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Canada

Financial transparency and accountability (CA0065)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Canada Action Plan 2018-2020

Action Plan Cycle: 2018

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: Department of Finance Canada (FIN); Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC); Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS); other departments and agencies across the Government of Canada

Support Institution(s): NA

Policy Areas

E-Government, Fiscal Transparency, Gender, Marginalized Communities, Open Contracting and Procurement, Open Data, Public Service Delivery

IRM Review

IRM Report: NR

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: NR

Design i

Verifiable: NR

Relevant to OGP Values: NR

Potential Impact: NR

Implementation i

Completion: NR

Description

Financial transparency and accountability
Issue to be addressed
Many Canadians find it difficult to understand how the government spends their tax dollars.
Governments can improve financial transparency by providing tools and information to make
their spending easier to understand and by releasing more detailed information to allow
citizens to hold governments to account.
Commitment
The Government of Canada will continue to improve the transparency of its spending and its
open contracting to make it easier for Canadians to understand federal budgets, track funding
decisions, and examine government procurement and spending processes. We will:
• make government budget and spending information easier to find and understand
• publish an analysis of gender-based impacts for all Budget measures5
• ensure Canadians have access to open data on Government of Canada procurement
• explore adoption of common contracting data standards across Canada
Lead department(s)
Department of Finance Canada (FIN); Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC); Treasury
Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS); other departments and agencies across the Government of
Canada
Milestones
What will we do? How we will know we succeeded? What is our
deadline?
2.1 Make government budget
and spending information
easier for Canadians to find and
understand
Parliamentarians and Canadians are
engaged in reviewing the Government’s
progress in improving the timeliness,
completeness, and transparency of the
Budget and Main Estimates
October 2019

5. This type of analysis is known in the Government of Canada as Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+). GBA+ is an
analytical tool used to assess how diverse groups of women, men, and gender-diverse people may experience
policies, programs, and initiatives. The “Plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that GBA goes beyond biological (sex) and
socio-cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are, so
GBA+ also considers many other identity factors, like race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.
19
What will we do? How we will know we succeeded? What is our
deadline?
(FIN/TBS) Based on feedback received in the
engagement above, recommendations
are published on the approach to the
Budget and Main Estimates for 2020 to
2021 and future years
February 2020
The description and detail of budget
spending plans is improved, including
more detailed information on budget
allocation by department
February to
March 2019
GC InfoBase is expanded to allow
Canadians to easily follow funding and
results, from announcement to
implementation, for all Government of
Canada programs
March 2019
Government of Canada Guidelines on the
Reporting of Grants and Contributions
Awards are updated to ensure proactive
disclosure of grants and contributions
data continues to meet Canada’s legal
and policy requirements
June 2020
2.2 Publish the Gender-based
Analysis Plus (GBA+) for all new
announced budget expenditure
and tax measures in future
budgets
(FIN)
Canadians and Parliamentarians have
access to information on the gender and
diversity impacts of budget measures.
February to
March 2019
2.3 Ensure Canadians have
access to open data on
Government of Canada
procurement
(PSPC/TBS)
Pilot data that tests the implementation
of the Open Contracting Data Standard
(OCDS) is undertaken, which includes a
cross-section of at least 300 contract
records for a variety of contracts,
including major projects. Pilot data will
include all stages of the procurement
cycle (planning, tender, award, contract,
and implementation).
December 2019
20
What will we do? How we will know we succeeded? What is our
deadline?
3 to 5 public workshops on open
contracting are held to analyze what
types of contracting data are currently
available and assess barriers to releasing
open contracting data.
• The workshops consider the results
of the open data pilot.
• Workshops include participation
from civil society, procurement
experts, and industry
representatives.
• A report is developed outlining input
received and recommendations
developed during the workshops.
June 2020
Tender, award, and contract data aligned
with the Open Contracting Data Standard
(OCDS) is published for all contracts for
fiscal years 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to
2018. Data is published on
open.canada.ca and is updated on a
regular schedule.
August 2020
PSPC’s new e Procurement Solution (EPS)
is designed to increase the release of
open contracting data for all PSPC
contracting records. A report is published
on progress in developing the EPS,
including reporting on progress in aligning
open contracting data with the
international Open Contracting Data
Standard (OCDS)
June 2020
Government of Canada Guidelines on
Proactive Disclosure of Contracts are
updated to ensure proactive disclosure of
contracts data continues to meet
Canada’s legal and policy requirements
June 2020
21
What will we do? How we will know we succeeded? What is our
deadline?
2.4 Explore adoption of
common contracting data
standards across Canada
(PSPC)
Representatives of federal government
and provincial and territorial
governments have met to discuss
potential adoption of common
contracting data standard for tender
notices
August 2019
Government officials have further
explored adoption of common
contracting data standards across the
broader procurement cycle
June 2020

Canada's Commitments

  1. User-friendly open government

    CA0064, 2018, Capacity Building

  2. Financial transparency and accountability

    CA0065, 2018, E-Government

  3. Corporate transparency

    CA0066, 2018, Beneficial Ownership

  4. Digital government and services

    CA0067, 2018, Capacity Building

  5. Open science

    CA0068, 2018, Capacity Building

  6. Healthy democracy

    CA0069, 2018, E-Government

  7. Access to Information

    CA0070, 2018, Capacity Building

  8. Feminist and inclusive dialogue

    CA0071, 2018, Capacity Building

  9. Reconciliation and open government

    CA0072, 2018, Capacity Building

  10. Open government community

    CA0073, 2018, Capacity Building

  11. Enhance Access to Information

    CA0042, 2016, Legislation & Regulation

  12. Streamline Requests for Personal Information

    CA0043, 2016, E-Government

  13. Expand and Improve Open Data

    CA0044, 2016, E-Government

  14. Provide and Preserve Open Information

    CA0045, 2016, E-Government

  15. Define an Approach for Measuring Open Government Performance

    CA0046, 2016, Capacity Building

  16. Develop Open Government Skills across the Federal Public Service

    CA0047, 2016, Capacity Building

  17. Embed Transparency Requirements in the Federal Service Strategy

    CA0048, 2016, Capacity Building

  18. Enhance Access to Culture & Heritage Collections

    CA0049, 2016, Capacity Building

  19. Enhance Openness of Information on Government Spending and Procurement

    CA0050, 2016, Capacity Building

  20. Increase Transparency of Budget and Other Department of Finance Information

    CA0051, 2016, Capacity Building

  21. Starred commitment Increase Transparency of Grants and Contributions Funding

    CA0052, 2016, Capacity Building

  22. Improve Public Information on Canadian Corporations

    CA0053, 2016, E-Government

  23. Increase the Availability and Usability of Geospatial Data

    CA0054, 2016, Capacity Building

  24. Increase Openness of Federal Science Activities (Open Science)

    CA0055, 2016, Capacity Building

  25. Stimulate Innovation through Canada’s Open Data Exchange (ODX)

    CA0056, 2016, E-Government

  26. Align Open Data across Canada (Open Data Canada)

    CA0057, 2016, Capacity Building

  27. Implement the Extractives Sector Transparency Measures Act

    CA0058, 2016, Capacity Building

  28. Support Openness and Transparency Initiatives around the World

    CA0059, 2016, Aid

  29. Engage Civil Society on Open Government

    CA0060, 2016, Public Participation

  30. Enable Open Dialogue and Open Policy Making

    CA0061, 2016, Capacity Building

  31. Promote Open Government Globally

    CA0062, 2016, Capacity Building

  32. Engage Canadians to Improve Key Canada Revenue Agency Services

    CA0063, 2016, Fiscal Transparency

  33. Implement Directive on Open Government

    CA0030, 2014, Open Data

  34. Starred commitment Open Data Canada

    CA0031, 2014, Open Data

  35. Canadian Open Data Exchange (ODX)

    CA0032, 2014, Capacity Building

  36. Open Data for Development

    CA0033, 2014, Capacity Building

  37. Open Data Core Commitment

    CA0034, 2014, Open Data

  38. Starred commitment Open Science

    CA0035, 2014, Science & Technology

  39. Starred commitment Mandatory Reporting on Extractives

    CA0036, 2014, Extractive Industries

  40. Open Contracting

    CA0037, 2014, Open Contracting and Procurement

  41. Open Information on Budgets and Expenditures

    CA0038, 2014, Fiscal Transparency

  42. Digital Literacy

    CA0039, 2014, Capacity Building

  43. Open Information Core Commitment

    CA0040, 2014, Right to Information

  44. Consulting Canadians

    CA0041, 2014, Marginalized Communities

  45. Starred commitment International Aid Transparency Initiative: Publish plan to make CIDA activities available and accessible

    CA0010, 2012, Aid

  46. International Aid Transparency Initiative: Implement plan

    CA0011, 2012, Aid

  47. Opening Government of Canada Records: Increase access to archived federal documents at Library and Archives Canada

    CA0012, 2012, Records Management

  48. Opening Government of Canada Records: Issue new mandatory policy on document classification

    CA0013, 2012, Records Management

  49. Opening Government of Canada Records: Make classified information available online

    CA0014, 2012, E-Government

  50. GCDOCS: Deploy wave one of electronic record and document management solution

    CA0015, 2012, E-Government

  51. GCDOCS: Deploy across federal government

    CA0016, 2012, E-Government

  52. GCWEB: Develop consolidated web presence

    CA0017, 2012, E-Government

  53. GCWEB: Implement new platform

    CA0018, 2012, E-Government

  54. Data.gc.ca: Expand number of datasets available

    CA0019, 2012, E-Government

  55. Data.gc.ca: Implement data.gc.ca portal

    CA0020, 2012, E-Government

  56. Data.gc.ca: Improve standardization of data

    CA0021, 2012, E-Government

  57. Government of Canada Resource Management Data: Publish resource management and performance data

    CA0022, 2012, E-Government

  58. Government of Canada Resource Management Data: Enhance search and data tools

    CA0023, 2012, E-Government

  59. Consulting Canadians: Develop new platform for consultation

    CA0024, 2012, E-Government

  60. Consulting Canadians: Develop standard approach to use of social media

    CA0025, 2012, E-Government

  61. Consulting Canadians: Pilot a crowdsourcing initiative

    CA0026, 2012, E-Government

  62. Consulting Canadians: Enable use of common online tools

    CA0027, 2012, E-Government

  63. Open Regulation: Federal regulators to post forward regulatory plans

    CA0028, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  64. Open Regulation: Simplify engagement activities

    CA0029, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  65. Open Government Directive: Issue Directive on Open Government

    CA0001, 2012, E-Government

  66. Open Government Directive: Implement Directive on Open Government

    CA0002, 2012, E-Government

  67. Starred commitment Open Government Licence: Issue Open Government Licence

    CA0003, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  68. Starred commitment Open Government Licence: Adopt Open Government Licence

    CA0004, 2012, Records Management

  69. Modernising Administration of Access to Information: Pilot of online request and payment service

    CA0005, 2012, Fiscal Transparency

  70. Modernising Administration of Access to Information: Implement ATI Solution

    CA0006, 2012, Fiscal Transparency

  71. Modernising Administration of Access to Information: Make completed ATI request summaries searchable

    CA0007, 2012, Right to Information

  72. Virtual Library: Begin design of virtual library

    CA0008, 2012, E-Government

  73. Virtual Library: Launch virtual library

    CA0009, 2012, E-Government