Agile Auditing of the Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme at ESDC

Agile Auditing of the Benefits Delivery Modernization Programme at ESDC

Level: Intermediate

The BDM is one of ESDC’s most mission-critical transformations. It is defined as a large scale transformation programme, designed to deliver the future state client experience for the recipients of Employment Insurance (EI), Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits and other benefits through a modern technology platform, and streamlining benefits processing, offering new digital services and enhancing service management capabilities.

The BDM Programme is a 10-year, highly complex, multi-phase investment programme that will streamline the structure, process and performance of benefits delivery for EI, OAS and CPP to meet current and emerging client service needs, under changing business and economic environments. BDM is a constant moving piece that encompasses four tranches with attached outcomes in support of the benefits realization of the programme.

The Programme is one of the largest transformation initiative across the Federal Government. At a glance, the BDM would entail $117B being delivered in EI, CPP and OAS benefits; representing 5.3% of Canada’s GDP (PIB). These benefits currently serve approx. 9.5M Canadians, through 165.8M in payments being processed. The governance of the BDM programme remains complex, represented by a Sponsoring Group Chaired by the DM and Co-Chaired by the COO of Service Canada, managed through 12 integrated work streams and supported by a heavy oversight structure.

Due to it size, complexity and importance (priority), BDM directly impacts ESDC’s core mandate and the Department’s major transformation agenda. The creation of a newly dedicated team to support Agile Auditing for BDM is critical to the success of the programme. As such, in December of 2020, the Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management Branch (IAERMB) of ESDC, in conjunction with the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) of the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) embarked on a journey to develop an Agile Auditing Strategy to support the successful delivery of the BDM Programme.

A dedicated team was established within the IAERMB in January 2021, in response to the needs for providing more timely assurance to the BDM programme, and to support the successful achievement of BDM’s benefits realization. The provision of assurance through an Agile Auditing falls under a more nimble assurance model than through the traditional auditing process.