FAS-022 - ABC Reporting Policy_2021l_4=0
SAINT ►OHN
Title: ABC Reporting Policy
Subject: City of Saint John ABC Reporting Policy
Category: Finance and Administrative Services
(Agencies, Boards, and Commissions)
Policy No.: FAS-022
M&C Report No.:
Effective Date: 01 August 2021
Next Review Date: 01 January 2026
Area(s) this policy applies to: Cross Corporate
Office Responsible for review of this Policy:
Finance and Administrative Services
Related Instruments:
Policy Sponsors:
M&C No 2016-25
Chief of Staff
FAS-021 Budget Monitoring Policy
Document Pages:
This document consists of 3 pages.
Revision History:
Common Clerk's Annotation for Official Record
Date of Passage of Current Framework: July 26, 2021
1 certify that this Policy was adopted by Common Council as indicated
above.
2021-09-15
Common Clerk
Date
Date Created:
Common Council Approval Date:
Contact:
31.0
1 2021-07-26
Finance and Administrative Services
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. POLICY STATEMENT...................................................................................................... 2
2. PURPOSE OF ABC REPORTING POLICY........................................................................... 2
3. TIMELINES AND REPORTING STRUCTURE...................................................................... 2
4. REPORTING TEMPLATE.................................................................................................. 2
5. ABC POLICY REVIEW....................................................................................................... 3
6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES....................................................................................... 3
7. APPENDICES................................................................................................................... 3
City of Saint John
ABC Policy
SAINT JOHN
1. POLICY STATEMENT
2.
3.
4.
1.1 This Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABC) policy sets out a standardized
reporting template and guidelines to assist with reporting to the City of Saint John.
1.2 The City of Saint John (City) established this policy to address an opportunity of
communication and to build upon the mutual understanding between ABCs and the
City to promote transparency. Additional reporting may be requested for ABCs that
fall outside of the reporting criteria within the standard operating procedures.
1.3 Key Performance Indicators, Financial Results, Growth, and Operations will be
among the standard reporting requirements.
PURPOSE OF AGENCY, BOARDS, AND COMMISSION REPORTING
2.1 Provide a standard reporting template, requirements, and consistent timeline for
each ABC receiving municipal funding.
2.2 Allow Finance Committee, Growth Committee, and /or Public Safety Committee to
review reporting prior to submission to Council consent agenda.
2.3 Demonstrate taxpayer value for money and performance of public benefits of all
ABCs to which is supported through municipal funding and to which the City
supports.
TIMELINES AND REPORTING STRUCTURE
3.1 All reporting requirements and documentation is outlined in the Standard Operating
Procedure and compliance is required.
3.2 Any ABC that does not receive funding from the City of Saint John is not subject to
the requirements of the Standard Operating Procedure or this policy.
3.3 This policy does not exempt Council or its standing Committees from requesting
additional information.
STANDARD REPORTING TEMPLATE
4.1 The reporting template is a standardized form and must not be altered.
4.2 Template focuses on three key performance business indicators; Growth, Financial,
and Operations.
2
City of Saint John
ABC Policy
SAINT JOHN
4.3 Chief of Staff will deem if report is filed in entirety and either rejected for
resubmission or approved to go to respective Committee.
S. ABC POLICY REVIEW
5.1 The ABC Policy shall be reviewed no later than every 5 years or as required and the
Grant or ABC Matrix updated yearly.
6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
6.1 Agency, Board, and Commissions shall:
6.1.1 Complete all reporting requirements and supply documents to Common Clerk.
6.2 Common Council shall:
6.2.1 Approve the ABC Policy and any amendments to the policy.
6.3 The Finance Committee, Growth Committee, and / or Public Safety Committee shall:
6.3.1 Review the reporting templates to ensure alignment with City's Financial
Policies and City's Long Term Financial Plan.
6.4 The Chief of Staff shall:
6.4.1 Review the policy every five years or as required and submit required
changes to the Finance Committee for recommendation to Common Council
for consideration and approval.
6.4.2 Ensure compliance and mandatory requirements contained in this policy and
standard operating procedure are met, which could include internal audit
review of policy compliance.
7. APPENDICES
Appendix A: Standard Operating Procedure
Appendix B: Standard Reporting Template
Appendix C: Grant or ABC Matrix
3
SAINT JOHN
Standard Operating Procedure
City of Saint John
Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABCs) Reporting
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to detail the reporting requirements
for Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABCs) who receive municipal funding.
Each ABC will be required to complete a Standard Reporting Template (Appendix B) on a bi-
annual basis and submit annual audited financial statements with approved budget. If the City
provides a subsidy that exceeds $250,000, an annual report and presentation will also be
required.
2.0 ANNUAL REPORT
The annual report shall include:
1. Opening letter from the Chairperson providing a snapshot of the significant developments
in the past year, company initiatives and a brief summary of the financials. Key elements
included in this section are the challenges that the business faced, its successes and
insight into the growth of the company.
2. Business Profile which includes the vision and mission statement of the ABC, identifying
the board of directors, key executive staff, and highlights of the primary accomplishments
and the impact of these accomplishments.
3. Management Discussion & Analysis which includes an overview of the ABC performance
over the past 3 years, discussion of current year financial results, changes in full time
1
equivalents of workforce and 5 year forecast. A review of the governance of the
organization including all significant policies that have been adopted by the Board. Key
Performance Indicators, both targets, previous year results should be profiled in this
section with commentary respecting performance. Significant changes in service delivery
should be included in this section and any other operational information that would be
beneficial for stakeholders.
4. Audited Financial Statements are the most important part of the annual report that allows
the reader to determine how well the ABC has performed in past, its ability to pay off its
debts and its plans for growth and alignment with approved yearly budget.
The Standard Reporting Template combined with an Annual Report will promote transparency
and communicate the ABCs financial and operational performance.
3.0 ADHERENCE TO CITY FINANCIAL POLICIES
ABCs that receive funding from the City are expected to adopt the City's suite of financial policies.
The Budget Monitoring Policy (FAS-021) is incorporated into the standardized reporting
template.
4.0 DEFINITIONS
Key Performance Indictators (KPI's): A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a
company is achieving its mission and if successful in reaching targets.
Standardized Reporting Template: A consistent and uniform report for all ABCs to present
financial and operating results.
Agency, Board, and Commission: Are separate legal entities that are controlled by the City of
Saint John and carry out a range of functions and services to the community. Control is the
power to govern the financial and operating policies of another organization with the expected
benefits or risk of loss to the City from the other organization's activities.
Indicators of control include:
1. Power to unilaterally appoint or remove a majority of the members of the governing
body of the organization
2. Access to the assets of the organization and has the ability to direct the ongoing use of
those assets or has responsibility for the losses of the organization
3. Holds majority of the voting rights that confers power to govern the financial and
operating policies of the organization
4. Has unilateral power to dissolve the organization and thereby access its assets and
become responsible for its obligations
2
5. Provide significant input into the appointment of members of the governing body of the
organization by appointing a majority of those members from a list of nominees
provided by others or being otherwise involved in the removal of a significant number of
members
6. Ability to direct or establish or amend the mission or mandate of the organization
7. Approve the business plans or budgets for the organization and require amendments,
either on a net or line by line basis
8. Establish borrowing or investment limits or restrict the organizations investments
9. Restrict the revenue generating capacity of the organization, notably the sources of
revenue
10. Establish or amend the policies that the organization uses to manage, such as those
relating to accounting, personnel, compensation, collective bargaining or deployment of
resources
5.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Agency. Board, and Commssion: Each agency, board, or commission shall direct its
General Manager to complete the reporting template and other required documentation
based on the timelines within this policy for submission to Common Clerk at the City of
Saint John.
2. Common Clerk: Is responsible to receive the required documents based on timeline and
compile package for Committee meetings.
3. Chief of Staff: Will review package prior to being placed on Committee Agenda. If
submissions do not comply with the ABC Reporting Policy, are incomplete, or are deemed
poor quality, they will be rejected with the expectation of resubmission. The Committee
will be notified by the Chief of Staff of a rejected submission.
4. Finance Committee, Growth Committee, and / or Public Safety Committee: Will review
reporting documents and receive presentations and make any and all recommendations
to Common Council.
5. Common Council: Will review Committee recommendations and make any and all
required policy decisions.
3
6.0 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND TIMELINES
Funding Level
Standard
Template
Completion
Audited
Financial
Statements
Annual Report
with
Presentation
Due to Common Clerk
1. Standard Template period ending
June 301" and December 31s' due
within 45 days followed by a 15 day
review period by the Chief of Staff.
$1
$250,000
Bi-Annually
Yes
No
2. Audited Financial Statements for fiscal
period December 31s' due within 90
days.
3. No presentation or annual report
required unless requested.
1. Standard Template period ending
June 301" and December 31s' due
Over
$250,000
Bi-Annually
Yes
Yes
within 45 days followed by a 15 day
review period by Chief of Staff.
2. Audited Financial Statements for fiscal
period December 31s' due within 90
days.
3. Annual Report for year end December
31s' due within 120 days.
4. Presentation of annual report to
Finance Committee for year end
December 31st within 160 days.
7.0 STANDARD REPORTING TEMPLATE
Standard reporting template consists of three main themes (Growth, Finance, and Operations).
The template shall be completed as follows:
1. Name: Reporting Organzations Name
4
2. Reporting Period: Follows above Reporting Timelines (Example: Year to Date — June
30t", 2021)
3. Mission / Mandate: A brief description of the company's overall goal,
products/services delivered, primary customers, and reason for existence. (why you
are here, what you are doing, and where you are going).
4. Growth Strategy — These key performance indicators are measures of increasing,
developing, and maturing that are standard to each agency, board and commission.
Number of employees are full time employees.
5. Financial Strategy — These key performance indicators are measures of financial
health and long term viability that can be aligned with the City's metrics. A healthy
financial position will drive the company's mission / mandate.
6. Operations Strategy — These key performance indicators will detail service
performance, risks the company is facing, and key operating performance
measurements.
This template shall not to be altered and must be entirely completed each reporting period. Any
agency, board or commission that fails to comply shall be subject to a review by the Committee
of the City's funding support.
8.0 APPROVAL
RECOMMENDED TITLE SIGNATURE DATE
9.0 APPENDICES
Appendix A: City of Saint John ABC Reporting Policy
Appendix B: Standard Reporting Template
Appendix C: Grant or ABC Matrix
5
Name -qqII
Reporting Perioll
Mission/
Mandate
Growth
KPI Target
# Employees
Current Year
# Customers or
Events Current Year
Growth Objectives
Activities
Undertaken to
Achieve Growth
Objectives d,
Financial
KPI Actual
# Employees
Prior Year
# Customers or
Events Prior
Year
KPI Target 'KPI Actual
4 6
City of Saint John City of Saint John
Annual Subsidy Annual Subsidy
Current Year Prior Year
Actual Year-to-Dat Budget Year -to -
Results Date Results
Wages & Benefits
Goods & Services
# employees
a
Total Revenues
Total Expenses
Surplus/Deficit
Variance
Explanations
Ir E
Prior Year -to -Date Result
MAN
Agencies, Boards, and Commissions Policy - Standard Reporting Template
Operations
KPI Target qI
Annual Performance
Year to Date
Performance
MM
Top Risks Facing the
Organization