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/ Canadian Government Executive
// December 2016
Audit
Enhancing
Horizontal Assurance
in the Public Sector
Deidre
Green
F
or all its subtleties and myster-
ies, the Westminster system of
government has long contribut-
ed to stable and effective gover-
nance in Canada at the federal, provincial
and territorial levels. Recent trends to-
wards horizontal delivery of services add
complexity to an already complex system.
Lines of Ministerial responsibility
have the potential to become somewhat
blurred with the horizontal delivery of
programs and services, leading some to
worry that accountability will be lost.
Governments and legislatures need to be
confident that systems or initiatives that
cross ministerial boundaries continue to
be managed efficiently and effectively.
Although horizontal delivery is not
new, initiatives to network traditionally
distinct organizations appear to be prolif-
erating. For example, in New Brunswick,
the government recently expanded the
role of Service New Brunswick to include
not just service to the public, but also the
delivery of common services across gov-
ernment. Additionally, services such as
human resources or information technol-
ogy have been centralized with a mandate
to deliver across ministries. Projected sav-
ings are reported to be achieved primarily
through the modernization of technology,
automated systems and business process-
es and strategic procurement.
Whereas centralization creates one or-
ganization to service many, sometimes
two or more ministries may be called
upon to help deliver a single program. For
example, the regulation of agricultural
products at the federal level is a respon-
sibility shared by the Canadian Food In-
spection Agency, Health Canada and Envi-
ronment Canada.
To add even more dimensions to the
complexity, governments are also work-
ing together across jurisdictional bound-
aries. For example, the Canada-Atlantic
Provinces Agreement on International
Business Development helps Atlantic
Canadian businesses find international
markets. Partners include three federal
departments and the four provincial gov-
ernments in Atlantic Canada.