Sustainable Development Commissioner, Mr. Jean Cinq-Mars, presents the conclusions of his audit concerning the measures to assess the effectiveness and performance of La Financière agricole du Québec - Press Release no. 5

QUÉBEC, June 3, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Auditor General of Québec, Ms. Guylaine Leclerc, makes public the Report of the Sustainable Development Commissioner (Spring 2015). Chapter 5 makes known the results from work carried out at La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ).

The FADQ uses several governance mechanisms to assess its effectiveness and performance; however, it is difficult to gain a comprehensive view of these two aspects using the monitored indicators. The FADQ does not summarize the results for its different governance mechanisms. A large number of objectives, indicators and targets are measured, but assessment measures should be recentered on the most significant aspects. Similarly, results related to the indicators are seldom put into perspective, and some targets do not prompt the organization to increase its performance, since several results largely exceed them.

On two occasions, the FADQ has implemented a structured benchmarking process pursuant to the Act respecting the governance of state-owned enterprises. However, the limited collaboration of certain enterprises that take part in the exercise reduces the usefulness of the comparable information obtained to further the FADQ's sound management. Moreover, the board of directors' involvement was more limited in the second benchmarking exercise of 2015.

The information used to assess the effectiveness and performance of the FADQ is presented to the board of directors periodically; however, it is not sufficiently put into context and summarized for the board to have an integrated vision of these two aspects. Certain weaknesses limit the usefulness of the management dashboard. For example, there are very few ties between the indicators and strategic objectives, and very few explanations to put the results in context.

The information that the FADQ presents in its annual activity report does not enable an integrated assessment of its effectiveness and performance. The FADQ does not provide a summary of results relating to objectives and targets.

The annual activity report contains little information pertaining to the benchmarking exercise. A follow-up on the action plan resulting from this exercise is presented, but it does not specify the effects of the actions taken on the FADQ's results.

The Highlights are available at www.vgq.qc.ca. The full report is only available in French.

Source:	Lucie Roy, Director
	Cabinet, communications et affaires stratégiques
	Auditor General of Québec
	Tel.: [phone]

SOURCE Vérificateur Général du Québec

Lucie Roy, Director, Cabinet, communications et affaires stratégiques, Auditor General of Québec, Tel.: [phone]