A report released by Neil Yeates has demonstrated the inefficiencies within IRCC. Here’s all you need to know about IRCC’s decision-making committees.
Among the issues discussed, the former deputy minister highlighted that IRCC’s decision-making committee is one of the challenges involved in running the department smoothly.
Further, Yeates asserted that IRCC’s decision-making committees often exceed the recommended 8-12 members. As a result, this makes strategic discussion a challenge & meetings time-consuming.
He also stated that certain steps need to be taken in order to realign the organizational structure, reform the governance system, & implement stronger management systems.
Changing the committee & the decision-making process could help improve efficiency within the immigration department & allow it to meet the increasing demand for its services.
Operational Governance Committees
IRCC’s decision-making committees are divided into three sections. The Operational Governance side deals with decisions that affect the daily operations of the department. Under this section, four committees meet with varying frequency. Under this section, four committees meet with varying frequency to enable effortless immigration to Canada.
Every six weeks, the Digital Transformation Program Board meets to discuss the progress of IRCC’s digital transformation & other transformation initiatives. The committee reports to the Transformation Committee, which functions under the Corporate Governance section.
In addition, the Issues Management Committee works at the senior management level & meets bi-weekly for discussions & make decisions regarding challenges associated with the program, operational, & policy priorities.
Furthermore, the corporate & finance committee also meets bi-weekly to discuss financial & management excellence & accountability. It provides risk-based strategic guidance to help support decision-making. Moreover, both committees report to the Executive Committee at the corporate governance level.
There is also a weekly ‘look ahead’ committee, which acts as a platform for information sharing within the department.
Corporate Governance Committees
Three committees come under the Corporate Governance section of committees.
The Transformation Committee works to provide department-wide leadership aimed at helping IRCC attain its vision, outcomes, & objectives. It is informed partially by the Digital Transformation Program Board.
The Executive Committee meets every week & acts as a decision-making body for department-wide challenges. It is also responsible for setting priorities & offering high-level strategic direction. Further, it acts as a pre-brief committee for ministerial briefings when needed.
The final committee at the Corporate Governance level is the Minister-Deputy Minister Committee. This committee offers priorities based on IRCC’s mandate commitments & acts as a decision-making forum for pressing issues & essential topics.
Deputy Minister & Deputy Minister Associate Committees
There are four individual committees under the Deputy Minister Associate & Deputy Minister section of committees.
The Departmental Audit Committee provides objective advice & suggestions on IRCC’s departmental results framework & program inventory as well as IRCC’s risk management. This includes accountability & departmental auditing systems.
In addition, the Performance Measurement & Evaluation Committee evaluates as well as measures the performance of IRCC’s programs to enhance program results.
The National Security Committee works to strengthen departmental awareness of security issues that could affect IRCC & recognize priorities associated with national security matters.
Lastly, the Legal Issues Management Committee works alongside the Deputy Minister & Associate Deputy Minister of IRCC in order to help manage legal issues that might arise from operations, procedures, existing litigation, & policies.
Yeates Recommendations
Neil Yeates asserts that IRCC’s committee structure impedes the efficiency of decision-making within the department, as many committees & departments are interdependent.
He suggests that IRCC’s committees undergo some restructuring. For instance, the report recommends that the Executive Committee take responsibility for finance & corporate services.
In addition, the Issues Management Committee will also be eliminated & a new committee for operations will be established. The Deputy Minister’s Office should chair the new Operations Committee. Moreover, the former Deputy Minister says that there must be a hard cap of 12 on the number of committee members.