CCAF’s research reflects the evolving needs and interests of our members. Our research on public sector accountability issues provides our members with original thinking on topics of current concern and forms the foundation for our Capacity Development and International activities.  We focus our research on issues of interest to our funding members.

Recent research areas have included public performance reporting and the effectiveness of public accounts committees.  In 2008 we launched a new risk, innovation and control research program.

Our research often has very practical outcomes.  For example, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants worked with CCAF and others to turn our Public Performance Reporting principles into a statement of recommended practice for CICA members.

Capacity Development

We take our research results and, through our capacity development activities, assist our member communities to use those results to strengthen their role in the accountability process.  Here are examples of how we work with those communities. 

CCAF leads a workshop (the John J. Kelly Forum) at the annual joint conference of the Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors and the Canadian Council of Public Accounts Committees. During the workshop, we draw upon the Foundation’s research to help these two communities obtain insight into ways to strengthen their performance in the accountability process.

We are using our recent research on ways to strengthen public accounts committees to work directly with a number of these committees across Canada.  This research has also been used in workshops with members of public accounts committees in several developing countries, as part of our International Program.

CCAF facilitated a workshop in British Columbia on how municipalities can use public performance reports to meet their unique governance and accountability needs.  At a conference in Ottawa, CCAF chaired a panel of Parliamentarians who talked about the role of the public accounts committee in holding government to account.

In addition to our Capacity Development activities, we also offer a growing number of audit training courses for the legislative audit community.

Because of their interest in CCAF’s research, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial comptrollers invite CCAF to participate in their annual national Comptrollers Conferences to present our research results.

CCAF participates frequently in workshops, seminars and conferences for public sector managers to discuss its work on such topics as public performance reporting.

CCAF facilitated the creation of the Government Internal Auditors Council of Canada, and organizes the Council’s annual National Forum. Through these initiatives we are promoting increased professionalism among public sector internal auditors. They now have a credible forum for discussing common issues and a vehicle for speaking with a single voice. The Council also serves as a point of contact for others, such as the Institute of Internal Audit or the legislative audit community, to reach the internal audit community.