Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I too am pleased to be before you today on this Auditor General's report. I'm accompanied by Stéphane Cousineau, Shared Services Canada's senior assistant deputy minister.
As members of this committee know, SSC was created in 2011 with an ambitious and unprecedented mandate to modernize the Government of Canada's IT infrastructure. We deliver email, data centre, network, and workplace technology services to departments and agencies to support the delivery of government programs and services.
Our organization is mandated with completing the largest public sector merger in Canadian history.
There have been some challenges, but we have made real progress in enabling digital services to Canadians.
The best way to sum up this progress is by looking at our customer satisfaction survey results.
Those results have consistently been on an upward trend since the first survey three years ago. Everyone at SSC takes pride in these results. They reflect the tremendous determination of our employees to serve our customers with quality services.
To build on this momentum, we have welcomed a number of new faces. Last year alone, over 1,200 employees joined our department. This was an important milestone for our organization. It demonstrated that we are becoming an employer of choice for people who are looking to build their careers.
Our mandate also received a very significant boost in budget 2018. It provided over $2 billion to SSC over six years to ensure that the Government of Canada is properly resourced to address evolving IT needs and opportunities and can properly and proactively address cybersecurity threats. This investment represents a renewal and a reset for SSC. In particular, budget investments are helping us undertake a thorough review of our asset base so that we can better manage the infrastructure we have and identify critical needs, including the disposal of those assets. This will ensure effective and efficient management of existing government IT assets, from their identification to their maintenance to their disposal.
It may sound straightforward, but when SSC was set up, there was no comprehensive database cataloguing the assets the department inherited from 42 other departments in over 8,000 locations across Canada and the world. As such, one of our ongoing challenges has been to make sense of this very complex environment. Not only the asset base but also how those assets are connected to each other is a big question. As I said, we're making good progress.
I'd like to turn now to the recommendations from the report, which we have accepted. I'm pleased to note that we have taken action in response and have implemented all of the recommendations. We also continue to work with our stakeholders to ensure that all processes are being followed.
Allow me to provide a few updates on the three recommendations that apply to us.
Recommendation 40 noted that Shared Services Canada should review its asset life-cycle processes to facilitate and encourage the transfer and reuse of assets.
In response, we are defining the full life cycle of materiel management, including the development of a more robust materiel management operating model. This will result in a singular view of asset management across the department's service lines that will include security and logistical requirements, performance metrics and disposal strategies. It will also allow us to continue leveraging the Computers for Schools program for Android and iPhone devices.
The recommendation in paragraph 2.41 noted that SSC should review its internal processes to facilitate the donation of assets. In response, we put in place an approved standard for materiel transfer and donation. It outlines the process and parameters that cost centre managers must follow for surplus materiel and equipment. In response to the recommendation, we will also continue to monitor and assess the standard and look for opportunities for improvement.
Finally, the recommendation in paragraph 2.53 notes that SSC should keep sufficient information to justify its disposal methods. In addition, the organization should standardize forms and consider cost, value and environmental impact.
In response, Mr. Chair, we updated our processes, practices and tools as part of efforts to keep sufficient documentation to justify the disposal of assets. Today, all of our managers have to use the new template that requires justification of the disposal decision. As well, we undertook communications and engagement activities to raise awareness among stakeholders and get their feedback and participation in the new approach.
Mr. Chair, as it continues to implement these decisions and actions, SSC will collaborate closely with its partners to ensure that the disposal of surplus assets is conducted in an efficient, cost-effective and responsible manner.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This concludes my opening statement. Mr. Cousineau and I are happy to take your questions.