Revelations about inconsistencies in financial practices at Shared Services Canada contained in the Auditor General’s latest report are of great concern to the FI Community, according to Dany Richard, ACFO Executive Vice-President.
“Accurate baselines, complete financial models and comprehensive reporting are all hallmarks of a robust, professional financial management framework,” said Richard. “When I hear about the sort of problems that Shared Services is dealing with, I immediately think: ok, what exactly happened and how can we make this right?”
Richard suggested the report raised more questions than answers from a financial management perspective.
“We know that, as a general rule, FIs across the public service are being asked to do more with less, so is this an issue of capacity? Is it a lack of trust in the advice provided by financial officers? Have the FIs at Shared Services Canada been set up to succeed?”
To this end, ACFO has reached out to the Chief Financial Officer at Shared Services to discuss how the FI Community can help implement the Auditor General’s recommendations.
“I look forward to working with the leadership at Shared Services and ensuring that our members are put in a position to do what they do best: serve as stewards of financial management and ensure Canadians are receiving value for the money spent in the department,” said Richard.