February 11, 1998
To: Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team
From: Chief Administrative Officer
Subject: Terms of Reference for Special Task Forces
Purpose:
This report describes the progress towards the development of Terms of Reference by the Task Forces and Special Committees that were established by Council at its meeting on January 2, 6, 8 and 9 1998. The report recommends approval of the Terms of Reference for the Environment Task Force and the World City Committee.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
The Chair of the Environment Task Force has indicated that the Task Force=s costs will, for the most part, be accommodated from within the Departments supporting the Task Force. In addition, the Chair has requested funding of $65,000.00.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) the Terms of Reference for the Environment Task Force, outlined in the communication from Councillor Jack Layton dated February 6, 1998, be adopted;
(2) the budget request of $65,000.00 for the Environment Task Force be referred to the Commissioners of Urban Planning and Development Services and Works and Emergency Services;
(3) the Draft Terms of reference for the World City Committee be approved in principle and forwarded to the World City Committee;
(4) the Chairs of the following Task Forces and Committee be requested to submit their Terms of reference, in the format requested in the memorandum from the Chair of the Special Committee dated January 29, 1998, for review and endorsement by the Special Committee:
- Task Force to Review Smaller Agencies, Boards and Commissions;
- Access and Equity Action plan, Race Relations, Disability and Human Rights, and Ethno-Canadian Issues Task Force;
- Task Force to develop a Strategy for Issues of Concern to the Elderly;
- Homeless Strategy Task Force;
- Children=s Action Committee; and
- Task Force on Community Safety;
(5) the Chief Administrative Officer be requested to submit a report to the Special Committee on a process to be followed by Council for the establishment of Task Forces in the future; and
(6) the appropriate officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.
Council Reference/Background/History:
On January 2, 6, 8 and 9, 1998 Council adopted Report No. 1 of the Striking Committee as amended. In adopting the report, Council established the following Task Forces and Committees:
- Task Force to Review Smaller Agencies, Boards and Commissions;
- Access and Equity Action plan, Race Relations, Disability and Human Rights, and Ethno-Canadian Issues Task Force;
- Environment Task Force;
- Task Force to develop a Strategy for Issues of Concern to the Elderly;
- Homeless Strategy Task Force;
- Children=s Action Committee;
- Task Force on Community Safety; and
- World City Committee.
Council requested the Chairs of these Task Forces and Committees to report on their Terms of Reference, including the proposed composition, through the Special Committee. On January 29, 1998 the Chair of the Special Committee wrote to the Chairs of the Task Forces and Committees to suggest that the February 13, 1998 meeting of the Special Committee would be an appropriate time to consider the proposed Terms of reference. This would enable the Terms of Reference to proceed to the March 4th Council meeting for approval.
The Chair of the Special Committee requested that the Terms of Reference be prepared according to the following common template:
1. Name of Task Force (or Special Committee);
2. Duration (Task Forces are intended to be of limited duration. The terms of Reference should indicate the timing of a final report to Council.);
3. Mandate;
4. Membership (Indicate the number of members and stakeholder groups to be represented in the membership.);
5. Chairperson;
6. Staffing and Resources;
7. Membership Selection; and
8. Task Force Process and workplan.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
The Task Forces and Committees are at different stages in the preparation of their Terms of Reference.
The Access and Equity Action Plan, Race Relations, Disability and Human Rights, and Ethno-Canadian Issues Task Force is in the process of consulting with stakeholders. Meetings with stakeholders are scheduled for February 17th and 19th following which the Terms of Reference will be finalized and submitted to the Special Committee.
The Chair of the Environment Task Force has submitted Terms of Reference to the Special Committee. It is recommended that these Terms of Reference be adopted. In addition the Chair of the Environment Task Force has requested an allocation of $65,000.00 for work that the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives is expected to undertake and for specialized research assignments and public forums. As a general principle, it is appropriate that funding for Task Force activities be made available within the budgets of Departments that are providing the staff resources to the Task Force. Therefore, it is recommended that the budget request of $65,000.00 for the Environment Task Force be referred to the Commissioners of Urban Planning and Development Services and Works and Emergency Services.
Staff have prepared Draft Terms of Reference for the World City Committee. As this Committee has not yet met to elect its Chair, the Terms of reference have been submitted directly to the Special Committee. It is recommended that the Draft Terms of Reference for the World City Committee be approved in principle and forwarded to the World City Committee
Terms of Reference for the remaining Task Forces and Committee are in preparation. It is understood that Terms of Reference for the Task Force to Review Smaller Agencies, Boards and Commissions, the Homeless Strategy Task Force and the Task Force on Community Safety are close to completion. It is recommended that the Chairs of the following Task Forces and Committee be requested to submit their Terms of reference, in the format requested in the memorandum from the Chair of the Special Committee dated January 29, 1998, for review and endorsement by the Special Committee:
- Task Force to Review Smaller Agencies, Boards and Commissions;
- Access and Equity Action plan, Race Relations, Disability and Human Rights, and Ethno-Canadian Issues Task Force;
- Task Force to develop a Strategy for Issues of Concern to the Elderly;
- Homeless Strategy Task Force;
- Children=s Action Committee; and
- Task Force on Community Safety.
In the course of monitoring the progress made by the Task Force Forces and Committees in preparing their Terms of Reference, staff have identified a number of issues. These issues include uncertainty about mandates, lack of clarity regarding resourcing and the absence of an orderly sequence in the establishment of the Task Forces and Committees.
Uncertain Mandates:
The Task Forces and Committees were established on the basis of the recommendations of the Striking Committee. The Striking Committee report included no description of the mandates other than what was discernable from the names of the Task Forces and Committees. The Transition Team=s Final Report included recommendations for the establishment of Task Forces but its discussion appeared to confuse the roles of Task Forces and program advisory committees. The Transition Team=s discussion of Task Forces was in a section of the Report that dealt with citizen involvement in government but failed to provide criteria to guide the composition of Task Forces. Finally, the Transition Team Report failed to clarify the expected relationship between the Task Forces that it proposed be established and the numerous program and issue-specific committees and Task Forces that already exist.
Consequently a number of the new Task Forces are experiencing some difficulty defining their mandates clearly. For example, Council established the Homeless Strategy Task Force at the same time that the Golden Task Force was created and prior to any review of the continuing role of existing advisory committees on homelessness and housing issues.
Similarly, The Community Safety Task Force was set up prior to any rationalization of the various community safety-related committees that existed in the seven former municipalities.
Council appointed a Children=s Advocate and established the Children=s Action Committee as recommended in the Transition Team Report but did not take action on youth as recommended in the same report. This has created uncertainty as to whether Council intends the mandate of the Children=s Advocate and her Action Committee to encompass youth issues, too.
Unclear Resourcing:
In establishing the Task Forces and Committees, there was a lack of due consideration of the impact of their activities on budgets, staffing and other resources. Responsibility for resourcing the Task Forces and Committees was not clearly established at the outset. In addition, no attention was paid to the relationship between these bodies and Council=s Standing Committees. The Transition Team Report proposed that the Task Forces report to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee but did not explain the rationale for this reporting relationship. It is questionable whether it is appropriate in all instances given the policy responsibility of functional Standing Committees for the programs and issues of interest to the Task Forces.
Lack of an Orderly Process:
The issues noted above are symptomatic of the overall lack of a rational sequence in the process of establishing the Task Forces and Committees. They were set up prior to Council having any guidelines regarding the establishment of Task Forces versus advisory committees, for example. They were also established without any input or advice from the Standing Committees or staff.
Conclusions:
All of the issues discussed in this report hinder the orderly development of workplans, the effective and efficient allocation of resources, and the rational division of responsibilities between staff, Standing Committees and special committees such as Task Forces. Task Forces and Special Committees can be a useful research and policy tool for Council if care is taken in defining their role and if a rational approach is taken to their resource requirements. It is recommended that the Chief Administrative Officer report to the Special Committee on a process to be followed by Council for the establishment of Task Forces in the future.
Michael Garrett
Chief Administrative Officer
