This section outlines the actions our Government will take to improve efficiency in the public sector.
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Adopt a Flatter, Leaner Management Structure
Completed
In an effort to determine where operations can be more efficient, our Government will review department organizational structures inclusive of management positions, functions and roles and responsibilities with a view to assess the appropriate management subordinate reporting relationships. By March 31, 2017, our Government will have completed a review of department organizational structures and management subordinate reporting relationships. We will then implement new human resource guidelines to reasonably optimize the number of direct reports to managers and/or directors based on the nature of the service and clientele, and to limit duplication of management personnel.
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Adopt a Flatter, Leaner Management Structure in Government Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)
On-going
In February 2017, our Government announced the implementation of a flatter, leaner management structure for core Government departments. In 2017-18, our Government will work with ABCs to undertake similar exercises to optimize the number of direct reports to managers, directors and executive members based on the nature of the service and clientele and to limit duplication of management personnel in those organizations.
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Conduct Operational Reviews: Court Administration
On-going
Currently the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador have separate administrative structures. Our Government will work with both court systems to identify opportunities for collaboration and sharing of services in an effort to improve efficiency. This review will begin in 2017-18.
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Conduct Operational Reviews: Legal Services
Completed
The Department of Justice and Public Safety provides legal counsel to all core Government departments and often contracts external legal counsel for additional support. Legal services are a cost pressure for our Government. Our Government will undertake a review of the use of legal services within the core public service to identify opportunities for efficiencies. This review will be concluded by March 31, 2018. Our Government will also encourage ABCs to review their use of legal services to determine potential efficiencies.
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Consolidate Collections
On-going
Government currently has collections functions spread across multiple departments. The consolidation of collections activities within Government will reduce redundancy, increase the amount of money returned to the province and standardize collections processes. Consolidation will provide a unified view of all receivables owed to the province across multiple departments, which will enable cases to be prioritized based on total liabilities owed. Our Government will begin consolidation in 2017-18.
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Consolidate Engineering Services
Completed
Engineering services are currently spread across multiple departments. Our Government will consolidate engineering services, as appropriate, within one department by March 31, 2017. The consolidation will enable better engineering project management and will maximize the use of professional resources and skills.
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Consolidate Government Marketing Functions
Completed
Government marketing services are currently delivered through a decentralized model with marketing staff spread across multiple departments and agencies. The consolidation of marketing responsibilities and functions will result in stronger marketing resources within the public sector, increased efficiencies, effectiveness and success of Government marketing activities. This consolidation will be completed by March 31, 2017.
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Consolidate Payroll Administration
On-going
The Human Resource Secretariat currently provides payroll administration services to core Government, while the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has a separate work unit for Teachers Payroll. To improve efficiency of payroll operations, in 2017-18, our Government will commence work to consolidate payroll functions.
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Enhance Government-wide Service Delivery
Significant Progress
Our Government faces increasing citizen service delivery expectations. The use of online and mobile platforms, such as smart phones and tablets, has changed the way people interact to share information and access services. This has driven citizen demand for change in how they interact with Provincial Government services.
Committed to in Phase 1, our Government has recently completed a survey of Newfoundland and Labrador residents on service delivery expectations. The data collected from this survey will help inform the next phase of our transformation from a paper-based application culture to a digital-by-design model. To begin to implement this model, in 2017-18, our Government will create a Digital-by-Design Project team to identify areas of service delivery that could be redesigned to provide the ability to use the services they require when they want and how they want. Also in 2017-18, work will continue on consolidating toll-free numbers for Provincial Government services to provide more streamlined access for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
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Examine the Value of Public Assets
On-going
Public assets include everything from land, buildings, marine vessels and aircraft to equipment and machinery, infrastructure and computer software. At the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year, these assets had a net book value of $4.3 billion. While many assets serve a valid purpose, helping provide Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with the services they need, some may no longer provide a net return on investment or meet a strategic policy objective.
In 2018-19, our government will develop an Asset Management Framework to help departments determine how to divest of assets in a manner that ensures optimal social, economic and financial return. In some cases, this may entail selling the asset, while in other instances it may require giving the asset a new purpose within the public sector or in the community. In the meantime, our government will seek opportunities to optimize assets to ensure that they generate an economic benefit for the province.
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Expand the Role of the Government-wide Audit Committee
Completed
As we continue to increase financial accountability and adopt best practices in governance and financial reporting, our Government will expand the role and composition of the Government-wide Audit Committee. This includes implementing changes to the current committee to allow for external membership, as recommended by the Auditor General. The purpose of the Audit Committee is to foster a positive and effective internal control environment by monitoring and reporting on matters related to financial reporting, governance, and efficiency and effectiveness of provincial programs. In 2017-18, our Government will appoint external members to the Government-wide Audit Committee and the Committee will begin working on their expanded role.
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Implement a Single Entry Medical Transportation Assistance Program
Completed
Currently, financial assistance for medical transportation is provided through two different programs, one for beneficiaries of the Medical Care Plan who incur substantial out-of-pocket travel costs to access specialized insured medical services not available in their community and another for individuals receiving income support services. Our Government will launch a single provincial medical transportation financial assistance program that combines existing provincial medical transportation resources into a single, efficient and equitable program. Over the next six months, our Government will pilot this approach with a select group of clients and implement full roll-out in 2017.
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Implement More Effective Business Financing
Significant Progress
To demonstrate our ongoing commitment to creating and supporting an environment where entrepreneurship and innovation can flourish, there is a need to improve integration of funding provided by departments and agencies to businesses. A range of business financing instruments are available. A review is required to determine if all are still relevant in today’s economy and whether any gaps exist for companies. Our Government will improve the integration of business financing programs, which are currently provided by multiple departments and agencies. Our Government will also complete an analysis of existing non-commercial economic development funding to improve Government-wide collaboration and maximize resources.
In 2017-18, our Government will establish key performance indicators for business financing programs to ensure economic development objectives are being met, with a focus on better processes to improve coordination, efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, we will communicate and implement enhancements and/or modifications to business financing programs.
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Increase Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic Collaboration
Completed
Supporting economic and labour market growth requires coordination and collaboration between the province’s two public post-secondary institutions and other stakeholders, such as Indigenous Governments and Organizations, business and industry. Our Government will work with Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic to enable them to increase the amount of research programs and initiatives undertaken at both institutions, to identify ways for the University and the College to collaborate, partner and pool resources in applied research areas and to assist in supporting and facilitating the transfer of students between the two institutions.
Our Government has formed a Council of representatives from the Provincial Government, Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic. The Council held its first meeting on March 23, 2017. The Council will meet at least twice annually and Government will report on outcomes and recommendations regularly.
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Procure the Corner Brook Long Term Care Facility
Significant Progress
Our Government will proceed to procure the Corner Brook Long Term Care Facility, beginning in 2017. This project will proceed following a value for money assessment which will identify the best method for designing, building, financing and maintaining this new facility. Residents will benefit from receiving high quality care in a modern facility.
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Reduce Expenditures in Public-Sector Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)
On-going
In 2017-18, our government implemented a flatter, leaner management structure for the core public service and in select ABCs. In 2018-19, we will continue to work with ABCs to lower operational costs in a manner that is mindful of service delivery requirements and attrition policies.
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Reduce Government’s Footprint
Significant Progress
The public sector must have a physical presence throughout the province to deliver the health, education and other services Newfoundlanders and Labradorians require. This means that the public sector leaves a significant – and costly – footprint in terms of office space and storage requirements. Our government set a target to reduce, in 2020, our leased-space footprint by 110,000 square feet over 2016 requirements. Reductions in leased-space requirements are saving taxpayers approximately $2.7 million annually. We are now setting our sights even higher by committing to a 130,000 square foot leased-space reduction in the same period.
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Reduce Our Fleet of Light Vehicles
Significant Progress
Following on our commitment to reduce costs associated with owning and operating over 3,000 light-duty, heavy equipment and utility vehicles, we have conducted a review of our fleet, which cost taxpayers $32 million to maintain in 2016-17. In 2018-19, our government will achieve a 10 per cent reduction in its inventory of light-duty vehicles, which equates to 112 fewer vehicles and a savings to taxpayers of approximately $500,000 annually through lower maintenance requirements. This will be done by consolidating the management of the fleet.
Our government is committed to exploring other efficiency options for our vehicle fleet, including establishing a pooled-usage system, centralizing repair and maintenance services, and procuring vehicles that are more fuel-efficient.
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Reduce the Number of Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)
On-going
Our government is undertaking a review of more than 200 public sector ABCs to assess levels of activity and areas of duplication. This review will include advisory, regulatory and adjudicative ABCs, with a focus on those without permanent staff. In 2018-19, our government will continue reducing the number of ABCs.
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Share Services
On-going
Shared services involves the central processing of transactions and services for one or more back-office functions on behalf of several business units within an organization. We will continue to take steps to consolidate corporate services for various accounting and finance processes, such as accounts receivables, collections, accounts payables, banking, payroll and purchasing, as well as human resources and information technology. In 2017-18, we initiated the development of a shared-services work plan and, in 2018-19 we will work with partners in ABCs to identify specific shared-services opportunities for implementation.
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Source Goods and Services More Strategically
On-going
Achieving maximum value for money is a priority for our government. Every year, the core public service spends hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire the various goods and services required to deliver the public services on which Newfoundlanders and Labradorians rely. A strategic sourcing approach has the potential to bring this number down while maintaining the quality of public services and supporting local economic activity in a manner consistent with trade obligations.
Using the new Public Procurement Act, our government will adopt a strategic approach to procurement that maximizes opportunities for public bodies to purchase commodities through joint and group purchasing initiatives and enables the province to leverage the purchasing potential of intergovernmental arrangements, such as those announced under the Atlantic Growth Strategy. Our approach will also consider opportunities to strengthen our economic base by purchasing from local businesses where appropriate.
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Support Innovative Work Arrangements
On-going
The advancement of technology has changed the way people work and has enabled employees to increase their mobility. With access to mobile tools such as laptops and smart phones, some workers can work anywhere at any time. Our Government will develop innovative work arrangement policies which support employees working in remote locations, virtual offices or shared work spaces.
By March 31, 2018, Service NL will explore virtual offices for suitable functions. If adopted, employees will be supported to use mobile technology to work without dedicated office space, accessing shared work space on an as needed basis.
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Take a Strategic Approach to Attrition Management
On-going
Given that more than 5,000 public-sector employees across government departments, agencies, boards and commissions are currently eligible to retire, our government will lead careful workforce planning to reduce the size of the public service and gradually lower spending, in a manner that maintains service delivery and protects a vulnerable economy. This approach will include attrition management as employees retire or resign.
Details on the progress of this action will be released as they become available.
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Utilize Zero-Based Budgeting
Completed
In preparing for Budget 2017, our Government is implementing a zero-based budgeting approach. In previous years, departments had a base budget and justified funding requirements under the assumption that the base budget was already approved. Under the zero-based budgeting approach, departments will need to build their budget requests from zero and justify any continued investment in all areas of operation. Government agencies, boards and commissions will also be required to follow the zero-based approach for discretionary spending areas.
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