Building Better Reports: Our Assessment of the 2003/04 Annual Service Plan Reports of Government

Appendix A: Annual Service Plan Reports Assessed

Assessment of the Stages of Development in Incorporating the BC Reporting Principles 2003/04 Annual Strategic Plan Report of the Government of British Columbia

July 2005

Annual Strategic Plan Report of the Government of British Columbia
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Principle 1: Public Purpose Served

The report lists the values that guide the government’s operations.

To improve in this area the report should explain the full scope of operations that constitute the Government of British Columbia. The report should describe the range of core business areas, programs, services and products provided by government, and to whom. An overview of how the government delivers its programs and services (directly and through others,) and how it ensures others deliver what it wants, should also be included in the report. The report should better describe how government is guided by its values in delivering its programs and services. The governance structure should also be explained, including the accountability relationships between government, its ministries and its Crown corporations.

Principle 2: Link Goals and Results

The report identifies the goals and objectives of the government, and it provides measures for each of its objectives. The performance measures go beyond simple inputs to include more informative outputs. The report explains why the performance measures are relevant to the government’s goals and objectives.

To improve in this area the report should fully explain the “chain of events” the government followed from its strategic planning through to its public reporting. The report also should focus on the full range of issues that concern the public and legislators including outputs and some short term outcomes. Variances between planned and actual results need to be identified and fully explained.

Principle 3: Few Critical Aspects

The report has begun to focus on the goals and objectives that are critical to the government’s stakeholders and to achieving its vision.

To improve in this area of reporting the report should clearly state why goals, objectives and measures are important, and what achieving them means to the public and legislators. The government also should explain what is critical in achieving its goals and objectives and the few critical aspects of performance.

Principle 4: Risk and Capacity

The report identifies some risks.

To improve in this area of reporting the report should summarize the key risks government faces and the strategies for prioritizing and dealing with them. The report should explain how risk management affected results. The current status of key areas of capacity should also be described, and the report should explain how government’s capacity and the capacity of partners affected results.

Principle 5: Link Resources, Strategies and Results

The report contains no financial information.

To improve in this area of reporting, the report should provide basic financial information and explain planned and actual costs for each core business area, goal, objective, strategy or result achieved. The report should explain how current funding compares to past and forecast funding. Key financial variances and any changes in funding that affected the achievement of planned performance targets should also be explained. The report should provide financial trend information for expenditures and key revenue generating activities should also be described.

Principle 6: Comparative Information

The report contains trend information for most performance measures.

To improve in this area of reporting results should be reported in relation to the goals, objectives and performance measures outlined in the plan. Where goals, objectives, measures or targets are not reported as planned, full explanations should be provided. Where available and relevant, the report should include benchmark information of other governments and as well as relevant economic, social or demographic information to put its results into context. Year-over-year data inconsistencies in reporting performance measures should also be explained.

Principle 8: Disclose Basis for Key Reporting Judgements

The report describes why the government chose its objectives and performance measures.

To improve in this area of reporting the report should identify sources of information and include concise explanations of how measures are derived and the period to which data applies. The report should also explain how performance targets were selected and why the reader should have confidence in the reliability of the information presented. Results should be interpreted in a balanced way, addressing both successes and shortcomings.

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