Published plans and annual reports 2019-2020: Cabinet Office

Ministry overview

Mandate

Cabinet Office’s mandate is to provide strategic advice, analysis, and operational support to the Premier and Cabinet to deliver on government priorities. The ministry houses priority government programs, including Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction, to help make Ontario businesses more competitive and demonstrate that Ontario is open for business, and the Transformation Office to drive the delivery of priority transformation initiatives across government.

Intergovernmental Affairs supports Ontario’s intergovernmental and international engagement.

Ministry contribution to priority outcomes

Cabinet Office supports the delivery of government priorities:

• supports the implementation and delivery of policy priorities
• delivers high quality and strategic advice to inform policy and fiscal decision-making
• maintains the process of Cabinet decision-making and the machinery of government
• ensures modern, coordinated government communications that are clear, easy to understand, and engage the people of Ontario
• coordinates government-wide efforts to enhance Ontario’s competitiveness and investment for economic growth
• provides support to advance Ontario’s intergovernmental and international relations and protocol priorities
• provides support to making Ontario open for business including improving the quality of interactions with businesses, reducing administrative and regulatory burden and ensuring a competitive business climate in the province
• acts as a change agent to drive the delivery of priority transformation initiatives across government

Ministry programs

Secretary of the Cabinet

As Deputy Minister to the Premier

• Provides independent public service advice to the Premier on government policies and priorities; and
• Recommends the appointment of Deputy Ministers for Premier’s Order-In-Council appointments.

As Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary of the Cabinet

• Provides oversight of Cabinet decision-making;
• Conveys Cabinet decisions to Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
• Ensures the agenda for Cabinet and its committees reflect government policies and priorities; and
• Administers Oath of Office for the Premier’s Cabinet appointments.

As Head of Ontario Public Service

• Leads the development and implementation of the OPS of the Future Action plan to help drive transformation to achieve greater efficiencies and better outcomes;
• Fosters the development of a diverse, inclusive, collaborative, accountable and talented senior executive leadership team; and
• Champions the effective and efficient management, operation and organization of the public service.

Policy and Delivery ensures decision-making and machinery of government operate effectively, works with ministries to provide objective, integrated and strategic advice to inform policy and fiscal decision-making, and supports delivery of the government’s mandate by tracking milestones and risks related to key government activities.

Cabinet Office Communications leads strategic planning to communicate priorities, initiatives and programs, and provides communications services and operational support services to the Office of the Premier.

Intergovernmental Affairs provides strategic advice and operational support for intergovernmental relations, international relations and protocol, as well as democratic institutions of government.

Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction is mandated to expand Ontario’s competitiveness, reduce regulatory burden and ensure Ontario is open for business.

Transformation Office provides strategic and operational advice regarding the best approach to deliver transformative change in the OPS and Broader Public Service (BPS), using an all-of-government approach to reinvention.

Transfer Payment – International Disaster Relief Program allows for the provision of financial contributions to non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of natural and humanitarian disasters and political strife abroad as circumstances warrant.

Other key transformational activities

• restricted discretionary spending, reduced duplication and achieved efficiencies through service delivery modernization
• assisted in providing consistent quality interaction between businesses and public servants, including provincial inspectors, while ensuring consumer protection and public safety
• aimed to leverage intergovernmental engagement across ministries that will lead to potential savings and/or increased revenue

Cabinet Office 2019-20 allocation

The following charts depict the ministry’s 2019-20 allocation ($35.98M) by vote/item and standard account.

Operating and capital by vote ($M)

Operating and capital summary by standard amount ($M)

Highlights of 2018-19 results

Cabinet Office

• Provided strategic advice, coordination and operational/administrative support to the Transition Team and Premier’s Office to ensure achievement of government priorities in the first year of mandate.
• Continued to lead and track the expenditure management strategy to drive savings across the ministry.
• Restricted catering, non-essential travel, discretionary procurements and media subscriptions.
• Withdrew from non-essential business lines such as government-wide training programs and financial support for external partnerships.
• Eliminated training programs that are not part of core mandate.

Policy and Delivery

• Established a Cabinet and Cabinet committee structure to support decision-making and delivery of the government’s priorities.
• Provided objective, integrated and strategic policy advice to support and inform government decision-making, and the development of a multi-year action plan to deliver the government’s policy agenda.
• Advanced development of an integrated application that supports planning and decision-making by tracking activities, milestones and delivery risks that make up the government’s multi-year plan.
• Modernized the Cabinet decision-making process by fully implementing a digital platform for the distribution and‎ publication of material for Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings.
• Developed, tested and refined innovative approaches to collaborating with ministry partners to solve complex policy, programming and service delivery challenges.
• Achieved efficiencies by streamlining operations, maximizing use of technology and pursuing more cost-efficient solutions to existing business lines.

Cabinet Office Communications

• Coordinated and provided support for integrated strategic plans and materials developed to communicate government policies, programs and initiatives.
• Provided writing services, event support and creative services for government announcements.
• Provided issues management support and media monitoring services.
• Developed and maintained digital products and tools (including websites).

Intergovernmental Affairs

• Provided strategic advice and support to promote Ontario’s national and international interests and objectives through intergovernmental and international engagement.
• Provided support for Ontario’s participation at key intergovernmental meetings.
• Provided strategic intergovernmental advice for the negotiation of bilateral agreements.
• Acted as an inter-ministry liaison in the development of key government policy initiatives.
• Planned and executed government protocol ceremonies and visits of foreign dignitaries.

Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction

Played a leading role in supporting one of the government’s core commitments by reducing red tape and regulatory burden to lower the high cost of doing business in Ontario and make Ontario companies more competitive, so they can create and keep jobs. Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction has been integral to the:

• Launch of the Ontario Open for Business Action Plan, an across-government plan to reduce regulatory red tape; bring forward semi-annual red tape reduction packages; advise ministries on best-in-class regulatory design; and transform services to business to help create a “How may I help you?” regulatory culture.
• Passage of Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act. This Act broadly repealed changes made to labour standards and employment law through Bill 148 and transformed and modernized the apprenticeship system.
• Passage of Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act. This package of over 30 actions from 11 ministries reduced regulatory burdens in 12 sectors including, agri-food, manufacturing, construction and the auto sector.
• Cabinet approval of the Unleashing a Competitive Ontario by Cutting Overregulation strategy. It set two ambitious targets for 2020: to save Ontario companies at least $400 million per year in the cost of complying with regulations; and to reduce the number of regulatory requirements affecting businesses by at least 25%.
• Provided independent policy advice on reducing the regulatory burden, to support and inform government decision-making on a high volume of priority files. This included playing a critical role in developing an insurance reform package, making sure employers have access to the skilled workers they need and providing certainty about property taxes for businesses.
• Helped individual businesses resolve regulatory challenges. The Business Relief Unit has worked directly with over 75 companies and 30 stakeholder groups and/or industry associations to help them overcome their cross-ministry regulatory obstacles.
• Initiated a Responsive Feedback Mechanism (for example, a 1-800 number) to help businesses report issues regarding their interactions with government during regulatory compliance activities, to improve Ontario’s regulatory oversight and enforcement processes.

Transformation Office

• Established the Transformation Office to drive the delivery of priority transformation initiatives across government.
• Provided strategic and operational advice on transformation projects delivered by the ministries and BPS.

Ministry organization chart

• Secretary of the Cabinet, Head of the Ontario Public Service, Clerk of the Executive Council - Steven Davidson
  • Executive Lead, Real Estate Optimization - Marc Foulin
  • Assistant Deputy Minister, Change Management, Corporate Audit - Cindy Lam
  • Legal Counsel and Special Advisor - William Bromm
  • Director and Executive Assistant - Boafoa Kwamena
  • Strategic Transformative Advisor - Peter Fenwick
  • Deputy Minister, Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs, Associate Secretary of the Cabinet - Lynn Betzner
    • Executive Assistant - Alexandra Tomescu
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Communications - Kristen Routledge
      • Director, Client Services and Delivery - Kirsten Evans
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Communications - Ian Ross
      • Director, Client Services and Delivery - Tannis Fenton
    • Managing Director, Marketing and Digital - Jennifer van der Valk
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Economics, Justice and International Policy - Craig McFadyen
      • Director, Economics and Justice - Bryan Kozman
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Health, Social, Environment, National Institutions, and Protocol - Ernie Bartucci
      • Director, Federalism and Institutions - Tim Lewis
      • Director, Canadian Intergovernmental Relations - Kathleen O'Neil Carter
      • Director, International Relations and Chief of Protocol - Jonathan Sauve
  • Deputy Minister, Policy and Delivery, Associate Secretary of the Cabinet - Martha Greenberg
    • Executive Assistant - Vacant
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Health, Social, Education and Children's Policy - Erin Hannah
      • Executive Coordinator, Education and Children's Policy - Zoe Kroeker
      • Executive Coordinator, Health and Social Policy - Robert Francis
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Economic, Environmental, Justice and Intergovernmental Policy - Vinay Sharda
      • Executive Coordinator, Justice, Resource, and Environmental - Jackie Wood
      • Executive Coordinator, Economic and Transportation - Kelly Brown
    • Director, Strategy and Results - Karl Frost
    • Executive Coordinator and Senior Deputy Clerk, Executive Council - Rachele Dabraio

  • Deputy Minister, Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction

    • Executive Assistant - Brigitte Marleau
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Compliance Modernization - David Brezer
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Planning - Kevin Perry
      • Director, Intergovernmental Harmonization and Red Tape Challenges - Richard Caine
      • Director, RRCBA/Service Transformation & Quality Assurance - Shella Salazar
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Regulatory Modernization and Business Relief - Victor Severino
      • Director, Regulatory Centre of Excellence Lab - Claire Barnett
      • Director, Legislation/Business Outreach and Relief - Tom Kaszas
    • Assistant Deputy Minister and CAO, Corporate Planning and Services - Blair Dunker
      • Director, Human Resources Strategies and Services - Charlotte Smaglinski
      • Director, Finance, Accomodation and Operations Solutions - Rob Foster

Detailed financial information

Cabinet Office