Policy directive: CW 001-17 – Policy directive-posting of executive travel and board expenses

Effective date

This policy directive will become effective on March 31, 2017.

Introduction

The Broader Public Sector (BPS) Business Documents Directive came into effect on January 1, 2016. The Business Documents Directive requires designated BPS organizations to post business plans and other business and financial documents to their public websites. The Business Documents Directive is intended to provide the public with a means to understand the business objectives and overall operations of these organizations, and to bring consistency and transparency across designated BPS organizations.

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is committed to promoting the best interests of children, and strengthening accountability and transparency of use of public funds dedicated to children’s services by requiring children’s aid societies to publicly post travel expenses incurred by executive-level staff and board members.

Requirements

Executive-level staff is defined as the Executive Director, or Chief Executive Officer, and all executive staff that report directly to this position. This includes all members of the Senior Management Team (e.g., Director of Services, Director of Resources, Director of Finance, Director of Human Resources, Director of Legal Services, Director of Quality Assurance, Director of Information and Technology).

Board members are defined as each member of a children’s aid society’s locally appointed (or elected) board of directors, which is responsible for the governance of the society.

1. All children’s aid societies are required to post the total year-end audited actual travel expenses incurred by executive-level staff and board members to their public websites.
2. (a) Children’s aid societies will post the total approved year-end audited actual travel expenses by individual executive-level staff member for each of the following expense categories:
   • accommodations
   • meals
   • transportation – specify by type: airplane, train, vehicle, taxi, other
   • other travel expenses
   2. Children’s aid societies will post the total approved year-end audited actual travel expenses by individual board member for each of the following expense categories:
      • accommodations
      • meals
      • hospitality
      • transportation – specify by type: airplane, train, vehicle, taxi, other
      • other travel expenses
   3. Children’s aid societies will also post the total approved year-end audited actual travel expenses incurred by board members as a group for each of the following expense categories:
      • accommodations
      • meals
      • hospitality
      • transportation
      • other travel expenses
3. Children’s aid societies must post the total approved year-end audited actual travel expenses as required in 2(a)(b)(c) above on or before the last day of the fourth month following the end of each fiscal year (i.e., July 31).
4. Children’s aid societies must provide attestation of compliance with the requirements of this directive each fiscal year in their Child Welfare Transfer Payment Annual Reconciliation Reports.

Issuance of revised policy directive: March 24, 2017

Original signed by:

Rachael Kampus
Assistant Deputy Minister
Service Delivery Division
Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Jennifer Morris
Assistant Deputy Minister (A)
Policy Development and Program Design Division
Ministry of Children and Youth Services