Ms. Deborah Oakley
Chair
Provincial Judges Pension Board
2200 - 200 King Street West
Toronto ON  M5H 3X6

Dear Ms. Oakley:

I am pleased to write to you in your capacity as Chair of the Provincial Judges Pension Board (PJPB). Pursuant to the requirements of the Agencies and Appointments Directive, this letter sets out my expectations for the PJPB for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Ontario’s board-governed agencies are vital partners in ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to Ontarians. Together with your fellow board members, the people of Ontario rely on you to establish the goals, objectives and strategic direction for the agency in a manner consistent with government priorities, your agency mandate, key policies and directives and my directions, where appropriate. I thank you for your willingness to serve.

As part of the government of Ontario, agencies are expected to act in the best interests of Ontarians by being efficient, effective, and providing value for money to taxpayers. This includes:

  1. Transparency and Accountability
    • Abiding by applicable government directives and policies and ensuring transparency and accountability in reporting;
    • Adhering to requirements of the Agencies and Appointment Directive, and responding to audit findings, where applicable;
    • Identifying appropriate skills, knowledge and experience needed to effectively support the board’s role in agency governance and accountability.
  2. Risk Management
    • Developing and implementing an effective process for the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks, including planning for and responding to emergency situations such as COVID-19.
  3. Data Collection
    • Improving how the agency uses data in decision-making, information sharing and reporting, including by leveraging available or new data solutions to inform outcome-based reporting and improve service delivery;
    • Supporting transparency and data sharing with the ministry, as appropriate.
  4. Digital Delivery and Customer Service
    • Exploring and implementing digitization or digital modernization strategies for the provision of services online and continuing to meet and exceed customer service standards through transition;
    • Using a variety of approaches or tools to ensure service delivery in all situations, including COVID-19.

As you know, your agency is mandated to administer the Provincial Judges Pension Plan (PJPP) and to manage the funds of both the registered pension plan trust and the retirement compensation arrangement trust. As such, in addition to the above government-wide priorities, I expect the PJPB to focus on the following objectives for the 2021-2022 fiscal year:

  • Continue development of governance and operations structure and processes that support and measure effective administration and performance of the redesigned Plan and its funds.
  • Provide effective oversight of the operational, strategic, legal and financial risks encountered by PJPP and the PJPP, including managing and mitigating any impacts or associated risks of the COVID 19 pandemic.
  • Provide strong governance in respect of the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario’s (IMCO) role in managing assets the PJPB is accountable for.
  • Deliver superior client service to help members understand their pension entitlements, rights and responsibilities under the PJPP, this includes development and implementation of an annual pension statement for sitting judges.

Through these measures, we can continue to ensure that the PJPP is continuing to fulfill its mandate.

I thank you and your fellow board members for your continued support, and for your valuable contributions and navigation through these current challenges. Should you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact Marc Rondeau, Associate Deputy Minister, Centre for Public Sector Labour Relations and Compensation, Treasury Board Secretariat at 416-325-4545 or at Marc.Rondeau@ontario.ca.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Peter Bethlenfalvy
President of the Treasury Board

c: Kevin French, Deputy Minister, Treasury Board Secretariat, Secretary of Treasury Board and Management Board of Cabinet

Marc Rondeau, Associate Deputy Minister, Broader Public Sector Oversight and Compensation Division, Centre for Public Sector Labour Relations and Compensation, Treasury Board Secretariat

Mark Henry, Director, Managed Plans, Stakeholder Services and Filing
Ontario Pension Board