Income support programs provided over $580 million in support payments in 2022-23, according to the report, making them among the government’s larger programs in terms of spending
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In a new report, Alberta’s auditor general says the provincial government must improve how it tracks outcomes around its income support programs.
Doug Wylie’s latest series of reports was tabled in the Alberta legislature on Tuesday afternoon.
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They examine Alberta’s post-secondary institutions as well as chronic disease management from Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services.
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But, Wylie saved his harshest words for his examines of income support programs administered by the Ministry of Seniors, Community, and Social Services.
“Our current findings show that the department has not improved its processes to measure and report on the Income Support program’s performance in achieving the intermediate and long-term outcomes of Albertans having an increased ability to meet their basic needs and experience financial resiliency,” the report reads.
“Without improved processes, management will not have enough information to evaluate program performance, make necessary improvements to ensure program outcomes are being achieved, and report to Albertans that the program is working as intended.”
Income support programs provided over $580 million in support payments in 2022-23, according to the report, making them among the government’s larger programs in terms of spending.
A 2019 audit found the department needed to do better on approving program eligibility for clients, and that it had “inadequate processes” to identify and develop performance metrics that could be monitored to help determine the effectiveness of programs and recommended both processes be improved.
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Tuesday’s report find that while processes around eligibility have been upgraded, in part through automation, but also that performance monitoring still left much to be desired.
“We again recommend that the Department of Seniors, Community and Social Services improve its processes to measure and report on the Income Support program’s performance,” the report reads.
“While the department now utilizes measures for intake and case management, it has not taken steps to implement outcome-based measures to evaluate and report on the program’s overall performance.”
Wylie stated those measures are important as they “provide a means for management to understand if the program is achieving its intermediate and long-term expected outcomes and support strategic program changes that may be necessary.”
“Consistent, effective, and accurate eligibility decisions are critical because they affect the lives of Albertans in need of support.”
He also said such measures could be reported externally “to demonstrate results to Albertans.”
“Without improved processes, management will not have enough information to evaluate program performance, make necessary improvements to ensure program outcomes are being achieved, and report to Albertans that the program is working as intended.”
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