Evidence of meeting #28 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was certification.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I have a reason for asking, because I noticed that in 1998 there was an order in council extending the minister's authority to private organizations, and I wondered if that might have been the result of a parliamentary study.
Acting Director General, Services and Specialized Acquisitions Management Sector, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No, I think I can answer that, because I was involved in that process. Because of the rise of ISO 9000 at that time, we were getting demands not only from entities in Canada but entities in the United States and Mexico under NAFTA, who were interested in getting access to our services.
Some of it is just the confidence level that other entities, including the Government of Mexico had in obtaining a Canadian government certification mark. So, there was a desire to have that kind of relationship. Also, at that time there was some uncertainty as to whether the Department of Public Works Act provided us with that jurisdiction.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Indeed. I agree, and in fact most of my questions to you will be about governance. But that being said, I understand, or I take from your answer, that the 1998 order in council was the result of a kind of internal process rather than a public one—of course, whatever public process might be required for an order in council.
Thank you.
Has the agency—I'm going to call it the agency, if you don't mind, or the board—ever been the subject of a performance audit by the Auditor General of Canada?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No, it has not.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I gather there was in fact a 2009 evaluation by Public Works Canada. Did that produce a written report?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Yes, and it's available on our website. I have a copy right here with me.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
May I ask you to file a copy with the clerk for distribution to the members? I would appreciate that.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I think Mr. Trottier has it already.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Well, we have it already. My apologies. I'm a visitor to this committee, so that's what I said at the outset. Maybe there's something I've missed. So, thank you.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No problem.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I again will ask a dumb question here, but I assume that because this is styled as a board, there is an actual board. Is that right or wrong?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
That's incorrect. There is no board.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
That explains a lot.
So, in place of a board, the two of you, I take it, have wider responsibilities than just this CGSB. Is there any one person in the department who is the point person, or who has the direct responsibility for the governance, organization, or management of CGSB?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Begonia is sitting right behind us, here. She's the director of the Canadian General Standards Board.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Thank you very much.
I then want to know whether or not that board publishes an annual report to anyone.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
We publish within the departmental performance report. They're part of the department. So, the CGSB is identified as a program sub-activity, and therefore it appears in the DPR, the departmental performance report.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
All right. I'm going to assume that would be through, first, the Department of Public Works, and then, sub to that, the acquisitions branch—
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
That's correct.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
—and sub to that, the services and specialized acquisitions management sector. Is that correct?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
Organizationally, yes, but in performance reporting, it's actually sub to acquisitions branch. It's a separate entity within it.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
But nothing goes directly independently from this so-called board to the minister.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
No, it really is the Standards Council of Canada that does the oversight on our efficiencies there.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I think I may have heard you mention an annual audit. Is that what you just referred to now?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Acquisitions Branch, Department of Public Works and Government Services
That's correct, the Standards Council of Canada does the annual audit.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Before I ask you to provide it, do we already have a copy of the most recent annual audit from this agency?