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Management Response and Action Plan (MRAP) - Audit of Information Management / Information Technology (IM/IT) Governance
December 2009
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(PDF Version - 54 K)| Recommendations | Planned Management Actions | Deliverables | Expected Completion Date | Accountability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. It is recommended that theAssistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services Branch ensure that attendance and participation at committee and working group meetings is consistently maintained by its membership and develop a communication strategy to be incorporated into the IM/IT governance structure | Information Management Services Directorate will continue its work to improve governance within its new structure in line with the recent Treasury Board Directive on Management of Information Technology. The Directorate has also initiated best practices review of IM/IT governance and integrated planning systems in other science-based departments and agencies in order to ensure that Health Canada is a leader in governance practices for business driven information management and technology. Health Canada business leaders and corporate partners will participate in the definition of strategies and risk management challenges. This work will be completed in November 2009. The Directorate will use this work to identify best practices to build on the current communications/engagement strategy that will improve information sharing, decision-making and accountability internally and amongst the directorate’s clients within the governance structure. |
Best Practices Review Communications Strategy |
Nov 2009 March 2010 |
Executive Director Client Relationship Services |
2. It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services Branch: 2.1 ensures that an integrated planning framework is further refined and used between IMSD and its partners that aligns with the Department Operational Plan. |
IMSD recognizes the opportunity for continuous improvement towards integrating the planning framework with the Departmental Operational Plan. As a result, the 2009-10 planning year represented a major step forward for ISMD as they worked to ensure alignment, visibility and strategic execution. However, this is still a transition year in terms of moving to a truly integrated Departmental business information management and technology plan. Both the Directorate and its partners need to continue to work together in perfecting this process. | Integrated Planning Framework | May 2010 | Executive Director Client Relationship Services |
| 2.2 updates the IM/IT Strategic Plan to align key result areas with the Department’s priorities. | Information Management Services Directorate is building on the draft 2008 Strategic Plan for Information management and technology. At its core will be the “Plan of Record” that establishes departmental strategic IM/IT priorities, as identified at Senior Management Board-Policy. All initiatives on the Plan of Record will be aligned with the departmental priorities and the Departmental Operational Plan which will help ensure consistency between the Directorate’s priorities and key results. The Plan of Record is reported on quarterly to Senior Management Board – Operations, and is then subsequently reported to all Branch executive tables and major working groups. The advent of an Enterprise Architecture Strategy identified by the Deputy Minister Transformation tables for functional business lines (such as regulatory, compliance and enforcement, etc) combined with the efforts of the ADM Advisory Committee for Enterprise Architecture will ensure the continued development of the integrated and strategic approach to IM/IT in Health Canada and it will continue to build on the successes of the last year. | Draft Information Management/Information Technology Strategic Plan2010/11 Plan of Record |
May 2010April 2010 | Executive Director Client Relationship Services |
| 2.3implement financial performance indicators to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of Health Canada’s IM/IT investments | The Enterprise Information Technology program has already proven to be a sound decision and investment by the Department. Phase II accomplished significant streamlining and provided immediate cost savings. The next phase called Enterprise Architecture, will focus on business value and the contributions to business performance that can be made through an Enterprise approach. One of the key characteristics of this phase, the “Leverage”, as described in the business case and its supporting business model is that IT investments and operation will be in total synch with an integrated Departmental business plan and vision. It will refine and establish the departmental key performance indicators, linked to the Program Activity Architecture, in the first phase of introduction (2010-2011). To ensure continuous improvement in Enterprise Information Technology we will measure performance through additional key performance indicators such as, the determination and departmental agreement of a unique number of business critical applications with a target reduction of current numbers of applications by 50% or more by 2012-2013, and a reduction of personal and transitory information and data storage (Storage Area Network - SAN) costs through improved governance, training and information accountability by $2 million annually by 2011-2012. In addition, there will be improved accountability and rationalized office automation tools based on individuals’ roles and responsibilities by reducing telecommunication costs in line with business requirements (including number of devices such as land lines, Blackberry, cell phone) and Internet bandwidth of $4 million by 2011-2012 and a reduction in non-standard technology costs of $2.4 million by 2011-2012. There will also be capital plans and expenditures linked to Return on Investment (ROI). We will also continue to provide high level financial metrics to senior executives and will be developing additional reporting which will be implemented by the end of first quarter of 2010. These financial performance metrics will indicate cost benefits and service impacts of improved operating efficiencies. Lastly, we will continue to improve the IMSD performance management framework to build on accountability, transparency and value for money. IMSD will continue to improve on its accountability efforts with improved key performance indicators beginning in 2010 that will form part of regular reporting to SMB OPS, the DG Internal Services and IMAB will include data on : total IT expenditures, IT cost per employee; total IT spending by region; percentage of IT expenditures delivering new functionality; percentage of “lights on” operating costs (including break/fix, depreciation) versus total IT spend; percentage of projects on time, on budget; percentage of applications deployed with external focus (outside the organization); percentage of applications deployed with internal focus (internal administrative focus); percentage of infrastructure standardization projects of total project pool; percentage of projects using common project and others. |
Financial controls in place to monitor investments. Measure impact of budget reductions on IM/IT investments. New KPI’s focused on ROI and results reporting proposed for 2011/11
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April 2010 April 2010 Proposed Reporting Begin Q1 2010/11 Begin Q1 2010/11 Begin Q1 2010/11 Quarterly /MYR/YE Begin Q1 2010 Begin Q1 2010 Begin Q1 2010 Begin Q3 2010/11 Begin Q4 2010/11 Begin Q4 2010/11 Begin Q4 2010/11 |
Director Information Services Business Management Division |
| 3. It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services Branch, complete cost/benefit analysis and implement measures to assess the appropriateness and/or effectiveness for information technology outsourcing of services. | Cost/benefit studies have been performed for Desktop Support Services, the National Service Desk, and Storage prior to entering into Service Level Agreements. Additionally, to ensure fair pricing and services, IMSD used the Gartner industry benchmarks to negotiate these agreements. Further to these initial studies, IMSD will undertake year end reviews by March 2010 of all Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure continued benefits and cost savings. A mid-year review was undertaken and as a result, the SLA for Desktop Support Services was not actioned, the SLA for the National Service Desk was continued with planned cost savings, and the Storage SLA will be terminated. Additionally, to further ensure savings, IMSD has undertaken a review process of multiple SLAs with similar requirements to bundle them for increased savings. |
Review process for all information technology shared service agreements. | Mar 2010 | Director Information Services Business Management Division |
4. The Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services Branch should ensure that: 4.1 a lifecycle approach to managing the Department’s information technology investments be integrated and aligned to a technology plan and to an IM/IT Strategic Plan; |
IMSD is in the process of reviewing and revising information technology asset management processes, which will be aligned to the IM/IT Strategic Plan and Enterprise Architecture Plan. An Information Technology asset management guide is under development that will document and communicate all roles and responsibilities required for staff to effectively manage information technology assets following an IT Asset life-cycle management (Physical & financial) approach. The following governance activities are also currently underway:
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An information technology asset management lifecycle approach which will identify, verify and maintain the links between the information technology assets and the organizational users | Dependant on the completion of the IM/IT Strategic Plan. | Director Information Services Business Management Division |
| 4.2 IMSD develops its own Information Technology Asset Management Guide that documents and communicates the roles and responsibilities required for staff to manage information technology assets. | A completed Information Technology Asset Management Guide that will document and communicate all roles and responsibilities required for staff to effectively manage IT assets | Mar 2010 | Director Information Services Business Management Division |
