OGGO Committee Report

As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Government of Canada take steps to improve coordination and oversight on decisions related to Very Very Important Person (VVIP) travel, such as, but not limited to:

• increasing planning lead time;
• ensuring cohesive inter-departmental planning for such trips, particularly developing a trip plan and examining the logistics early in the planning phase;
• monitoring and validating cost during the execution phase; and
• sharing best practices and lessons learned with respect to planning and oversight of VVIP travel among all offices that deal with VVIP travel, both international and domestic.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada review the practice of VVIP international travel with the goal of ensuring good value for money to further key government priorities and objectives.

Recommendation 3

That catering costs and other cost-influencing factors, such as availability of multiple catering providers, handling services, or possible partnerships with Canadian airlines on catering and handling, be factored into the choice of airport and travel location whenever feasible, and that locations with unionized work environments be selected whenever possible.

Recommendation 4

That federal organizations supporting the governor general regularly examine the cost-effectiveness of travel, without affecting operational effectiveness, by:

• reducing the overall size of delegations;
• maximizing the number of support staff who travel on commercial airlines;
• sourcing snacks, drinks and other items in bulk in Canada, whenever possible;
• limiting the percentage of contingency meals to 20% or less;
• limiting menu choice, including requested changes to caterer menus unless required by dietary restrictions;
• eliminating unnecessary items, such as drink garnishes;
• using compostable and/or recyclable tableware; and
• carrying out food preparation, cleaning, and waste disposal by unionized members of the federal public service, whenever possible.

Recommendation 5

That a schedule of rates, including a target price per meal per flight, be developed to aid in cost negotiations and to allow the determination of whether estimated costs received are reasonable, responsible and economical; that this schedule apply multiple variables, such as exchange rates, country-based costs, and availability of multiple providers; and that a procedure be developed and implemented to flag a procurement for review when the estimated costs exceed the rate schedule by a determined percentage.

Recommendation 6

That guidelines be developed to determine when and how many meals and snacks should be provided for a given trip, factoring in such considerations as length of travel, time of day, complementarity with the travel program, and the ability to provide food and drink before departure, between legs, or after arrival; and that these guidelines be followed whenever feasible.

Recommendation 7

That, whenever possible, the parties responsible for the procurement of catering services for the Office of the Governor General negotiate all costs and fees, obtain cost estimates from all available providers to aid in negotiations, and facilitate the selection of the provider with the best value.

Recommendation 8

That the Office of the Governor General’s Secretary and departments be proactive in analyzing the costs of each trip upon receipt of all documents related to the trip in order to improve on practices.

Recommendation 9

That all necessary measures be taken to improve the financial transparency and accountability of the Office of the Governor General (Head of State), including a requirement for the Office to publish an annual report on its activities on its website, including its financial statements.

Recommendation 10

That, as recommended in the committee’s 2004 report on the governor general’s role, duties and funding, the Office of the Governor General report on its annual projected plans and priorities and the anticipated results of its activities. In that report, the Office of the Governor General should state the expenses borne by the federal departments and agencies supporting its activities.

Recommendation 11

That the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General report quarterly on travel, whether domestic or international, to the Government Operations and Estimates Committee, including itemized disclosures of hospitality expenses and Royal Canadian Air Force costs with all finalized invoices and receipts.

Recommendation 12

That federal organizations supporting the Governor General proactively release itemized disclosures of all their finalized expenses for all trips.

Recommendation 13

That funding used by departments to support the activities of the governor general be transferred to the Office of the Governor General’s Secretary in the main and supplementary estimates, and that these transfers be clearly identified in the public accounts and thereby accounted for in the budgets allocated to the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.