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OAYECPositioning Bulletin

The OAYEC Positioning Bulletin shares OAYEC's positions, values or discussion items related to the youth employment sector, and is available the first Monday of every month.




TOPIC FOR September 17, 2007:

Cutting the Red Tape

 

Backgrounder

Organizations can take comfort in the fact that they are not alone, bureaucratic red tape is an issue faced by all public and non-profits dealing with federal, provincial and municipal grant and contribution programs. OAYEC has made Red Tape a focus for this year, by making it a theme in our member survey and by raising awareness and supporting other organizations measures to fight it.

One of the initiatives helping fight red tape is the “Independent Blue Ribbon Panel on Grant and Contribution programs”. The panel was commissioned by the Honorable John Baird, President of the Treasury board in June 2006. The key goal of the panel was “to recommend measures to make delivery of grant and contribution programs more efficient while ensuring greater accountability.” Although the panels report is focused on Federal programs, there are lessons for all programs and funders in its work.

 

The Report

The report “From Red Tape to Clear Results” was released by the panel in December of 2006. Consultation and discussions were conducted with grant and contribution recipients, program administrators, central agency officials, elected members and public administrator scholars, over 6 months. The following key conclusions and recommendations are a result of the consultation process.

 

Key Conclusions:

  1. There is a need for fundamental change in the way the federal government understands, designs, manages and accounts for grant and contribution programs.
  2. Not only is it possible to simplify administration while strengthening accountability, it is absolutely necessary to do the first in order to ensure the latter.
  3. Making changes in an area of government as vast and multi-faceted as grants and contributions will require sustained leadership at the political and public service levels.

 

Report Recommendations to Government:

  1. Respect the recipients – Agencies like those in the OAYEC network are partners in a shared public purpose. Grant and contribution programs should be citizen focused. The programs should be made accessible, understandable and useable.
  2. Dramatically simplify the reporting and accountability regime – it should reflect the circumstances and capacities of recipients and the real needs of the government and parliament
  3. Encourages Innovation – the goal of the grant and contribution program is not to eliminate errors but to achieve results, and that requires a sensible regime of risk management and performance reporting.
  4. Organize information so that it serves recipients and program managers alike.

 

OAYEC’s Position

OAYEC supports the conclusions and recommendations put forward by the panel in the report. As part of our support for cutting bureaucratic red tape, OAYEC participates on the Voluntary Sector Advisory Committee (VSAC), a committee that has the ear of the national federal bureaucracy. OAYEC strongly believes that it is important for membership to be involved in contributing to the pressure by supporting the changes that have been suggested by the Blue Ribbon panel. OAYEC encourages members to share their experiences with government contacts.

OAYEC requests the designated staff of our member organizations to complete the section dedicated to “Cutting the Red Tape” in the 2007 Member Survey. The Annual OAYEC Member survey will be sent to your emails by the end of this week.

Results of the survey will be shared with a variety of funders of voluntary sector organizations. OAYEC appreciates your contribution. Results of the 2007 Member Survey will be shared at the OAYEC AGM taking place at the FUTURES conference November 5, 6, and 7 at the Blue Mountain Resort. Make sure you get your conference registrations in as soon as possible.

 

For more information, please contact:

Soni Dasmohapatra
sdasmohapatra@oayec.org

 

OAYECThe GO TO organization for youth employment issues.

The OAYEC Positioning Bulletin is a monthly newsletter provided by the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres. OAYEC's mission is to support and advocate for a sustainable youth employment delivery network.

Feedback, comments, and suggestions for future Positioning Bulletins are welcome!
Contact: Soni Dasmohapatra, Researcher, sdasmohapatra@oayec.org

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