: I spoke with the CEO of a Canadian charity that works in Africa and receives both private and Canadian federal funding. He estimated that projects funded by the government cost 40 per cent more than those funded privately because of red tape.Burnaby, B.C.
A major deficiency is highlighted in the federal government’s administration of programs: little uptake, unspent funds and few results are characteristics of a failed program. Most classes in policy development emphasize that a program should incorporate the ability to monitor efficiency and effectiveness. Last fall, the auditor-general reported that the government had no idea whether its program supporting homelessness was improving the situation or not , noting that it had not collected any data for evaluation.
I find it likely that governments generally do not want to know how effective various programs are. If the news is bad, they are subject to criticism. If the program was effective, that might be good news – but not knowing serves just as well. The Opposition and the auditor-general should be making more demands of government to evaluate programs, report results and build upon that knowledge to ensure better use of our money.