Archived in January 2013 Schedule 11: Reporting on Performance and Outcomes¹

This information has been archived. Visit the  Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions page for current information.

1. Policy

Federal departments and agencies are required to submit an annual performance report to Parliament. In keeping with the spirit of this requirement, CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC keep Canadians informed about the outcomes of their programs and, more generally, about the results of federal investments in research.

As stated in section 4.4 (k) of the MOU, the federal granting Agencies are subject to the Treasury Board’s  Policy on Transfer Payments. They are also subject to the federal government’s accountability requirements – as set out in Treasury Board’s  Policy on Internal Audit and Treasury Board’s  Evaluation Policy– as well as its expectations for the implementation of  Results-based Performance Frameworks to monitor and report on the performance of programs.

This Schedule sets out Agencies’ and Institutions’ overall responsibilities for reporting on performance.

Specific reporting requirements may vary from Agency to Agency and from program to program. When reporting on any grant or award, Institutions and Grant and Award Holders must ensure that they conform to all applicable requirements.

2. Responsibilities

2.1 Responsibilities of the Institution

The Institution agrees to:

1. support adherence to the relevant Agency’s performance reporting requirements and facilitate the provision of the required information (e.g., concerning the submission of progress and final research reports) in a timely manner;
2. contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of the Agency’s programs, policies and processes by participating in mid-term reviews, evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and other activities organized for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results (including tracking Grant and Award Holders), while taking into account the availability of relevant data; and
3. encourage its faculty, students, and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of the Agency’s programs, policies and processes.

2.2 Responsibilities of the Agencies

Each Agency agrees to:

1. consult with relevant stakeholders, when feasible, on new reporting requirements; establish performance reporting requirements that take into account costs and benefits and that provide clear guidelines, relevant forms, and feasible procedures for the collection, analysis, reporting and use of information about the performance and outcomes of grants and awards;
2. inform Institutions and Grant and Award Holders, in a timely manner, of their reporting and data collection requirements;
3. enlist the help of Institutions and Grant and Award Holders in monitoring and evaluation of Institutions and individuals, while recognizing the time and resources that such activities require;
4. provide Institutions with information on their compliance with reporting requirements, as well as with information on the compliance of that Institution’s Grant and Award Holders; and
5. use the information and data collected to improve program design, promote the outcomes of grants and awards, develop new policies and processes, and report to Canadians.

3. Public Accountability

Information and data that Institutions and Grant and Award Holders provide in their reports to an Agency can be used by the Agency in its own reports on program performance as well as in conducting audits, reviews and evaluations of its programs and policies.

¹This Schedule complements section 4.4(j) and section 5.1 of the MOU. Schedule 1, “Financial Accountability,” presents the overall requirements for reporting on financial performance.