of the Management Accountability Framework and supports the objectives of ensuring a highly competent, bilingual, and representative Public Service. The Library has served as a solid foundation for the curriculum review undertaken by the Canada School of Public Service.

• As part of the integrated planning process, and based on the priorities/business objectives, what are the training, learning and development requirements of your team?
• Are employees’ training, learning and development requirements taken into account in light of anticipated changes to programs and/or services?
• Do members of your team have up-to-date learning plans that identify current and future training, learning and development needs and are they reviewed regularly?
• Are employees’ training, learning and development requirements discussed during employee performance reviews?
• What are the planned efforts towards fostering a continuous learning culture?
• How are you supporting the career goals of your team members?
• Have you made budget provisions to meet the training, learning and development needs of employees as well as their career goals?
• What are the completion rates of the team learning plans?
• What is the impact of the training, development and learning on performance and results?

Consult your internal learning specialist for information on training, learning and development options (e.g. employee orientation, courses).

• Policy on learning, training, and development
• Campus direct

C) Employment type and resourcing

Employment type distribution (e.g. term, indeterminate, casual, etc.) gives you important information on the stability and sustainability of your workforce and can help inform short and long-term staffing decisions and actions that may be required.

Examples of employment type:

Term employment (less than and greater than three months); indeterminate employment (full time and part time); sunset; casual; seasonal; assignment; interchange; secondment; development programs (e.g. Career Assignment Program, Management Trainee Program); other (students, co-ops, Financial Officer Recruitment Development Program, etc.)

• How stable and sustainable is your workforce? What is the split between term and indeterminate employees?
• How many acting assignments do you have in place and what are the lengths of those assignments?
• How many term employees will soon be eligible for conversion to indeterminate status?
• Are the term employees clustered in a particular occupational group?
• What are the staffing practices with respect to term employment?
• What impact do the staffing practices have on organizational health and employee morale?
• Is there an equal dispersion of ages at the various employment levels?
• What are your current and projected (mid- and long-term) vacancies (e.g. retirements, maternity/parental leave, disability leave, language training)?
• What recruitment sources and staffing processes are you using to hire new employees (e.g. pre-qualified pools, apprenticeship programs)? Are there other avenues for you to explore?
• Is there/will there be a sufficient pool of candidates, including bilingual candidates, from within to fill these vacancies? If not, how do you anticipate filling the vacancies? Is there a sufficient pool of potential candidates external to your organization? Do you need a succession plan?
• What resourcing strategies will best meet your current and future needs?

D) Separation

The literature suggests some organizations have used an annual attrition assumption of 4.5% as normal. Of course, this varies depending on the size and nature of your organization, hiring freezes, downsizing, restructuring and economic and political changes.

Attrition that exceeds normal patterns can result in unnecessary costs to the employer from lost productivity, workload related to staffing positions, training for new employees, etc. Answering some of the questions outlined below should help you develop plans for stabilizing and sustaining staffing levels, inform succession plans, and focus your training, learning and development.

• Are there certain occupational groups with increasing employee attrition?
• Which occupational groups have high levels of attrition?
• Do you know why employees are leaving (e.g. results from exit interviews)?
• Can the factors influencing attrition be identified? Alternatively, is there anything you can do to influence the attrition rate?
• Has attrition reduced capacity in a certain occupational group?
• Will your organizational structure require changes to recruit qualified replacements?

Federal Public Service Employment Statistics

E) organizational structure.

The Deputy Head or Chief Executive Officer is responsible for ensuring that the organizational structure in their department or agency is appropriate for the delivery of the departmental or agency program. The structure is formed by organizing work into functionally related units, such as branches, sectors, and divisions.

Within these branches, sectors, divisions and so on, managers design their own organizational structures, and organize and assign the work to the positions in the structure. The manager describes the work of each position in a work description, which is allocated to an occupational group and evaluated, using the appropriate classification standard, to determine its classification level.

Appropriate decisions on organization design and the assignment of work are all part of sound HR management. These decisions affect the long-term ability of departments and agencies to deliver programs and services, and to compete for resources and retain competent staff.

Managers are accountable for assigning or reassigning work in a timely and systematic manner and for analyzing the short- and long-term consequences of their decisions, within the context of effective integrated planning; otherwise, these decisions could inadvertently change the level of positions, impact on career mobility and employee productivity and/or increase the cost of the Public Service. In addition, being unaware of the impacts or waiting too long to take action could result in considerable salary liability for the department, and in some cases, the entire Public Service.

• Does the organizational structure meet your operational needs now and in the foreseeable future? Is there a need for a change?
• Can your current organizational structure support anticipated changes in program delivery?
• Is all the work performed in your unit clearly and explicitly identified?
• Does all the work performed in your unit facilitate the achievement of your business objectives?
• Are the functions of each unit within the organizational structure clearly established? Are they evenly distributed?
• Are the lines of authority and accountabilities clearly indicated so that overlap and duplication of effort are avoided?
• Is each manager’s span of control reasonable?
• Does your resource allocation and your organizational design mesh effectively and efficiently? Is a more efficient and effective organizational design possible?
• Does the number of levels in your unit permit you to manage effectively?
• Is the allocation of work effective and balanced? Is the workload evenly distributed?
• Are services provided to your unit at the appropriate level in your organizational structure (e.g. administrative services)?
• Are existing work descriptions and organizational charts accurate, up-to-date?
• Are work descriptions free of gender bias?
• Do all titles designate the work performed by that job clearly, and explicitly?
• Does your organization allow you to recruit and train new employees as needed (levels, work descriptions, institutional linguistic capacity)?
• Does your organizational structure allow for career progression?
• Organizational Authority and Classification of Executive Group Positions
• Management Category – Position Description Writing Manual
• Executive Group Position Evaluation Plan
• Classification System and Delegation of Authority Policy
• Classification System and Delegation of Authority Policy Guidelines

During your re-organization efforts, involve classification advisors at the front end so they can highlight organizational impacts.

F) Employment equity

The purpose of the Employment Equity Act is to correct conditions of disadvantage in employment faced by Aboriginal persons, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities and women by removing barriers to employment and using positive measures. Departments and agencies are required by the Employment Equity Act to conduct a workforce analysis and develop an Employment Equity plan to address under-representation of designated group members. It is recommended that you review the departmental Employment Equity plan. Your own plan should in turn reflect the department’s or agency’s Employment Equity goals as highlighted in the departmental Employment Equity plan.

The data you receive on Aboriginal persons, visible minorities and persons with disabilities are based on those employees who have self-identified. Information on women is retrieved from the pay system. Employment Equity data covers all indeterminate employees, employees with terms of three months or more and seasonal employees.

As a manager, you will want to use this information to assess designated group representation in different employment categories and levels, set goals and monitor progress in reaching those goals.

• Are designated group members well represented at senior levels and at all levels in all employment categories? (Note: Representation should be measured against workforce availability and should be compared to the department’s national targets.)
• How stable is the representation? For example, what percentage of designated group members are term employees?
• What percentage of designated group members are eligible to retire over the next five years?
• What are the separation rates of designated group members versus the recruitment rate?
• Does your plan address corporate priorities for building a representative and inclusive institution, such as implementation of the Embracing Change Action Plan?
• Does your plan address the results of the departmental Employment Equity audit conducted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission?
• The workforce analysis under the Employment Equity Act is designed to identify areas of under-representation of designated group members in the department’s or agency’s workforce (gaps). Does your plan incorporate Employment Equity considerations/requirements and identify ways to address gaps in participation?
• Is Employment Equity a factor in any proposed recruitment or development programs? For example, what selection/advertising/recruitment and development processes (e.g. pre-qualified pools) will be used to increase representation of designated group members?
• Are there plans for outreach activities to reach designated groups and achieve Employment Equity goals?
• Does your plan include measures and costs to accommodate employees in accordance with the Canadian Human Rights Act and the policy on the Duty to Accommodate?

Check your departmental/agency Employment Equity plan for additional information, your branch Employment Equity workforce analysis as well as the Canada Public Service Agency Web site:

• Canada Public Service Agency Employment Equity site
• Public Service Commission Statistical Information site
• Canadian Human Rights Act
• Duty to accommodate
• Frequently asked questions and answers - Duty to accomodate

If there is an under-representation, you may want to include in the plan the measures you will take to close the representation gap.

G) Official languages

Equal opportunities: Members of both official language groups have equal opportunities to obtain employment and advancement in federal institutions.

Workforce composition: The composition of the workforce of federal institutions tends to reflect the presence of both the official language communities of Canada.

Language skills: English and French are the official languages of federal institutions. Members of the public have the right to communicate with federal institutions and receive services from them in their preferred official language at designated offices. In regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes, both official languages are the languages of work. In other regions, the language of work is generally the one that predominates in the province or territory.

As a manager in a designated bilingual office for service to the public, it is important that you identify and maintain the necessary language capacity to provide quality services in both official languages.

As a manager in bilingual regions for language-of-work purposes, it is important that you create and maintain a work environment conducive to the use of both official languages, and ensure that employees can exercise their right to choose either language as it pertains to supervision, training, tools, meetings, documents, or personal and central services.

• Do English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians have equal opportunities to obtain employment and promotion within the institution?
• Are English- and French-speaking Canadians well represented at senior levels and at all levels in all employment categories? How stable is the representation?
• What percentage of members of each official language group are eligible to retire over the next five years?
• Are there enough bilingual positions with the right language requirements to provide good service to the public in both official languages, and to respect language-of-work rights?
• Do the employees meet the language requirements of their positions?
• Have you made budget provisions to meet the language training needs of employees?
• Do the personal language training plans of employees address current and future language skill requirements and career aspirations?
• What is the impact on organizational performance?

Canada Public Service Agency's Official Languages site

H) Workplace well-being

Organizations that create an “HR dashboard” to monitor key indicators of workplace well-being and employee engagement are better equipped to develop integrated HR and business plans that contain meaningful actions aimed at specific areas of improvement. Employee engagement lies at the heart of both performance and retention; it is based on job satisfaction and rational and emotional commitment to the workplace. It is therefore important to develop both objective (quantitative) and subjective (qualitative) indicators to allow organizations to have a full picture of how “well” they are doing.

Workplace well-being is a holistic approach to creating high performance organizations through establishing the right workplace conditions to generate high levels of employee engagement. It assumes that achieving high levels of organizational performance depends on employees who are strongly committed to achieving the goals of the organization and who show this through their actions. This behavioural objective is influenced in turn by levels of employee satisfaction and by supportive, respectful and healthy work environments. Workplace Well-Being is connected to physical health and wellness but primarily emphasizes the social and psychological dimensions of three inter-related elements: the workplace, the workforce, and the work people do.

• What is the state of employee engagement and how willing are employees to strive to achieve the results at which the organization aims?
• What drives employees' decisions to volunteer extra effort on the job?
• How committed are employees to their job, team, manager and organization?
• What is the level of job satisfaction and how does it influence employee commitment?
• Are managers evaluated for how well they lead their team?
• Does your organization have a way to set targets for employee engagement and workplace well-being, track improvements and hold managers accountable?
• What is done to facilitate employee career development and a meaningful work/job fit?
• How well is workload managed?
• Number and nature of conflicts, time resolved and trends?
• What are the unscheduled absenteeism and long-term disability rates and trends?
• What are the leave and Employee Assistance Program utilization rates and trends?
• What are the number of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) claims filed and WSIB premiums paid/trends?
• What is the return to work success rate/trend?
• What workplace arrangements are in place (e.g. part time, compressed, telework, accommodation of Employment Equity designated group members) and how successful are they?
• Is the workplace (in bilingual regions) conducive to the use of both official languages?
• Is there sufficient infrastructure in place (e.g. equipment, office space, technical aids, employees returning from long-term disability leave) to accommodate all employees in your unit?
• Departmental public service employee survey results (1999, 2002 and 2005)
• Leave - policies and publications
• Report of the survey follow-up action advisory committee: maintaining momentum
• A managers guide to workplace well-being
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat workplace well-being policies and publications

I) Values and Ethics

Enhancing and maintaining public trust in the institutions of government is a fundamental element of the work of the Public Service of Canada. Managers have a key role in ensuring that all their responsibilities – whether for people, money or programs – are carried out in such a way that the values of the Public Service are upheld, and that all employees maintain high ethical standards in their actions and decisions.

To guide public servants in upholding the organization’s values and to foster public confidence, the Treasury Board adopted the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service (the Code) in September 2003. It is a condition of employment in the Public Service. It contains a statement of Public Service values and ethics, developed following extensive consultation with public servants, which highlights four fundamental families of values: democratic, professional, ethical and people values. The Code also contains conflict of interest and post-employment measures, and provides avenues of resolution if there are perceived breaches to the Code or in cases of disagreement about its interpretation. Deputy heads are accountable for ensuring the Code is implemented in their organizations, and for decisions made under the Code. Managers will need to familiarize themselves with this and other related, important policies such as the Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace (IDP) and the Policy on the Prevention and Resolution of Harassment in the Workplace, as part of their own responsibilities to provide sound ethical advice and guidance to employees.

Managers, whose responsibility it is to exemplify Public Service values, must strive to create and maintain a work environment that encourages dialogue on organizational values and on the ethical dilemmas unique to their operations. As part of their planning, managers are encouraged to assess employees’ level of awareness and understanding of the Code and related policies, as well as the extent to which staff feel the Code is upheld and their degree of comfort in raising concerns or ethical dilemmas within the organization. Managers should also contact the senior official responsible for the Code within their department or agency to familiarize themselves with the organizational plan of action on values and ethics or for help determining appropriate initiatives for their own work units.

• Are all employees aware of the existence of the Code and other related policies? Do they know that the Code is a condition of employment? How do you know whether they know? What assessment instruments or procedures are in place?
• What do you or your organization have in place to ensure new employees are aware of the Code and its significance to them as public servants? Is the Code integrated into all orientation materials, procedures and events for new employees?
• Do employees perceive that the organization’s values are practiced and standards are applied fairly to everyone? How do you know? Do you have mechanisms or procedures to obtain staff feedback on organizational performance against Public Service values and ethics?
• Do you have sound advisory and recourse mechanisms in place, where employees can receive advice on ethical dilemmas or where they can make disclosures about such things as wrongdoing or harassment in the workplace?
• Are employees comfortable raising ethical dilemmas or making disclosures within your organization? Do they know what mechanisms exist and whom to approach within the organization when they are faced with an ethical dilemma? Are they comfortable coming to you? How do you know? What measures are in place to assess staff awareness and comfort?
• What initiatives could be undertaken within your branch and/or the organization to assess awareness of Public Service values and ethics and perceptions of values and ethics in the workplace?
• Does your organization supplement the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service with its own customized code or guidelines, reflecting the specific challenges and dilemmas of your workplace? If not, why not?
• What measures could be taken to increase familiarity and understanding of the Code and related policies among employees? What orientation, learning and other tools are in place?
• What do you personally do as a manager to strengthen Public Service values and ethics as a reality of practice and behaviour in your organization? How do you measure progress?
• Does your organization set targets and measure progress for workplace well-being, including such things as employee satisfaction and commitment?
• As a manager, are you familiar with the Code, including its objectives, and are you ready to help others better understand and apply its principles in their daily work? Are you confident that your behaviour and conduct would be seen by your colleagues and employees as embodying Public Service values and ethics? How do you know? What assessment procedures or techniques do you use?
• Are you aware of the information sources and tools that exist to help you in these responsibilities?
• Do you have a branch action plan that fits in with the organizational plan? Does your plan include a series of goal levels, planned follow-up and mechanisms to measure actual results in values and ethics, including from the point of view of stakeholders and employees?
• Office of Public Service Values and Ethics
• Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service
• Interpretation Guide to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service
• Senior officials for public service values and ethics
• Policy on the Internal Disclosure of information concerning wrongdoing in the workplace
• Departmental / agency senior officer for internal disclosure
• Public Sector Integrity Canada
• Policy on the prevention and resolution of harassment in the workplace
• Harassment prevention tool: people to people communication
• Departmental / agency anti-harassment policy coordinator
• Integrated Risk Management Framework

Work with the senior official for the Code in your department or agency to further integration initiatives, including employee surveys, branch meetings, retreats, etc.

Undertake dialogue with management and other colleagues to compare experiences and brainstorm ideas for initiatives with potential long-term positive effects.

Review and become familiar with the departmental/agency values and ethics integration plan

STEP 3 – conduct a gap analysis

Based on an analysis of the environmental scan and business goals, what are the organization’s current and future HR needs?

Examples of considerations:

• Have Official Languages and Employment Equity obligations been met?
• Have you conducted a risk assessment on elements of the scan critical to your organization’s success (i.e. probability of occurrence and their projected impact)?

Supporting points to consider in the gap analysis

• At this point, you will have completed Step 2 and have an analysis of those areas that are having an impact on the HR capacity to deliver on your business objectives. This may include how your branch/region/directorate/unit is designed, the people you have to do the work, the necessary skills and competencies, the workplace (equipment, tools, etc.) to get the job done and the cost implications.
• At this stage in the planning process, you will want to conduct a gap analysis of the shortages and surpluses, identify the gap(s) and determine the extent of the impact/risk. You may want to review your department’s or agency’s corporate risk profile for additional information on key risk areas, risk tolerance of stakeholders, etc.
• You can use the worksheet below to assist in this exercise or use any other process to support you.

STEP 4 – set HR priorities to help achieve business goals

Based on the organization’s goals, environmental scan and gap analysis:

• What are the major HR priorities?
• What strategies will achieve the desired outcomes?

Work plans may include strategies on:

Recruitment/Staffing, Retention, Mobility/Redeployment, Employment Equity, Official Languages, Classification/Organizational Design, Change Management, Systems Capacity, Leadership Development, Learning, Training and Development, Performance Management, Competency/Skills Development, Succession and Contingency Planning, Corporate Knowledge Retention, Health and Safety, HR Planning, Employee Engagement, Reward and Recognition, Workplace Well-being, Workplace Accommodation, Labour Management Relations, Values and Ethics, Organizational Development, Disability Management

• Are you incorporating the research from “promising practices” into your work plan/strategy?

Supporting points to consider in priority setting and strategy development

It is now time to prioritize the gaps based on the relative importance of carrying out your programs/activities and/or business objectives.

• As part of integrating human resources with business planning, when describing the business objectives, you may want to include the HR strategies and explain how their implementation will be funded and how they will achieve the results.
• consulting with HR, business planners, unions, clients, and employees;
• capitalizing on knowledge gained in “best practice” research, as well as exemplary practices used in other departments and agencies. You can find out what other departments and agencies are doing to improve HR management by reviewing the most recent publication of Promising Human Resources Practices in Times of Change – 5th edition . There may be strategies that can be easily adapted to meet your needs;
• working horizontally and developing partnerships with other branches/regions, councils, networks;
• “right sizing” the plan and covering only those areas where it can have a significant impact (Keep it Simple!); and
• consulting your department’s or agency’s staffing program and supporting tools.

N.B. When setting HR priorities and strategies, it is important to introduce an integrated risk management approach to the process. For more information, please visit the Treasury Board Secretariat Web site:

Federal Regional Councils have good examples of carrying out horizontal initiatives. For example, under the mandate of the Quebec Regional Council, the Quebec Region Interdepartmental Committee of HR Directors has developed a horizontal approach to developing HR initiatives. For additional information, please visit the Federal Regional Council site at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fcer-cfre/index-eng.asp

STEP 5 – measure, monitor and report on progress

• Are the HR performance measures aligned with indicators in the Treasury Board Secretariat Management Accountability Framework and the People Component of the Management Accountability Framework?
• Have you analyzed data elements that are included under formal reporting requirements (e.g. Employment Equity, Official Languages)?

Supporting points to consider for measuring, monitoring and reporting

• The ability to measure progress on priority areas is critical to continuous organizational improvement.
• Results from program performance-related data can assist in the determination of future priorities and inform decisions on the allocation of resources, as well as decisions regarding the continuation of programs and activities. Performance-related data can be at the Public Service-wide, departmental and/or local level.
• The plan should be considered a "living document" and be subject to review. If an organization/region/branch/unit does not regularly review its planning efforts, it runs the risk of failing to respond to unanticipated changes or changing circumstances.

Consequently, you may wish to establish a process that allows for a regular review of planning efforts in order to:

• review performance measurement information;
• assess what is working and what is not working;
• adjust the plan as necessary and advise your senior managers accordingly; and
• address new HR issues that occur.

The following considerations support the questions outlined above in the Checklist and may help determine whether or not your plan needs revisions (Note: Most of these questions will become relevant after you are fairly far along in implementing your strategies.)

• Is the plan accomplishing what is needed? For example, are the people, skills and jobs appropriate to ensure that your objectives can be achieved in the short-term, medium-term and long-term?
• How are you evaluating your progress against your timelines and milestones?
• Have conditions changed such that strategies need to be revisited?
• Are the assumptions used in both the current and future needs analysis still valid?
• What is working well? What is not?
• What adjustments to the plan will be made, and how will you communicate any changes to your stakeholders (where required), or alternatively, how will you involve them in the process?
• Are you gathering the information you need to determine priorities and meet formal reporting requirements?

In deciding on what to measure, it is important to consider:

• the effectiveness of HR activities in supporting the achievement of key business objectives;
• indicators in the Management Accountability Framework and the People Component of the Management Accountability Framework;
• formal reporting requirements (Employment Equity, Official Languages);
• published research on HR metrics.

Demographic information is a key component in the integrated planning process. The links provided below on demographics are intended to serve as a support to your department’s or agency’s planning efforts. It is recognized that many organizations already have procedures in place to capture demographic information.

The following information can be found on-line on the Canada Public Service Agency website

The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada provides on-line access to a range of information on employment in the Public Service. The site contains aggregate, statistical data relating to departments and agencies.

• This Canada Public Service Agency site provides a repository of information devoted to demographic analysis.
• The Public Service Commission annual reports provide information on the health of the PS staffing system and provide assessments of the staffing performance of departments and agencies that are governed by the current Public Service Employment Act.
• The Employment Equity annual reports provide statistical highlights on Employment Equity designated group members across the Public Service.
• The Census of Population provides information on population and dwelling counts not only for Canada, as a whole, but also for each province and territory, and for smaller geographic units such as cities or districts within cities. The census also provides information about Canada’s demographic, social and economic characteristics.
• This site provides facts and figures about the labour market.
• The PSC Statistical Information Site is called the statistical “Cube” because of its ability to drill down and sideways simultaneously, allowing for more precise data analysis. The “Cube” will help departments and agencies in preparing various types of reports, such as departmental trends in hiring and staffing activities and in making comparisons between HR activities in departments and agencies.

Public Service Commission role:

• Official reporter of hiring and staffing activities data and Employment Equity data related to staffing activities (recruitment, promotions, lateral and downward movements, etc.).

Target audience:

• Departments and agencies that staff under the Public Service Employment Act.

Contents of the statistical tool:

• Data : Hiring and staffing activities - Hiring of casuals - Hiring of students
• Definition and notes : Glossary – Department and agency acronyms and description - Occupational groups and description
• Variable list : List of variables available in the tools.
• Related links
• Tutorial : The “Tutorial” located on the side bar, will provide you with sufficient information to use this tool with ease and to start creating your own reports.

The Canada School of the Public Service offers key courses to departments, agencies and central agencies on integrated planning.

P100 Integrated Planning and HR Management is currently being revised. This course takes the “essentials” of PSMA one step further by helping managers and HR professionals learn how to integrate HR and business planning, the Management Accountability Framework and Modern Comptrollership.

The CSPS also offers a dedicated four-day course: P702 Human Resources Planning . The course provides participants with the fundamentals of this important discipline within the federal Public Service context. Participants have the opportunity to learn and practice using the basic tools needed to provide advice and service in this field.

Content : Human Resources Planning (P702)

• vision of HR management in the federal Public Service
• the Management Accountability Framework and planning cycle of the Treasury Board Secretariat
• analysis of the environment, the organization and the workforce
• techniques for data collection and analysis
• gap analysis
• development of HR planning proposals and recommendations

Location : HR planning courses are offered in regions and in the National Capital Region.

Typical participants : HR professionals new to HR planning and those who may be asked to provide advice and guidance to managers on this topic.

Access the course description and register for the HR planning course via the Canada School of the Public Service Web site.

Canada School of Public Service : www.myschool- monecole .gc.ca

These publications can be found on-line on the Government of Canada Web site: http://canada.gc.ca/home.html

Government of Canada:

• Treasury Board Secretariat Management Accountability Framework
• Guidance for deputy ministers
• Annual reports of the Auditor General of Canada
• Public Service Commission 2006-2007 annual report
• Human Resources Management: overview of HR planning – all employers
• General information about the Public Service Commission Statistical Information site
• HR observatoire
• Functional Communities of the Government of Canada
• Public Service Employee survey results
• Communities of small organizations
• Towards an exemplary workplace - our obligation to promote and ensure work  /  life balance in the Federal Public Service - May 2001
• Human Resource practices in times of change - an inventory of initiatives, 5th Edition (PDF Version 720 kb)
• Annotated bibliography on workplace well-being - May 2002
• Employment Statistics for the Federal Public Service

Other sites of interest:

• The Institute of Public Administration of Canada: www.ipac.ca
• Office of Personnel Management – The United States Government’s Human Resources Agency (available in English only): www.opm.gov

1) What is integrated HR and business planning?

Integrated HR and business planning is the process of:

• determining your business goals;
• analyzing your environment to see if you have the appropriate complement to meet your current and future needs;
• assessing the gaps in your workforce-what are you missing from an HR perspective in order for you to achieve your goals;
• setting priorities, taking action, and initiating strategies to close the gap and help get the HR you need (your HR advisors can help you here); and
• reviewing your efforts and assessing if you were successful in integrating HR and business planning.

2) We already do some HR planning. Is it mandatory for us to use the tools in this kit?

Departments and agencies are free to adopt the processes in this kit, or to use them as a complement to existing planning practices should they wish to do so.

Even if departments and agencies are well along the road in integrating HR and business planning, the information in this kit can provide useful benchmarks and checklists that can augment existing practices across departments and agencies.

3) I'm a line manager and I am very busy. I already know my team well. Will this work really help me?

Most good managers address HR planning intuitively, and we know that some organizations are already quite advanced in this area. However, we also know that improvement is needed, Public Service-wide, and it is considered a priority among senior decision makers across government.

The tools in the Integrated Planning Guidebook are generic enough that managers in any organization can use them to help them think through how they can best integrate HR and business planning.

4) From a line manager's perspective, what is the most important document in the Integrated Planning Guidebook for me to work with?

The document entitled Integrated HR and Business Planning Checklist outlines for you the steps that are commonly accepted as central to integrating HR and business planning. Organizations noted for good HR planning typically follow these steps or a slight variation thereof.

If you work through these steps and ask yourself the questions that fall under each heading you may well get some ideas on how you can better integrate HR and business planning and improve your team's capacity to deliver.

It is possible that after you work through this methodology you may only focus on two or three HR strategies. That is fine.

5) What do I need to know before I start the integrated planning process?

Understanding your business goals and deliverables is central to integrating HR and business planning. Although it is recognized that in government, as elsewhere, priorities change, most line managers, after receiving strategic direction, can determine with some accuracy a reasonable course of action for consideration and approval by more senior levels.

6) How can I do an integrated plan in instances where it is unclear what my final budget will be?

It is recognized that sometimes managers do not have all the details at their fingertips that they would like as they work through the planning process. There is always an aspect of risk and uncertainty in any environment.

However, line managers are in the position where they must:

• look at the direction they are receiving from their manager(s);
• think through where they are in terms of ongoing priorities;
• look at the budget they had the previous year, and incorporate any information they might have on the coming year's budget for their team;
• outline what they believe to be the key emerging issues; and
• come up with proposals on both ongoing work and other potential business deliverables and take into consideration their HR capacity to achieve results.

Talk to your immediate manager and get as clear an idea as possible of what the business priorities are for the coming year.

7) How do I integrate HR planning with staffing?

Integrated HR and business planning is fundamental to taking advantage of the opportunities available to you under the Public Service Employment Act. Integrated HR and business plans can provide you with the solid foundation you need in order to make staffing decisions. Here are some examples of new staffing possibilities:

• you will be able to make projections of, and base staffing decisions on, current and future needs to meet business goals;
• the definition of merit allows the flexibility to more closely align HR with business needs. For example, you are no longer required to “rank order” candidates. You will, however, need to justify your decision and demonstrate that the person you choose for a job meets all the qualifications of the job. You should base your staffing decisions on your integrated HR and business plan, thereby achieving fairness and transparency; and
• problems could be solved informally during a staffing process, avoiding the need for more formal recourse process.

8) How are the reporting requirements, such as the Report on Plans and Priorities, Departmental Performance Report and annual reports, linked to integrated HR and business planning process?

All departments and agencies are subject to traditional reporting requirements such as the Report on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Report. Line managers at various levels typically contribute to the process of preparing these documents.

Integrated HR and business planning in the context of preparing these reports is important. For example, the Report on Plans and Priorities outlines what organizations plan to do, so it is important to ensure you have the human capacity to achieve your goals.

However, integrated HR and business planning should not be considered as an exercise exclusively designed to meet reporting requirements. Integrated HR and business planning should be an ongoing process whereby managers are regularly thinking about their work in the context of the people, learning and human development needed to meet their goals.

9) What support is available to help departments, agencies and line managers integrate HR with business planning?

The information in the Integrated Planning Guidebook is designed to transcend the planning-related specifics of any particular department or manager, and provides a model and checklists that can either be adopted outright or adapted to complement existing planning practices.

The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada also offers help and support to departments and agencies. The Planning Directorate can be contacted by calling (613) 946-9303.

HR advisors, HR planning specialists and corporate planners in departments and agencies can provide support to managers. The HR Planning Interdepartmental Network (HRPIN) meets regularly to discuss HR planning issues. This is an open forum where those interested in HR planning issues can attend and participate.

10) How is Public Service-wide Renewal linked to Integrated Planning?

One of the biggest challenges the government is currently facing deals with attracting, recruiting, training and retaining talents in a highly competitive national and international context for this vital resource. Renewal is about ensuring excellence in all that Public Service does in the future. Renewal encompasses both how business is done and the people who do it . This means that every manager in the Public Service must plan for his/her business and for the associated people requirements, know existing and forecasted talent strengths and gaps, effectively align resources (including people) to deliver results and use planning to engage employees and achieve traction.

Integrated planning Guidebook: Annex 1

Integrated planning: working through the five-step approach.

The planning templates contained in this document were developed based on numerous requests from a variety of departments and agencies in the Public Service for more information on the integrated planning process.

In a recent address to Deputy Ministers, the President of CPSA stated that:

“…Planning, and more specifically Integrated Planning – that is the integration of human resources and business planning - has been identified as one of the key pillars of Public Service Renewal by both the Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee on the Public Service and the Deputy Minister’s Sub-Committee on Public Service Renewal.”

The Clerk of the Privy Council has identified planning, recruitment, development and enabling infrastructure to be the 4 pillars of Renewal, and as such, Public Service Renewal has become one of our top priorities at the Canada Public Service Agency.

• Integrated planning is the primary basis for assessing and understanding the current and future human resources needs of departments and agencies.
• Integrated planning forms the framework which enables recruitment and retention of people needed to meet business requirements and also from which employee development and succession plans are established; and
• Integrated planning is one of the key drivers of an enabling infrastructure in that we need to have processes and systems in place to support effective integrated planning.

From “Determining your Business Goals” to “Measuring, Monitoring and Reporting on your Progress”, these templates were developed to help you in your ongoing efforts to implement and improve integrated planning, and they can be used in whole or in part to supplement your organization’s existing planning processes.

We hope these tools are useful and we welcome your feedback on them.

We would like to thank the organizations below who contributed to the development of these templates: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Citizenship and Immigration, Industry Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Transport Canada, Service Canada, The Small Agency Transition Support Team (CPSA), Natural Resources Canada

How to use this tool

Templates and/or worksheets have been created to follow the Five-Step Approach of the integrated human resources and business planning checklist . The Five-Step Approach is a guide to integrating human resources and business planning. As you proceed through the process you may find that some steps can be worked concurrently or in a different order than what is indicated. All templates and worksheets are supported by a list of suggested Considerations, Documents to Consult and Roles and Responsibilities. Templates and worksheets were developed in Excel 9.0.

Step 1: Determine your business goals

Two spreadsheets have been provided for your use.

The Worksheet may be used for regional-, sector-, or branch-level organizations. In keeping with the Program Activity Architecture policy, we have allowed space to include sub-activities and activities.

The Template may be used at the higher Branch or Department/Agency level to allow for roll-up of the regional worksheets. Space is also provided at this level to include Branch activities.

Step 2: scan the environment

Three worksheets; one for Key Positions, one for determining Employment Equity and one for Training and Development supports the Current Workforce Analysis template.

As well, templates are available for Internal and External Analysis and provide space for Risk Analysis, Mitigation Strategies and could assist you in the beginning of a human resources plan.

Two additional, separate templates are available for forecasting Future Workforce Needs (short term and long term), which summarizes the current Workforce Analysis, and Internal and External Analysis templates.

Step 3: conduct a gap analysis

One template is provided to help summarize the gap analysis between your current workforce, future workforce and your business goals. This template provides space to indicate some strategies to meet the gap and gives you an opportunity to conduct a risk assessment.

Step 4: set HR priorities to help achieve business goals

Taking into consideration the gap analysis of Step 3, Step 4 provides a template to summarize your strategies linked to the gap analysis and business goals. This template could be considered as an action plan as you move forward to developing the Staffing Plan. An additional template is provided to help draft the Staffing Plan.

Step 5: measure, monitor and report on progress

Step 5 provides both a worksheet for Regional, Sector or Branch level organizations and a template for roll-up to a higher level to assist in measuring the progress against your priorities. The worksheet provides for an at-a-glance view of the status of activities in the organization.

Please note that these templates and worksheets may contain sensitive information once completed, and should therefore be marked PROTECTED

STEP 1: DETERMINE BUSINESS GOALS

• Template - Step 1: Determine your business goals
• Worksheet of branch  /  region  /  sector business goals

STEP 2: SCAN THE ENVIRONMENT

• Worksheet of key positions analysis
• Worksheet on long-term training
• Worksheet of employment equity
• Template – Step 2B: internal analysis
• Template – Step 2C: external analysis
• Template – Step 2D-1: future workforce analysis: short term (1 year)
• Template – Step 2D-2: future workforce analysis: long term (2 to 5 years)

STEP 3: CONDUCT GAP ANALYSIS

• Template - Summary of gap analysis

STEP 4: SET HR PRIORITIES TO HELP ACHIEVE BUSINESS GOALS

• Template - Integrated strategic HR plan
• Template - Staffing plan

STEP 5: MEASURE, MONITOR AND REPORT ON PROGRESS

• Template - Step 5: measure, monitor and report on progress
• Worksheet for performance report and performance management agreement

ANNEX: TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATED PLANNING

• Skip to main content
• Skip to main navigation
• Accessibility Statement

More topics

• 1. Governance
• 2. General & Financial Management
• 3. Planning, Budgeting & Reporting
• 4. Expense Management
• 5. Capital Asset Management
• 6. Procurement
• 7. Revenue & Receivables Management
• 8. Asset Management
• 9. Indemnities & Guarantees
• 11. Transportation
• 12. Information Management & IT Management
• 13. Financial Systems & Controls
• 14. Risk Management
• 15. Security
• 16. Business Continuity Management
• 17. Internal Audit
• 18. Administration
• 19. Corporate Compliance & Controls Monitoring
• 20. Loss Management
• 21. Government Transfers
• 22. Communications & Public Engagement

CPPM Policy Chapter 3: Planning, Budgeting and Reporting

Planning, budgeting and reporting are inter-related elements and fundamental to an understanding of government's performance management and accountability process. This comprehensive Core Policy and Procedures Manual chapter was created to cover previous disparate financial management content, such as accounting policy, account classification, financial planning, budgetary control and financial reporting.

Policy is included for direction on service plans, reports, capital plans and performance measures in support of the BTAA, and policy for ministerial accountability reports in support of the BBMAA. Government's accounting policies are disclosed at the end of the reporting section. BTAA, BBMAA and FAA report requirements and responsibilities are summarized in the information and reference section. 

3.1 Objectives

3.2 general.

• Service Plan Reports
• Ministerial Accountability Reports
• Financial Reports
• Chart of Accounts
• Significant Accounting Policies

3.4.1 Guidelines for Ministry Service Plans and Reports

3.4.2 chart of accounts, 3.4.3 specific accounting policies, 3.4.4 summary of reports required by the btaa, 3.4.5 summary of reports required by the faa, 3.4.6 summary of reports required by the bbmaa, part i: planning.

• ensure that government and ministries plan for key services provided to the public
• provide for the economic, efficient and effective use of resources required to deliver services
• ensure that ministry planning processes are integrated with government's overall strategic and financial planning, budget preparation and reporting processes
• ensure that ministry planning processes and activities are conducted in accordance with applicable legislation, regulations and Treasury Board policy

Planning in government is concerned with the provision of public services to achieve a variety of social and economic goals. The Province's strategic plan outlines key goals for the economy, social infrastructure and the physical environment. Planning, budgeting and reporting are all elements of government's performance management and accountability process. The ministry performance management context is illustrated in Performance Management Context (PDF) .

Part 3 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act (BTAA) requires that government produce a strategic plan and that ministries produce three-year service plans. Government's human, financial and capital resources required for its strategic plan are set out in its budget or main Estimates. The budget is developed based on forecasts, key assumptions and risk assessments, which are integral to the planning process. Uncertainties and risks impacting the achievement of objectives require identification and assessment to determine how to manage them.

Ministry planning should be closely tied to budget preparation processes and reporting systems. Ministry service plans need to identify strategies for achieving their objectives. Management information systems need to track costs and measure outputs and outcomes to close the performance loop and support assessment of results compared to plan.

The planning policy below outlines the standard requirements for government and ministry service plans. Standards do not explain how to plan and allocate resources, or how to manage and mitigate risks. These are management processes unique to each organization, and best left to the respective ministers, senior executives and managers to direct. For guidance on service plans, refer to Information and References, Guidelines for Ministry Service Plans and Reports . For guidance on risk management processes and techniques, refer to Risk Management, Information and References .

• The government must make public its overall strategic plan before or when the main Estimates are presented to the Legislative Assembly.
• are consistent with the government's strategic plan;
• describe the ministry's core business goals, objectives, strategies, performance measures and targets;
• cover ministry appropriations (and other appropriations of the responsible minister) for the strategies outlined;
• address the upcoming fiscal year and the following two fiscal years;
• include a statement that the responsible minister is accountable for the service plan and for achieving the specific objectives in that plan; and
• are made public by the responsible minister on the third Tuesday in February.
• Ministries must establish performance measures for inclusion in their service plans, which may include a mix of output, outcome and efficiency measures. The measures must be results-oriented and must link with core business areas, service plan goals and resource allocation decisions. Performance measures should be reasonably stable to enable an assessment of changes over time. Where applicable, performance measures and targets should be consistent with any of those that have been included in ministry budget submissions.
• Ministries must disclose in their service plans information concerning any commitment or anticipated commitment that exceeds $50 million (cumulative) towards the capital cost of an individual project. Ministries should link capital requirements with operating budgets and service delivery.  
• Ministries must include a high level overview of their Human Resource Management Plan (HRMP) in their service plan, as required by the Head of the BC Public Service Agency. The HRMP should tie into the ministry's overall plan and the government's plan for renewal of the public service.
• Ministries must include a high level overview of their Enterprise-wide Risk Management (ERM) plan in their service plan. Refer to Risk Management, Policy, for additional requirements.
• Ministry service plan reports must be published in the following year by August 31.

Part II: Budgeting

• provide assurance to the public that funds are spent and used for the purposes authorized by the Legislature
• ensure that revenues are collected, resources are allocated and expenditures are disbursed in an efficient, effective and economic manner
• hold managers accountable for spending public money both in terms of outcomes achieved and value for money

According to law and parliamentary practice, funds may not be expended without legislative authority. In controlling public expenditures, the Legislative Assembly reviews and authorizes the annual budget (main Estimates) for the forthcoming fiscal year.

The Financial Administration Act (FAA), sections 4 and 4.1 provide Treasury Board with authority regarding the form and content of the budget. Development of the budget and fiscal plan is an integral part of financial management, as it determines the resources needed to fulfill the objectives of ministry programs and forms the basis for operational and financial control and accountability.

Funding targets are established by Treasury Board to assist ministries in developing budgets. Ministries identify budget packages for their programs and rank them in priority order as part of their initial review. Budget proposals are reviewed by various levels and finally by Treasury Board.

Once approved and implemented, budgetary control is required to ensure that resources are properly used, and that actual revenues and expenditures do not differ significantly from forecasts. Ministers, deputy ministers, senior managers and program managers across government must fulfill responsibilities assigned to them in managing budgets, consistent with legislative requirements, Treasury Board and the Minister of Finance. For example, the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act (BBMAA) holds ministers collectively and individually accountable for spending control. Ministers will incur salary penalties for failure to stay within budget.

Budgetary control is usually put into practice on a responsibility centre basis, as ministries can be large and complex and cannot be centrally managed without the delegation of authority. Reporting by responsibility centre supports delegated authority and management control throughout the ministry. Managers also need to account for their actions in relation to plans and to take corrective action to live within budget or alter operations to support the ministry in achieving overall goals.

• providing advice and guidance throughout the ministry; conducting appropriate review and analysis; communication and reporting to all levels of ministry management; liaison between the ministry and Treasury Board Staff; and
• ensuring that Treasury Board requirements are met.
• Ministries must make use of their service plan goals, objectives and performance expectations to develop their annual budgets.
• Ministries must allocate their annual budget based on tabled estimates. Ministry annual budgets must support the achievement of annual service plans. Ministry monthly budgets must link to operational targets to support performance measurement.
• Ministries must monitor expenditures in relation to budget on a monthly basis and prepare monthly reports that compare actual expenditures to estimated expenditures, including an analysis of major variances.
• Ministries must maintain control accounts for each of their appropriations so that expenditures in relation to budget limits can be determined at any time.
• Ministries must ensure that appropriate management systems are in place to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of programs, and to maintain budgetary control so that expenditure ceilings set by the Legislative Assembly and Treasury Board are not exceeded.
• maintaining budgeted costs by service line and stob, and by period in relation to planned output; reporting actual costs and outputs by period (monthly) consistent with the way in which the budget was produced; and
• analyzing variances (monthly) between budgeted and actual costs in relation to outputs with a view to corrective action.
• Responsibility centre managers must report any significant financial differences from planned expenditures to the ministry chief financial officer and, as necessary, adopt an alternative course of action to remain within budget.
• Ministries must prepare monthly expenditure projections for each vote over the twelve-month period in a fiscal year based on the tabled estimates. The financial information in the projections must correspond to the information provided in expenditure review reports. Based on these reports and expenditure projections, the Minister of Finance may establish budgetary controls as required from time to time.
• The Ministry of Finance, through the Office of the Comptroller General, must not issue a cheque, or electronic funds transfer, for a ministry payment when the limit specified by the Legislative Assembly or Lieutenant Governor would be exceeded.
• Ministries must have appropriate processes in place to ensure that any budget variances are quickly identified and investigated. This not only includes methods for variances related to revenues and expenses, but possible impacts from asset write downs and other valuation adjustments.

Procedure Requirements - A.1

Part III: Reporting

• maintain accurate, complete and consistent accounting records to support performance measurement;
• provide meaningful information to managers for planning, decision-making and reporting purposes;
• allow for the monitoring and control of commitments and disbursements in relation to appropriated amounts;
• serve as the foundation for demonstrating accountability for the resources entrusted to managers and their programs;
• ensure early identification of budget variances so that ministries can mitigate as appropriate to remain within budget;
• improve legislative, governmental and management control by maintaining transactions, accounts and financial statements in accordance with government accounting policies. 

The Budget Transparency and Accountability Act (BTAA) provides the legislative framework for a regular cycle of planning, reporting and accountability. Under the BTAA ministries are responsible for producing three-year service plans, which need to be updated yearly, and annual service plan reports. Reports show results and stewardship of the use of public funds. The service plan report compares actual results to what was indicated in the ministry's service plan. Within the context of ministry goals and objectives, reports should emphasize the performance measures that the ministry will be using to measure progress. The primary audiences for service plan reports include the Legislative Assembly and the public. The principal external reports of government are:

• the Budget or main Estimates presented each fiscal year to the Legislative Assembly by the Minister of Finance;
• the Quarterly reports and the annual Public Accounts including the Summary Financial Statements;
• government's strategic plan setting out its priorities, specific objectives and expected results;
• ministry and agency service plans that identify goals, objectives, performance measures and major capital plans; and
• a summary comparison of results with the government's strategic plan; and
• comparisons of actual results of ministries and agencies with expected results identified in their service plans.

Ministers, through their respective ministries, are responsible for their annual service plan reports, and have flexibility in adapting the contents to best reflect ministry activities and achievements. However, it is intended that reports have a similar look and common elements to assist the public and legislators in using them. For guidance, refer to Information and References, Guidelines for Ministry Service Plans and Reports .

The Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act (BBMAA) requires a comparison of expected and actual performance results, a ministerial accountability report, to be released with the Public Accounts. A holdback of 20% of ministerial salaries is payable after release of the Public Accounts where financial and non-financial requirements are met. Half of the holdback relates to collective responsibilities (i.e., the total Summary Accounts surplus or deficit target being met in which all cabinet ministers participate) and half relates to individual ministerial responsibilities for meeting expense targets or other non-financial targets. 

a. Service Plan Reports

• The minister is accountable for their ministry's annual service plan report, and must approve the report prior to publication.
• description of the ministry's core business;
• key programs and services provided to the public;
• output, quality and client statistics to provide report users with an understanding of services provided;
• ministry progress in achieving its goals and objectives in conjunction with the performance measures and targets, as set out in its service plan; and
• a ministerial accountability statement.
• operating expenses by core business area;
• other resources, including FTEs, ministry (Consolidated Revenue Fund) capital expenditures, Consolidated Capital Plan capital expenditures and other financing transactions where applicable. Totals should correspond to the totals appearing in the main Estimates and the Public Accounts;
• links between operating expenses, capital expenditures and financing transactions, and the delivery of services;
• revenues and significant fees and licenses linked to the programs funded, particularly if major changes occurred or segments of the public were impacted;
• major valuation adjustments, e.g., an asset write-off.
• the objectives of the project;
• the costs and benefits of the project;
• the ongoing risks associated with those costs and benefits; and
• the use of any public private partnership arrangement in delivering the project.
• Each year, Treasury Board Staff will advise ministries of the required publication date for their annual service plan reports. It is government's intention to release annual service plan reports and the Public Accounts for a particular year together, and no later than August 31st which is the statutory requirement.
• The Government's annual report on the strategic plan, which compares actual government-wide results with expected results, must be made public not later than August 31st in each year. 

b. Ministerial Accountability Reports

• a ministry service plan report is to include a statement signed by the responsible Minister that the Minister is accountable for the results set out in the report; and
• if a Minister of State with functions pertinent to a ministry service plan report had expected results set out for them under the BBMAA, the report is to also include a signed statement by the Minister of State that they are is accountable for those results.
• A ministerial accountability report must include the use of resources or the resource summary included in the ministry annual service plan report.

c. Financial Reports

• Ministries must develop an account structure with the objective of producing useful financial reports in accordance with the chart of accounts policy in this section.
• support checks of transactions to ensure they have been processed accurately and completely;
• enable effective budgetary control (by identification of allocations, disbursements, undischarged commitments and free balances);
• be made available to managers and staff, as required, to effectively manage their programs;
• include timely and accurate accruals.
• The Corporate Accounting System (CAS) office must provide financial data on a timely basis and a reporting tool to allow ministries the ability to extract management reports on a timely basis. Specifically, the data to create detailed transactions reports, month-end status reports and financial management reports must be made available within six working days of the month-end.
• only authorized transactions have been processed;
• transactions have been accurately coded; and
• transactions have been recorded and reported on a consistent basis.
• Ministries are responsible for conducting their own expenditure reviews on at least a monthly basis, which compare costs by budget unit to target amounts of each program for the period under review.
• Ministries must review their assets and liabilities for valuation adjustments, in addition to reviews of revenues and expenses.
• The Minister of Finance must publish the Public Accounts for the previous fiscal year by August 31st.

For a summary of reports required by the BTAA and the FAA, refer to Information and References, sections 3.4.4 and 3.4.5 .

Procedure Requirements - H.1

d. Chart of Accounts

• For reporting purposes, financial transactions need to be identified and accounted for in a responsible and consistent manner. The chart of accounts is a standard classification and reporting system and, along with budgetary processes, provides information to support program management. The chart of accounts should support hierarchical and other reporting from the same data. For example, in developing a chart of accounts, a ministry should consider how to integrate it with budget and service plan needs. Also, the ministry's chart of accounts should support reporting against its service plan. For detailed chart of accounts information, refer to Information and References, section 3.4.2 .
• Ministries must use the chart of accounts that has been designated the Corporate Chart of Accounts.
• Ministries and OCG must be able to roll up Service Lines to the Vote and sub-vote format in the main Estimates.
• by Client to identify the legal entity;
• by Responsibility Centre to identify assigned responsibilities and to support accountability. Ministries must determine their own responsibility centres (and project account classifications) within the parameters set up by OCG, Financial Reporting and Advisory Services;
• by Service Line to identify functional activities at the lowest business unit level. Ministries must use mandatory and common service lines for functions or activities that exist across government to ensure corporate reporting requirements are met; and
• by Standard Object to identify goods and services acquired, non-cash transactions, revenue and balance sheets items.
• Ministry additions or deletions to a Client, Service Line or Standard Object classification must be approved by OCG, Financial Reporting and Advisory Services.

e. Significant Accounting Policies

In general, accounting policies are a blend of the principles followed and the procedures necessary for applying those principles. For example, accounting policies may establish the basis for determining how or when expenses and revenues are reported, or whether assets are recorded as capital items, or whether separate entities are combined and reported together.

A consistent set of accounting principles is required to classify, measure and interpret government financial information for complete, accurate and consistent reporting. In high level external financial statements, as the Public Accounts, it is important that the accounting policies followed within ministries, central agencies, and externally through to the Legislative Assembly and hence to the public, are consistently and accurately applied.

Under the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act (BTAA), section 9(2)(e), the Public Accounts must include a summary of the accounting policies of the government reporting entity as established by Treasury Board. The more significant accounting policies are as follows:

• Basis of Accounting The government’s Summary Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for senior governments as required by the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act and as recommended by the independent Public Sector Accounting Board of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.  
• Reporting Entity These financial statements include the accounts of organizations that meet the criteria of control (by the province) as established under GAAP. The reporting entity also includes government partnerships. Trusts administered by government or government organizations are excluded from the reporting entity.  
• Principles of Consolidation Taxpayer–supported Crown corporations, agencies, and the school districts, universities, colleges, institutes, health organizations (SUCH) and the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) are consolidated using the full consolidation method. The government’s interests in government partnerships are recorded on a proportional consolidation basis. Self–supported Crown corporations, agencies, entities and government business partnerships are consolidated using the modified equity basis of consolidation. Adjustments are made for Crown corporations, agencies and entities whose fiscal year ends are different from the government’s fiscal year end of March 31. These Crown corporations, agencies and entities consist of all school districts. Statistics Canada's Financial Management System for Government Statistics provides the guidance for establishing segment disclosure and function reporting. The statements by sector include the operations of the consolidated revenue fund, taxpayer–supported Crown corporations and agencies, and SUCH sector organizations. Each taxpayer–supported Crown corporation, agency and SUCH sector organization is assigned to a sector based on its major activity. Sectors are identified using functions. For specific accounting policies, refer to Information and References, Specific Accounting Policies .

3.4 Information and References

Service Plans, Reports and Templates: For additional information, refer to the Deputy Ministers' Policy Secretariat Ministry Service Plan Guidelines (PDF) (government access only). For an overview of service planning and the annual service plan reporting processes, refer to: Plan & Report for Ministries & Other Organizations .

For the government chart of accounts, classification is as follows:

Vote – identifies a group of programs usually associated with one ministry. A budget is associated with a vote and can be broken down to sub votes. The Legislative Assembly votes on the amount appropriated for the vote and once passed the ministry may spend the funds for the purposes outlined in the vote description in the Estimates.

Client – the legal entity (Ministry, Trust, Special Account, Special Fund) and the balancing segment in the General Ledger.

Responsibility Centre – identifies how the ministry has assigned responsibility and accountability to manage human, financial and capital resources.

Service Line – identifies the ministry program or service at the lowest functional level desired. A Service Line would be transferred in a government reorganization. Common Service Lines are established for an activity or service that is generally found across all of government.

Standard Object (STOB) – identifies the nature of goods and services purchased (office supplies, salaries) and the nature of payment (government transfers). Also used to classify transactions according to common characteristics such as expenses, revenue, assets, liabilities and equity.

Project – identifies projects or additional activity detail as defined by ministries or agencies. A project may span multiple sub-votes or votes, and project codes are to be used for temporary programs. An example is the FAA section 25 account detail. Ministries will use the Payments Based on Contributions Service Line, but use a project code to identify the specific section 25 account.

Location (not yet implemented) – defines where (the location) the benefit was received as a result of the transaction.

Future (not yet implemented) – segment reserved for future business.

For more chart of accounts information (i.e., STOB numbers/descriptions), refer to the Office of the Comptroller General intranet site, Chart of Accounts (government access only). 

For the government’s specific accounting policies, refer to Note 1 of the Summary Financial Statements in the Public Accounts .

General & Financial Management  < Previous  |  Next >  Expense Management

Referenced Chapters

Referenced Policies:

Referenced Procedures:

• A. Budgetary Control
• H. Financial Reporting
• Search the Manual  
• Alphabetical Index

Referenced Information

• Plan & Report for Ministry & Other Organizations

Acts and Regulations

• Financial Administration Act
• Budget Transparency and Accountability Act
• Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act
• Accrual basis of accounting
• Annual Service Plan Report
• Capital lease
• Chart of Accounts (COA)
• Standard Object of Expenditure (STOB)
• Treasury Board Directives  
• Note 1 of the Summary Financial Statements   (PDF)

Government access only:

• OCG Resources
• Policy Secretariat Ministry Service Plan Guidelines   (PDF)

Contact information

Financial Management Branch

Contact an Advisor

The B.C. Public Service acknowledges the territories of First Nations around B.C. and is grateful to carry out our work on these lands. We acknowledge the rights, interests, priorities, and concerns of all Indigenous Peoples - First Nations, Métis, and Inuit - respecting and acknowledging their distinct cultures, histories, rights, laws, and governments.

Information archivée dans le Web / Information Archived on the Web

Publications du gouvernement du canada.

Continuer vers la publication

Pour demander une publication dans un format alternatif, remplissez le formulaire électronique des publications du gouvernement du Canada. Utilisez le champ du formulaire «question ou commentaire» pour spécifier la publication demandée.

Government of Canada Publications

Continue to publication

To request an alternate format of a publication, complete the Government of Canada Publications email form . Use the form’s “question or comment” field to specify the requested publication.

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Business plan for 2024 - 2027

Our business plan sets out our organisational aims for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027.

Adjudicator’s Office business plan: April 2024 to March 2027

The business plan sets out how the Adjudicator’s Office will meet its organisational aims over the next 3 years.

Updates to this page

Sign up for emails or print this page, is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .

GSA.gov unavailable during weekend maintenance

From 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 27, until 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 28, GSA.gov will be unavailable while GSA IT upgrades the site.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Explore sell to government
• Ways you can sell to government
• How to access contract opportunities
• Conduct market research
• Register your business
• Certify as a small business
• Become a schedule holder
• Market your business
• Research active solicitations
• Respond to a solicitation
• What to expect during the award process
• Comply with contractual requirements
• Handle contract modifications
• Monitor past performance evaluations
• Explore real estate
• 3D-4D building information modeling
• Art in architecture | Fine arts
• Computer-aided design standards
• Commissioning
• Design excellence
• Engineering
• Project management information system
• Spatial data management
• Facilities operations
• Smart buildings
• Tenant services
• Utility services
• Water quality management
• Explore historic buildings
• Heritage tourism
• Historic preservation policy, tools and resources
• Historic building stewardship
• Videos, pictures, posters and more
• NEPA implementation
• Courthouse program
• Land ports of entry
• Prospectus library
• Regional buildings
• Renting property
• Visiting public buildings
• Real property disposal
• Reimbursable services (RWA)
• Rental policy and procedures
• Site selection and relocation
• For businesses seeking opportunities
• For federal customers
• For workers in federal buildings
• Explore policy and regulations
• Acquisition management policy
• Aviation management policy
• Information technology policy
• Real property management policy
• Relocation management policy
• Travel management policy
• Vehicle management policy
• Federal acquisition regulations
• Federal management regulations
• Federal travel regulations
• GSA acquisition manual
• Managing the federal rulemaking process
• Explore small business
• Explore business models
• Research the federal market
• Forecast of contracting opportunities
• Events and contacts
• Explore travel
• Per diem rates
• Transportation (airfare rates, POV rates, etc.)
• State tax exemption
• Travel charge card
• Conferences and meetings
• E-gov travel service (ETS)
• Travel category schedule
• Federal travel regulation
• Travel policy
• Explore technology
• Cloud computing services
• Cybersecurity products and services
• Data center services
• Hardware products and services
• Professional IT services
• Software products and services
• Telecommunications and network services
• Work with small businesses
• Governmentwide acquisition contracts
• MAS information technology
• Software purchase agreements
• Cybersecurity
• Digital strategy
• Emerging citizen technology
• Federal identity, credentials, and access management
• Mobile government
• Technology modernization fund
• Explore about us
• Annual reports
• Mission and strategic goals
• Role in presidential transitions
• Get an internship
• Launch your career
• Elevate your professional career
• Discover special hiring paths
• Climate Action
• Events and training
• Agency blog
• Congressional testimony
• GSA does that podcast
• News releases
• Leadership directory
• Staff directory
• Office of the Administrator
• Federal Acquisition Service
• Public Buildings Service
• Staff offices
• Board of Contract Appeals
• Office of Inspector General
• Region 1 | New England
• Region 2 | Northeast and Caribbean
• Region 3 | Mid-Atlantic
• Region 4 | Southeast Sunbelt
• Region 5 | Great Lakes
• Region 6 | Heartland
• Region 7 | Greater Southwest
• Region 8 | Rocky Mountain
• Region 9 | Pacific Rim
• Region 10 | Northwest/Arctic
• Region 11 | National Capital Region
• Per Diem Lookup

GSA announces new public participation and community engagement commitment under the Open Government Partnership Challenge

Administrator joins Open Government Partnership Leaders Roundtable at the United Nations in New York

New York  — Today, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Leaders Roundtable to share the progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made on open government initiatives both domestically and abroad. This open government event was scheduled to align with the United Nations activities in New York, NY to support maximum participation from global partners. 

During the roundtable, Administrator Carnahan announced a new commitment for the United States to develop a federal framework, and guidelines for public participation and community engagement (PPCE) to help federal agencies more broadly and meaningfully engage with the American public and increase trust in government. Under this commitment, part of OGP’s Open Government Challenge , the United States will also develop a new U.S. Federal PPCE Toolkit to serve as a living repository of guidance, case studies, and leading practices on participation and engagement.

“Open government principles are fundamental to a successful democracy because enhancing public participation, fostering accountability, and promoting transparency, builds trust in the government’s ability to serve people,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan . “We demonstrate GSA’s continued engagement with the Open Government Partnership by serving as the long-term home for the Secretariat, working with our Open Government Federal Advisory Committee, developing new tools aligned with our U.S. National Action Plan commitments, and much more.”

The Open Government Challenge is a call to action for all OGP member governments to raise ambition in ten areas to help strengthen democracy worldwide. The U.S. is a founding member of OGP, which formally launched in 2011 and today includes:

• 75 countries
• 104 local governments (representing more than two billion people)
• Thousands of civil society organizations 

The roundtable was an opportunity for national and local governments, civil society, funders, and partner organizations to share examples of inspiring and innovative open government approaches to global and domestic challenges, and to identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration in the future, with particular focus on supporting the implementation of ambitious commitments pledged through the Open Gov Challenge.

Administrator Carnahan encouraged other member nations at the roundtable to make similar commitments, while also highlighting the progress that has been made to support the Biden-Harris Administration open government initiatives under the governmentwide effort and implementation of the Fifth Open Government National Action Plan (NAP) since the plan’s release in December 2022. 

The U.S. Open Government Secretariat , housed at GSA, is actively supporting efforts that align with multiple OGP Challenge themes, including:

• Enhancing transparency and accessibility by launching a new online commitment tracker on the U.S. Open Government Secretariat website with insights into the status of each commitment in the Fifth Open Government NAP. 
• Increasing the civic space to engage the public in the establishment of the Open Government Federal Advisory Committee (OG FAC) , as well as hosting a variety of public engagement sessions to foster an open dialogue with members of civil society and other stakeholders; 
• Inviting input from public, private, advocacy, not-for-profit, academic, and philanthropic sectors, including state, local, tribal, and territorial governments through the Sixth Open Government National Action Plan Request for Information (RFI). This public comment period promotes civic engagement and aims to gather ideas, suggestions, and recommendations for commitments that could be included in the Sixth Open Government NAP. 

GSA oversees key NAP commitments and has made substantial progress. For example, since February of this year, Challenge.gov has hosted an additional 35 challenges, bringing the total number of challenges this year to 103. One of these challenges supported efforts to increase the federal government’s capacity for public engagement through the Public Engagement with Science Summit and the PMA Learning Agenda: Public Participation and Community Engagement Evidence Challenge . GSA continues to support the growing volume of federal agencies using Challenge.gov to host prize competitions and challenges that stimulate innovation, develop solutions to challenging problems, and increase citizen engagement in participatory research and citizen science. 

To engage further with the U.S. Open Government Secretariat and keep up to date on upcoming events, check out the following:

• U.S. Open Government Secretariat’s LinkedIn page .
• U.S. Open Government Secretariat’s public engagement page .

PER DIEM LOOK-UP

1 choose a location.

Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.

No results could be found for the location you've entered.

Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2022 and 09/30/2025.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

• Updated Terms of Use
• New Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices
• Closed Captioning Policy

Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by  Factset . Powered and implemented by  FactSet Digital Solutions .  Legal Statement .

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. FAQ - New Privacy Policy

LARRY KUDLOW: Big government socialism is a failure

Harris' economic plan is a classic example of big government socialism, kudlow says.

Larry Kudlow: Kamala Harris would make the US uncompetitive with this policy

 FOX Business host Larry Kudlow reacts to Vice President Kamala Harris pushing trillions in new handouts on 'Kudlow.'

Holistically, big government socialism is a failure and that's the subject of the riff. No matter what she may say, Kamala Harris is a big government socialist, whose alleged economic plan is a classic example of big government socialism.

Noteworthy, a TIPP/Insights poll of 1,488 adults shows that 54% say Kamala Harris' ideas lean toward socialism. 38% of Democrats, 53% of Republicans, 49% of independents. So, it’s across the board and, as I've said many, many times, the TIPP poll has been scored as the most accurate in recent presidential elections.  

Indeed, the subtitle of the article from TIPP/Insights is: "Her holistic socialism exposes deep economic ignorance and total unpreparedness." So, take a listen to Kamala's holistic word salad yesterday in Pittsburgh: 

HOWARD LUTNICK MAKES THE ARGUMENT FOR A TRUMP ECONOMY: HARRIS 'WILL LITERALLY KILL' AMERICAN BUSINESS  

Marsha Blackburn: Trump will bring manufacturing back

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., reacts to former President Donald Trump's 'New American Industrialism' idea on 'Kudlow.'

KAMALA HARRIS: "You know, homeownership for too many people in our country now is elusive. You know, gone is the day of everyone thinking they could actually live the American dream. // And looking holistically at the connection between that and housing, and looking holistically at the incentives // to actually engage in planning in a holistic manner." // PITTSBURGH, PA, WEDNESDAY : " Let us be inspired by what is possible. // Let it always inspire us. // And let that then inspire us by helping us to be inspired to solve the problems that so many face." 

Yesterday, she unveiled her third economic plan in her two-month long candidacy. It was basically just a repeat of her price controls, $25,000 free money that will boost home prices even more, a $6,000 refundable child tax credit that lacks work requirements and costs over $1 trillion.  

Plus, of course, repealing the highly successful Trump tax cuts, which boosted blue-collar wages, brought down the poverty rate, and produced record-low minority unemployment. Of course, Kamala keeps saying it only benefited the rich, which has been disproven time and again. Real wages went up 7.7% under Mr. Trump, but they fell 2.1% under Biden-Harris.  

The only sort of new policy is $100 billion in tax credits, aimed at favored industries, but targeted tax credits never work. Better to let people and businesses keep their own money. They will spend it more wisely than federal bureaucrats ever could.

Biden-Harris spent trillions of dollars on targeted tax credits, subsidies, and grants and it – holistically – came to nothing.  Please see the WSJ editorial dated September 23, 2024: "The Biden manufacturing boom that isn’t" and the subheading: "US industry output has been flat for two years, despite huge subsidies." 

They note that spending on construction of new factories has doubled from the subsidies and rich tax credits – the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act cost $1.2 trillion – but the ISM purchasing managers index for manufacturing has been declining for two years right after the IRA and CHIPS Act. Investment in new industrial equipment has been noticeably weaker under Mr. Biden than Mr. Trump.  

Biden-Harris like to boast about creating 800,000 new manufacturing jobs, but, actually, virtually all of them were bounce-backs from the pandemic. Factually, though, manufacturing job growth has since been flat for two years – even with all the Biden-Harris spending. Under Trump, about 450,000 manufacturing jobs were created and key targeted industries like semiconductors and batteries have experienced significant job losses, while real average weekly wages for manufacturing workers are 2.7% lower than in January 2021 when Biden-Harris came into office. 

This is why state directed assistance, whether spending or tax credits, never works. The free market, however, does work. Donald Trump will lower the corporate tax rate across the board from 21% to 15% for domestic producers, but he’s not going to tell them how to spend their money, or on what products or innovations or equipment. 

Trump, by the way, would provide 100% full expensing for depreciation write-offs – Harris would end this. Of course, she wants to raise the top corporate rate to 28%, making the U.S. uncompetitive in the global race for business and capital and she would abolish the 199A deduction, which would destroy the roughly 26 million small businesses who could no longer deduct 20% of their income from taxation. 

Holistically, this is all insanity. Yes, she worked hand in glove with Joe Biden for nearly four years, and, yes, all that really happened was they spent a fortune to bankrupt federal finances, and got virtually nothing for it – in terms of private sector investment, jobs, and wages. It has all gone nowhere. 

Oh, did I forget, the inflation rate in the past three and a half years has averaged 5.7% annually, compared to only 1.9% under Mr. Trump. Cumulatively, the cost of living went up over 20% under Biden-Harris, and much more for daily consumer essentials and, of course, the peak inflation rate of 9.1% was the highest in 40 years. 

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE               

Well, it’s true that radical Federal Reserve tightening has brought inflation down to just under 3%, but that is still well above the Fed’s 2% target, even at this late date.  

So, you know what, folks?  Holistic big government socialism doesn’t work and you know what else? There’s a real capitalist free-enterpriser out there who is campaigning to overturn it. That’s the riff.  

This article is adapted from Larry Kudlow’s opening commentary on the Sept. 26, 2024, edition of "Kudlow."        

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.