Entities: Employment and Social Development Canada, Shared Services Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Public Services and Procurement Canada

Context
Each year, the government provides more than $100 billion in Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits to about 6 million elderly Canadians who rely on these payments. Any interruption or error in the amount they receive can significantly affect their ability to meet their daily needs, such as buying food or paying rent.

Employment and Social Development Canada reported that in the 2021–22 fiscal year, it made $1.47 billion in overpayments to Employment Insurance and Old Age Security recipients. In addition, the department estimates that $2.5 billion in Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security benefits are unclaimed each year.

The Benefits Delivery Modernization programme plans to transform how Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security benefit services are delivered to Canadians.

Audit objective
This audit seeks to determine whether Employment and Social Development Canada, with the support of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Shared Services Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada, is delivering the Benefits Delivery Modernization programme to ensure continuity of Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance benefits and to support the transition of information technology systems and business processes to deliver accurate and timely benefits for all Canadians.

Entities: Canada Border Services Agency, Correctional Service Canada, Department of Justice Canada, Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Public Safety Canada, Public Service Commission of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Context
The introduction of the Employment Equity Act in 1986 was an important step in formally recognizing the responsibility to develop a representative public service. More recently, the Call to Action on Anti‑Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service was an important public statement from the Clerk of the Privy Council regarding the expectations for all public service leaders to deliver on meaningful change.

As an employer, the public service is mandated to ensure that its employees are representative of the people it serves. In keeping with this mandate, the Government of Canada must offer an inclusive, respectful environment that addresses systemic racism and discrimination.

This audit will examine the systems, controls, and practices that affect the organizational culture of selected organizations regarding the inclusion of racialized employees and progress achieved in increasing their representation, participation, and influence in the workplace. This audit will examine past results using disaggregated data at the lowest possible levels for racialized employees (referred to as “visible minorities” in the Employment Equity Act) and assess actions taken to address racial discrimination.

Audit objective
This audit seeks to determine whether selected organizations acted to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced by racialized employees and demonstrated progress toward creating an inclusive organizational culture.

Entities: Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Context
Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as a growing threat to public health in Canada. The World Health Organization has declared it as one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. It occurs when microbes (for example, bacteria, viruses, fungi) become resistant to the antimicrobial used to treat them.

Audit objective
This audit seeks to determine whether the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada delivered actions to address antimicrobial resistance, to provide comprehensive surveillance, and to preserve the effectiveness of medically important antimicrobials.

Entity: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Context
Each year, Canada welcomes permanent residents with the aim of driving economic growth, reuniting families, and upholding humanitarian values. Increasingly higher targets for new permanent resident admissions were set under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan. The COVID‑19 pandemic presented significant challenges to the department’s operations.

By September 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reported that its application inventory had grown to more than 2 million applications with processing delays across all programs. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada committed to improving the speed at which applications are processed.

Audit objective
This audit seeks to determine whether Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada processed applications for permanent residence in a prompt and efficient manner to support economic, family reunification, and humanitarian objectives.

The permanent resident programs covered by this audit are the following:

• Economic class: Federal Skilled Worker, Quebec Skilled Worker Program, and Provincial Nominee Program
• Family class: Sponsored spouse and Partner Program and Dependent Children program
• Humanitarian class: Government-Assisted Refugees program and Privately Sponsored Refugee program

Entities: Canada Border Services Agency, Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada

Context
Developed by the Canada Border Services Agency and Public Health Agency of Canada, ArriveCAN is a web tool and mobile app that allows travellers to provide their customs and immigration declarations in advance of their arrival to Canada. The tool also allows travellers to provide their vaccination status information when required.

On 2 November 2022, a motion called on the Auditor General of Canada to conduct a performance audit of ArriveCAN, including payments, contracts, and subcontracts for all aspects of the ArriveCAN tool.

Audit objective
This audit seeks to determine whether the Canada Border Services Agency, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada managed all aspects of the ArriveCAN tool, including procurement and expected deliverables, with due regard for economy, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Entities: Office of the Chief Information Officer under the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Shared Services Canada

Context
The gap between the current state of technology components and their optimal state of operation creates significant risks in terms of security, performance, user experience, and service delivery to Canadians.

Since our 2010 audit report, Link opens a PDF file in a new browser windowAging Information Technology Systems, the Government of Canada has identified about 7,500 business applications in production. According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, only 35% of them are in good condition. The other 65% require attention because of poor technical condition, low business value, or insufficient funding.

In 2022, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat released the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition 2022 with the goal of enabling government service delivery in the digital age by providing modernized and accessible information technologyIT tools and services to all Canadians.

Audit objective
This audit seeks to determine whether the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and Shared Services Canada led and supported the efficient and effective modernization of IT systems across government.