The following recommendations and management responses address the identified issues and will improve service to recipients:
Recommendation 1 (Essential)
It is recommended that the Director General, Centralized Operations Division revise the memoranda of understanding related to the digitization of SHRs to address gaps identified in the audit.
Management Response
The Director General, Centralized Operations Division agrees with this recommendation and will revise the current MOUs in order to address any gaps identified in the audit by July 30, 2017.
Recommendation 2 (Essential)
It is recommended that the Director General, Centralized Operations Division, update and maintain the business processes related to the digitization of service and health records.
Management Response
The Director General, Centralized Operations Division agrees with this recommendation and will update the business processes concerning the digitization of service health records by March 31, 2017.
4.1 Audit Opinion
Through field observations, file reviews, and data analysis, the audit team noted that the implementation of the digitization of SHRs supports the Department’s transformation agenda of expedited service to VAC recipients by decreasing the time it takes to receive service and health records. The team found that the relevant Privacy Impact Assessment did not reflect the processes in place since 2013 for receiving digitized versions of service and health records, however the PIA was updated prior to completion of the audit. The audit also found that memoranda of understanding related to the digitization of SHRs should be revised to adhere to the Guideline on Service Agreements. Relevant Departmental business processes were also out of date.
This audit engagement was planned and conducted to be in accordance with the Internal Auditing Standards for the Government of Canada. Overall, the audit team determined the results to be “generally acceptable.”
The definition of the ranking of recommendations and the audit opinion are available in Appendix B.