Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

Teranet’s agreement with the Ontario government is an example of a public-private
partnership in public service delivery that modernized the way customers conduct electronic
transactions in real property, title and writ searches, and registrations. Since the introduction of
electronic registration in 1999, over 15.3 million documents have been registered
electronically. Additional private-sector partnerships that improve public service delivery and
quality need to be sought and attained.
Review Existing Agency Mandates
Ontario has about 630 agencies, defined as entities to which the government makes at least
one appointment. Agencies fall into one of two broad categories: classified and non-classified.
There are about 258 classified agencies, which are generally constituted by a statute,
a regulation under existing statute or an Order in Council, and to which the government makes
the majority of appointments. These include a wide variety of bodies such as commissions,
councils, authorities, foundations, trusts and boards. 5 There are also over 300 non-classified
agencies that are excluded from the financial and administrative requirements of the Ontario
government but to which the government makes at least one representative appointment.
The mandate of Ontario’s agencies is diverse and complex. Agencies can perform a variety of
roles from the provision of technical advice and expertise to quasi-judicial decisions that are
independent of direct political involvement. Agencies can also operate an enterprise using
specialized expertise or capabilities not found in government ministries. Owing to their very
diverse role, they also vary widely in size, from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
(WSIB) to the Ontario Geographic Names Board.
The role of agencies has been the subject of several reviews. The governance framework and
accountability mechanisms of classified operational agencies were reviewed in the December
2010 “Report of the Special Advisor on Agencies” to the Minister of Government Services.
The report contained a number of recommendations, including a plan to centralize and expand
within one of the ministries full responsibility for all aspects of corporate oversight and
governance support for agencies. 6 However, there has yet to be a more extensive review of all
agencies to determine if their mandates are still relevant and whether overall efficiencies can
be achieved in the government’s use of these entities.
Recommendation 16-7: The government should review existing agency mandates and
functions to determine if greater efficiencies could be achieved through rationalization or
consolidation of programs, delivery through existing ministry resources, or the outright
elimination of functions.
5 Often they are referred to as the ABCs (agencies, boards and commissions). Classified agencies are subject to the Agency and
Establishment and Accountability Directive, which is the most significant accountability instrument of government.
6 For more information, see p. 34 of the “Report of the Special Advisor on Agencies,” by Rita Burak.
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