Corporate Administration Statement of Operations - Quarter 4 Financial Update (2016)

Variance Analysis (in thousands of dollars)

Corporate Administration operated at a surplus after indirect allocations of $127. The following factors have contributed to this surplus:

Compensation

The unfavourable variance of $1,130 is primarily the result of the decisions associated to the previous administration in the termination of employees ($833), higher than anticipated health/dental benefits for retirees ($187) and the bereavement claims for deceased employees ($176); partially offset with gapping dollars for vacant positions within Organizational Performance ($94).

Administrative

The favourable variance of $674 is primarily due to: consulting expenditures being less than budgeted for the value for money audits ($170) and advocacy support ($230); the timing of expenditures related to the employee engagement survey ($200) and human resources benefit tendering ($200); offset by legal costs in excess of budget associated with the termination of employees by previous administration ($115). Of this unspent budget, $539 of expenditures have been committed to and are included in the 2016 encumbrances reported in Transfers to Funds. These include: the engagement survey and human resources benefit tendering, project management consulting, Phase One of the Niagara Regional Police Services Review, Niagara Week is Every Week, the Combined Sewer Overflow Value-For-Money audit, the communications strategy audit and Staff Education Assistance Funding.

Operational & Supply

The favourable variance of $37 is primarily due to anticipated spending on hard copy reference materials (e.g. handbooks, legislative acts etc.) being less than budgeted.

Transfers from Funds

The unfavourable variance of $124 relates to unspent reserve funding that was transferred back to reserves for the human resources benefits tendering.

Transfers to Funds

The unfavourable variance of $539 relates to the 2016 encumbrances.

Community Impacts & Achievements

Corporate Records, Print & Mail Services

• Issued a request for proposal for records storage services in November 2016
• Drafted a strategic plan for Information Management
• Print Shop is planning to implement enhanced mail services in 2017

Corporate Communications

• Led government relations activities to advance Council's strategic priorities including project management of GO rail expansion advocacy (announcement July 2016)
• Enhanced the regional website (Niagararegion.ca) for compliance with the communication standards of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Organizational Performance

• Supported council priority projects and presented Council Strategic Priorities progress report; as well as maintained the public facing dashboard and prepared quarterly reports to council on performance measures.
• Ongoing support for the enterprise Project Management solution, Burgoyne Bridge Performance Assessment management response, Alternative Service Delivery for social housing and Fleet Management Value for Money audit
• Supported Deloitte with the forensic audit assignment

Human Resources

Continued implementation of "People First", the Niagara Region's human capital strategy, with measurable results achieved through comprehensive work plans and metrics strategy. Specific results include:

• Vendor selection for the provision of group health benefits, transition effective January 1, 2017; development of comprehensive transition and implementation strategy
• Vendor selection for the provision of our employee and family assistance program, in partnership with Niagara Regional Police Services, with an effective date of January 1, 2017
• Building leadership bench strength through ongoing leadership engagement and training to foster One Team, and process improvements to our performance management program to build alignment and enable results in support of Council strategic priorities