Thank you, Chair.
I have to say that this is the first time I think we at this committee have ever dealt with the question of whether size matters or not. I'll just let that lie there.
Mr. Wouters, I apologize for mispronouncing your name. You've been in front of this committee often enough. I apologize, sir.
I would like to point out something in relation to my earlier point of order, Mr. Wouters, in responding to the Auditor General. She said: “When we completed our audit, in May last year, the Secretariat's response to our recommendation was that they had developed action plans.” That is something we would want to see.
Mr. Des Rosiers, you talked about the activities of the ADM meeting. I had raised the issue, and then you talked about it. That's another example of something that could have been put in front of us that may have negated a question or at least provided a more informed question. Those are just examples.
I wanted to go to.... My colleague has already raised this point, so I will not do that one again. Just give me one second.
By the way, Mr. Wouters, I also wanted to thank you for your forthrightness in answering. That's the kind of thing. It's not a question of coming in here and genuflecting in front of the committee, although there are times when that wouldn't do any harm, but to come in here and, when it's an honest problem, no matter who you are, to look at it and say it's a problem, to admit it, goes a long way in developing the relationship. So I very much appreciate your forthrightness in talking about the shared services.
On that point, page 21 says, in paragraph 2.67: “Following the 2005 Budget, the Secretariat launched the Corporate Administrative Shared Services (CASS) initiative. However, CASS does not take into account the capacity and business continuity risks that small entities face.” That's been addressed somewhat. It goes on: “Small entities have not been included in CASS for at least three to five years, since CASS is seeking investment funds.”
I'm going to leave you with a couple of questions, because this is a short round. Could you help me understand what that means? I didn't understand it.
Then paragraph 2.68 says: “A shared services framework or model could provide valuable guidance for small entities. The Secretariat had undertaken some preliminary business model analysis under the CASS initiative, and had developed a draft for discussion in May 2006.” Then I don't see it mentioned again. It just kind of lies there.
Whatever happened to that draft, and what actions came after May 2006?
I won't have time to respond again, so I'll just leave those two questions with you. Thank you.