2007-08-31

Program Review, 2007 edition

Today's The Globe and Mail has an article about the current exercise 17 departments and agencies are taking part in to identify and "reallocate the least useful 5 per cent of their expenditures to more important things. And if the cabinet can find a better way to spend the money, the department will lose it altogether."

Library and Archives Canada is one of the 17 organizations. Others on the list are:

  • Canada Revenue Agency
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Canadian Heritage
  • Canadian International Development Agency
  • Canadian Museum of Civilization
  • Canadian Museum of Nature
  • Finance Canada
  • Canadian International Trade Tribunal
  • Financial Transaction and Reports Analysis
  • Foreign Affairs and International Trade
  • International Development Research Centre
  • National Gallery of Canada
  • National Museum of Science and Technology
  • Parks Canada
  • Statistics Canada
  • Transport Canada
Pierre-Alain Bujold, another spokesman for the Treasury Board, said every department selected for review this year must identify the 5 per cent of its program spending that it considers to be the lowest-priority or lowest-performing. The departments will then determine how those funds could be reallocated internally to higher-priority programming.

The federal cabinet will decide whether the reallocation plans are appropriate, or if a program elsewhere within the government could put the funds to a better use.

Hmmm, I wonder what 5% of spending LAC considers lowest-priority or lowest-performing? CBEC? ILL? Anything related to the former National Library? Anything with the L-word?

Suggestions anyone?

*** According to the 2007-2008 Report on Plans and Priorities LAC was allocated $119 million.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I believe that anything where the word "Service" (to and for Canadians)is lined up next to the L word will mean some type of cutsat LAC.
It seems to many of us now that there are true blue bureaucrats at LAC rather than LS professionals there won't be much prioritizing of what gets cut, because the bureaucrats running the show do not understand what LAC has stood for, or what its raison d'etre is. They'll make the cuts, leave and move on to another department that will take them on at the next level on their personal career ladders. This will be a loss for Canadian heritage and collections.

How much will be cut from the archives and records side I wonder?