Government Accountability Act

INTENT

Under the Government Accountability Act, the Government of Alberta is obligated to account for not only it's spending in relation to the provision of Skills Investment programs and services, but also for the results it is achieving. The Ministry has a responsibility to develop plans to make the best use of the funding voted by the Legislative Assembly for Skills Investments, report the results it is achieving to the public, and identify ways to continuously improve its programs and services.

The following principles underlie the accountability framework for Skills Investment programs and services:

• Skills Investment initiatives align with the Government of Alberta's goals and priorities;
• Skills Investment spending is well-managed;
• There is continuous improvement in the effectiveness and efficiency of Skills Investment programs and services;
• There is adequate flexibility to allow for responsiveness to shifts in Albertans needs and labour market needs;
• There is adequate access and choice for Albertans requiring assistance to prepare for, find, and keep employment;
• Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for Skills Investment programs and services and spending are clear.

The Government of Alberta provides training supports in two ways:

• through provision of support to allow individuals to participate in tuition-based programs
• through contracted-based training
  
  

The accountability and financial management framework applies to all Skills Investment programs and services, encompassing tuition-based and contracted training.

PROCEDURE

Key components of the framework are:

• Emphasis on planning;
• Responsibility of ministry regions for financial management; and,
• Use of performance information in decision making about Skills Investment programs, services, and spending.

There are several key accountability instruments under the framework for the Skills Investment programs as shown in Figure 1 and 2 below:

Figure 1: Accountability Instruments for Tuition-Based Skills Investment Programs

Figure 2: Accountability Instruments for Contracted Skills Investment Programs