Evaluation of the Federal Government's Participation in the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative

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7.0 MANAGEMENT RESPONSE

This section outlines the management response to the evaluation recommendations. The federal Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative Secretariat takes responsibility for implementing the management response. In the event that the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative moves to a new department, the federal Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative Secretariat commits to continuing with the implementation of the management response and will ensure that officials from the Evaluation Branch at Environment Canada are provided with the opportunity to transition results and responsibilities associated with this evaluation to the new host department.

1. Further exploration of the extent to which the federal component of the TWRI has been successful in meeting its expected outcomes should be undertaken, once the implementation phase of the program is completed.

The federal TWRI Secretariat agrees with this recommendation.

As such, the federal TWRI Secretariat is committed to further exploring the program's expected outcomes. To facilitate this recommendation, the federal TWRI Secretariat has set aside funding in its O&M envelope to cover the costs associated with the work around expected outcomes.

In May 2008, the federal TWRI Secretariat will initiate discussions with departmental evaluation and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat officials.  The workplan will outline timelines and next steps in the process, if any. The intent of the workplan is to meet the expectations of all parties and to guide the process of further exploring the program’s expected outcomes.

Expected Completion Date: December 15, 2008
Responsible Party: Director, Federal TWRI Secretariat

2. The federal TWRI Secretariat should continue to work with the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation to develop methods for the timely expenditure of federal TWRI funding.

The federal TWRI Secretariat agrees with this recommendation.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Policy on Transfer Payment stipulates that all assistance to capital projects must be in the form of a contribution. The federal TWRI Secretariat will work with its counterparts and the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation to ensure federal funding is spent by March 31, 2011. This includes providing the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation with the governance flexibility it requires to efficiently continue the delivery of the TWRI, as intended for in the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation Act, R.S.O., 2002. Although some governance flexibilities have been granted to date, it is anticipated that throughout the life of the TWRI, a number of governance requests on the part of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation will be presented to Treasury Board.

Under the Operations Working Group, chaired by the federal TWRI Secretariat, the federal government will engage the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation to ensure a more coordinated effort in the development of contribution agreements, emphasizing the need for funding to be expended within the prescribed timeframes. The federal TWRI Secretariat is committed to raising the issue with the other orders of government at the next Operations Working Group.

Additionally, the federal TWRI Secretariat will seek support from the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation and the other two orders of government during the negotiation of the next Tri-government Long-term Funding Plan so as to ensure federal funding is strategically allocated to projects which can be completed before the program's sunset date of March 31, 2011.

Expected Completion Date:

Responsible Party: Director, Federal TWRI Secretariat

3. The appropriateness of the $10-million threshold on federal contribution agreements should be re-examined.

The federal TWRI Secretariat agrees with this recommendation.

The federal TWRI Secretariat unsuccessfully sought to have the threshold removed in 2007.  The rationale for the decision to retain the $10 million threshold was that the program lacked audit and evaluation evidence to substantiate the removal of the threshold.  Currently, the federal TWRI Secretariat bundles similar projects together as a themed-based approach when seeking funding approval.

Expected Completion Date: Already addressed and ongoing.
Responsible Party: Director, Federal TWRI Secretariat

4. The federal government should continue to work with the TWRC, the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario to develop indemnification policies that best meet the needs of all parties.

The federal TWRI Secretariat agrees with this recommendation.

The federal TWRI Secretariat is committed to leading the negotiation of a resolution with the other two levels of government on this issue.

The federal TWRI Secretariat is currently working with the other two orders of governments via the Operations Working Group and respective legal representatives to ensure that the additional indemnification clauses are removed from the contribution agreement template by December 15, 2008.

Expected Completion Date: December 15, 2008
Responsible Party: Director, Federal TWRI Secretariat

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