The Management And Control Of Public Finances In Canada

During the fiscal year from 1 April of the current year to 31 March the following year the federal government's liabilities can total in the hundreds of billions of dollars. A simple accounting error or slight mishap in a government program could result in the loss of several hundreds of millions of dollars. The tabling of the budget papers on budget day ends the budget development process. A cycle of financial management that extends over more than 20 months then begins. This document explains the public finance management cycle in detail.

"It's not your money - it belongs to the people." Taking this simple axiom seriously creates unique challenges for the management of public funds. Andrew Graham outlines all aspects of public sector financial management, addressing how funds are obtained, what rules of accountability and accounting are applied, who controls public funds, what constitutes effective budget management at the operational level, and how accountability and oversight are dealt with. The skills demanded of public sector managers in financial management are becoming increasingly onerous and complex. Canadian Public Sector Financial Management will be of great help to practitioners in the public sector who wish to better understand their financial responsibilities as well as to students of public administration and the general reader concerned with public financial management issues. The secondedition of Canadian Public-Sector Financial Management updates the widely used text, reflecting on the developments in public financial management over the past six years. Developments in financial reporting and the widespread need for governments to constrain growth and manage their finances more closely are looked at. It remains focused on the practitioner and manager in the public sector.

Very little happens in government without money. The real impact of policy pronouncements is only understood when the resources to implement them are known, secured, and spent. Canadian Public-Sector Financial Management is for the student and practitioner of public administration, not the finance specialist. Andrew Graham focuses on understanding the public-sector financial environment and the accounting framework. He moves then to the core elements of the financial management process itself (securing funds or the budget process), managing the spending of those funds (control and in-year budget management and reporting), and evaluating how the funds were spent (internal reporting, external reporting, audit, and oversight). This third edition updates the accounting framework, places a stronger emphasis on risk management skills throughout the cycle, particularly in in-year budget control, and updates external reporting as governments look for different and more useful ways to report their financial and program results.

"It's not your money - it belongs to the people." Taking this simple axiom seriously creates unique challenges for the management of public funds. Andrew Graham outlines all aspects of public sector financial management, addressing how funds are obtained, what rules of accountability and accounting are applied, who controls public funds, what constitutes effective budget management at the operational level, and how accountability and oversight are dealt with. The skills demanded of public sector managers in financial management are becoming increasingly onerous and complex. Canadian Public Sector Financial Management will be of great help to practitioners in the public sector who wish to better understand their financial responsibilities as well as to students of public administration and the general reader concerned with public financial management issues.

Broken down into five sections explaining how public budgets are developed, Canadian Public Finance presents a comprehensive account of the budget process of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. With a specific focus on the public policy process, Geneviève Tellier walks readers through the five steps involved in the budget process including agenda-setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation. Taking a close look at how much influence key decision-makers actually have over the budget process, Tellier highlights recent events that reveal the political, social, and economic constraints that impact budgetary decisions. Tellier uses key words and textboxes at the end of each chapter to reflect on current issues and new developments in the world of public finance, such as gender-sensitive budgets, performance-based budgeting, and fiscal transparency.

Broken down into five sections explaining how public budgets are developed, Canadian Public Finance presents a comprehensive account of the budget process of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. With a specific focus on the public policy process, Geneviève Tellier walks readers through the five steps involved in the budget process including agenda-setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation. Taking a close look at how much influence key decision-makers actually have over the budget process, Tellier highlights recent events that reveal the political, social, and economic constraints that impact budgetary decisions. Tellier uses key words and textboxes at the end of each chapter to reflect on current issues and new developments in the world of public finance, such as gender-sensitive budgets, performance-based budgeting, and fiscal transparency.