Video—CanNor does not know the extent of its impact on economic development in Canada’s North

Audit at a Glance—Transfer Payment Programs—Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
(Chapter 6—Spring 2014 Report of the Auditor General of Canada)

Video Transcript

In our audit that looked at how the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency manages and delivers selected transfer payment programs, we found that the Agency is not monitoring the contributions it pays out. It does not collect enough information from recipients to know the extent to which they are complying with the requirements set out in their contribution agreements. As a result, the Agency does not know the extent to which programs are achieving their intended objectives, nor whether the funding it provides is making a difference to economic development in the North.

When the Agency was established in 2009, the government determined that its headquarters would be located in Iqaluit. However, the Agency has not been able to fill some key positions in the North, and critical corporate functions continue to reside in the Ottawa liaison office. The Agency is updating its human resources plan to guide future recruitment, but it does not have a plan to relocate corporate functions to Iqaluit.