Government On-Line program not well thought out, auditor general cautions

The federal government’s Government On-Line (GOL) project could become a white elephant, the auditor general of Canada warns. The Cabinet needs to strengthen the GOL framework to provide greater direction and leadership, Sheila Fraser says. "With two years remaining in the six-year Government On-Line initiative, the government needs to devote immediate attention to dealing with some important risks," she states in her most recent report to Parliament, released February 10. "If it does not, GOL could become an expensive and underused vehicle." The original GOL plans had a target date of this year for delivery of services (NL, May 22/01). The federal budget of December 2001 delayed that by one year, citing new security concerns in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Fraser worries that federal departments will not be able to reach the objectives set out in the GOL plan. The program sets out nine services it needs rolled out by 2005. The auditor general released figures showing that while some of the early goals have been achieved, more complex aims are nowhere close to being realized. "The government has a well-defined vision for GOL. However, it lacks a single, consistent and comprehensive document to follow up on the vision and provide a foundation for achieving it," Fraser’s report states. "We expected that the government would have developed, within a year after the throne speech, a strategic plan that articulated both high-level and detailed expected outcomes, identified the resources required and analyzed the cost of achieving the expected outcomes and vision. However, this was not the case." In 2002 the Treasury Board Secretariat, which has responsibility for GOL, listed 132 of the most commonly used federal services that would be online by the end of 2005. Fraser notes that only 43 of those services have actually received central funding to bring them online. "For the 2005 GOL deadline, the Treasury Board Secretariat should clarify the expected outcomes in meaningful, measurable and time-limited terms," the auditor general’s report concludes. "If the GOL initiative is extended beyond 2005, the Treasury Board Secretariat should develop a comprehensive strategic plan that clearly sets out what GOL is to achieve."

Government On-Line program not well thought out, auditor general cautions

News | 02/17/2004 5:00 am EST

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