| This summary of Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) projects has been prepared for information purposes only. Decisions reported are tentative and reflect only the current status of discussions on this project, which may change after further deliberations by PSAB. Decisions to publish Handbook material are final only after a formal ballot process. |
Status: Project deferred. Background
Activities to Date
Next Steps
Contact Information - Background
PSAB’s performance reporting initiative was intended to be undertaken in stages: - Stage I ― identifying principles for preparation of performance reports;
- Stage II ― identifying and reporting indicators of financial condition; and
- Stage III ― identifying and reporting performance indicators.
Stage I was completed in September 2006 with the issuance of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) SORP-2, Public Performance Reporting. Stage II is currently underway (see Indicators of Government Financial Conditions project). Reasons for the project
A number of governments currently report performance indicators. The practice in their approaches has been diverse. The type and level of performance indicators reported by governments vary. In practice, the relationship between the performance indicators and the outcomes they are intended to support is not always clear to users, nor is the logic used by governments to select particular performance indicators. This contributed to a perception that governments are not reporting a comprehensive picture of their performance. Performance indicators prepared using a consistent approach across governments and over time will increase credibility and confidence in the performance reports and the performance indicators reported. This will also enhance understanding and acceptance of performance reports as useful tools for assessing government accountability. Performance indicators can be difficult to develop because of the nature of government operations, the services provided by governments, data availability, and insufficient understanding of how resources contribute to outputs and outcomes. - Issues
Issues related to identifying and reporting performance indicators include: - identification of the different types of performance indicators for different aspects of performance;
- factors to consider in identifying and selecting performance indicators; and
- the level and extent of contextual information to disclose for performance indicators reported in performance reports.
Objective
The objective is to issue a SORP to provide guidance on factors a government should consider in identifying and reporting performance indicators. The intent is not to identify or recommend specific performance indicators for governments, but to provide a performance measurement framework to support public performance reporting. Activities to date June 2007
PSAB approved a Project Proposal. Next steps To be determined. Contact Information Questions or comments on this project should be directed to: Tim Beauchamp, CMA
Director, Public Sector Accounting
Telephone: +1 (416) 204-3286
Fax: +1 (416) 204-3412 The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
277 Wellington Street West
Toronto ON M5V 3H2 Canada |
