Highlights from the AG’s status report

The interim Auditor General John Wiersema also tabled the 2011 Status Report Thursday, updating the government on the progress being made on past areas of concern.

Here are some of the highlights:

“¢ Financial Management: The government got a passing grade for make progress in improving its financial management. The report shows the government has made efforts to recruit, train and develop financial officers and managers with the required qualifications.

“¢ Managing large IT projects: The auditor general gave the government a failing grade when it comes to managing five IT projects with a total cost of $1.1 billion. The audit found the federal government hasn’t done enough to analyze costs and benefits and ensure goals were achieved.

“¢ Internal audits: The federal government has improved its ability to audit its own programs, according to the auditor general. The 24 largest departments and agencies, which account for 95 per cent of public finances, have all established independent audit committees.

“¢ Programs for First Nations on Reserves: Conditions on reserves have declined, according to the auditor general’s report. The audit found the education gap between First Nations on reserve and other Canadians has grown. Housing is still shoddy and in low supply and more than half of the drinking water systems on reserves still pose a significant risk to communities.

The auditor general pointed to four barriers to progress; the federal government hasn’t said what services it will provide on reserve; services are based on policy not legislation, which would force government action; funding for programs and services is not timely and stable; and, there are few organizations on reserve that can deliver services.

“¢ Royal Canadian Mounted Police: The auditor general criticized the RCMP’s ability to provide national police services such as fingerprint identification and DNA analysis. The report shows backlogs and delays of up to 14 months when it comes to updating criminal record information. One of the biggest problems for the RCMP, the report says, is the rising costs of policing.

“¢ Regulating medical devices: Over a million medical devices from bandages to pacemakers are available to buy in Canada, but the auditor general has found that Health Canada isn’t doing a good enough job regulating them. The audit found that in 45 per cent of cases Health Canada is slow when it comes to approving new devices. The report also states that Health Canada does not do enough inspection and monitoring of devices already on the market or following up on reports of unsafe devices.

“¢ Crown corporations: The auditor general examined the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation and Telefim Canada and found that there were no significant problems with how the companies are managed. The National Art Center Corporation and the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporations did not fare as well and each had at least one “significant deficiency.”