Management Response and Action Plan: Audit of Budgetary Controls

It is recommended that the Chief Financial Officer ensure that the management of financial risks is better documented in the financial situation reporting at the branch level.

As per the Budget Management Framework, the senior financial officers provide decision support and strategic advice to the assistant deputy minister as appropriate on the financial risks, risk mitigation strategies as part of the monthly variance report and implications associated with budget and funding initiatives, proposals and submissions.

It is recommended that the Chief Financial Officer, in collaboration with the assistant deputy ministers, ensure that budget transfer request forms are completed in accordance with the Health Canada Budget Management Framework.

Budget transfers are completed with the appropriate authority and approvals, monitored by the branch senior financial offices. In some cases a budget transfer is completed with a Budget Transfer Agreement and not a Budget Transfer Request Form which contains similar information and authorization.

August 2014 to update the Budget Management Framework and to allow for impacts of the Resource Management Directorate transformation to be considered so there is only one update.