Financial Management Services (FMS)

The Financial Management Services (FMS)’ units provide objective, timely and pertinent financial analysis, advice and recommendations on funding of initiatives, resource allocation and business line financial management; are the interface and facilitators between client branches/regions and Chief Financial Officer Branch; and provide the Deputy Chief Financial Officer with an assessment of business line financial position to enable timely and comprehensive financial reporting and understanding of emerging issues and pressures.

• Overview
• Our Service Offering
• Our Commitment
• For Better Assistance
• Contact Us

Overview

The Employment Social Development Canada (ESDC) Financial Management Services (FMS) units are responsible at National Headquarters and within Regions for the provision of financial advice, direction and guidance to client groups in all aspects of financial management.  These FMS units reside in the Financial Management Advisory Services Directorate (National Headquarters) and Real Property, Change Management and Regional Services Directorate (Regions). FMS units play a leadership role in providing functional support for the effective management of departmental resources.

FMS units are involved in various core financial activities in the areas of:

• Budgeting and forecasting
• Financial advice and analysis
• Funding of initiatives
• Validation of financial information and assessment
• Costing analysis
• Resource planning and reporting

Our Service Offering

• Provision of advice, direction and guidance in all aspects of financial management in line with central agencies and departmental financial directives, standards and policies. Based upon client request, inquiry will be addressed immediately or on a mutually agreed time frame.
• Assistance in analyzing costing and associated risks, by ensuring cost estimates are complete, comprehensive and documented.
• Assistance in coordinating and preparing costing schedules (tables) and reviewing financial data contained in Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board Submissions, and Memoranda of Understanding.
• Assistance in preparing financial information for external reporting such as Annual Reference Level Update, Main Estimates , Supplementary Estimates, Departmental Plan (Report on Plans and Priorities), Department Performance Report and Public Accounts of Canada.
• Assistance in drafting responses to ministerial and parliamentary questions.
• Provision or validation of financial information to include in various departmental documents (i.e., House Cards, Access to information and privacy requests, etc.) or correspondences (e.g., Ministerial letters responding to public inquiries).
• Assistance in preparing briefing materials, reports, proposals and other presentations for senior management on a full range of financial management issues to facilitate decision‑making and successful resource management.
• Assistance in preparing budgets and operational plans, and in developing and implementing proposals for the allocation of resources.
• Assistance in preparing financial forecasts including revising and analyzing the financial position of client branches, and identifying gaps and associated risks.
• Preparation of financial monitoring tools and analytical reports.
• Revision and approval of financial coding requests related to client branches and regions.
• Support to project managers from a financial perspective throughout projects’ life cycle.
• Assistance in reviewing all key financial documents and recommendation to the Chief Financial Officer for its attestation.

Our Commitment

The goal of FMS units is to provide services that are strategic and value-added in supporting client branch and regional plans and objectives. In this respect, FMS units commit to:

• Be a trusted partner, advisor and facilitator;
• Provide pro-active and value-added advice of a financial nature; and
• Provide timely, strategic and professional financial advice, guidance and services to support clients in achieving their service delivery goals and objectives.

For Better Assistance

As our clients, you may help us to better assist you by:

• Involving us at an early stage;
• Seeking clarification from us in case of doubt (e.g. existing Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat or departmental policies and procedures; changes in financial coding manual and impacts on organization or program alignment architecture; delegation of financial authorities, etc.); and
• Providing us with your feedback by communicating any concerns.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding financial management, please contact your financial management advisor (XLSM, 40 KB).