2025 Allocation of Program Support Costs

Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board Allocation of Program Support Costs for 2025

Tuesday November 12, 2024

The Program Support budget includes the costs of those services which are provided across all four programs.  These are the shared supports which allow the four Board programs to operate.  If a cost can be solely allocated to a particular program, then that cost will show up as a line item within that particular program budget. An example of a Program Support cost is Human Resource management which serves all programs.

The Board provides programming mandated by five separate Ministries. In three of the four programs there is grant based funding of administrative costs. We continue to fight for ongoing administrative funding in Social Housing. The province often refers to these as cost shared activities but in all cases they are unilaterally capped by the province and seldom reflect the stated costs sharing formula. It is essential that the program support costs are appropriately assigned to each program in order to reasonably request and receive these administrative grants.  The Board needs to know the true cost of running each program so that it can lobby for appropriate and justifiable administrative funding.

The Program Support budget is composed of several components. Each component is divided up among the programs in a manner which attempts to accurately reflect the estimated cost of that component for each program’s delivery.  In the private sector, there are similar attributions or allocations of costs in corporations with many business activities which receive central or corporate supports.  There is no formula which is deemed to provide an absolutely accurate analysis without incurring significant new costs to refine the allocation process. 

This report is meant to be reviewed each year and refined over time so that the Program Support cost allocation is more precise and remains relevant. The financial amounts are based on prior year’s audits available at budget time, but staffing is based on that in place at the time of budget creation. This report is an important component of the annual budget process.  

#1 Corporate Costs 

Allocation: These core administrative costs are divided equally 
among all four programs.

Cost components:

  • The salary, benefits and travel of the CAO
  • 100% of the salary, benefits and travel of the Executive Assistant
  • Audit costs, board costs, association memberships i.e. AMO, OMSSA, NOSDA

The total of these costs is $491,265

Program 2025 % allocation 2025 allocation
Ontario Works 25% $122,816
Children's Services 25% $122,817
Paramedic Services 25% $122,816
Community Housing 25% $122,816
Total 100% $491,265

#2 Human Resources Support

Allocation: Human Resources are provided through an external contract and internal support from the Executive Assistant (50%).  Costs are distributed based on the number of full-time and regularly scheduled part-time staff.

Cost components:

  • The contract cost and travel of the Human Resources Support received from Gallagher Benefits Services
  • 100% of the salary, benefits, and travel of the HR Coordinator
  • Human Resources related legal costs
  • Advertising for new staffing

The total of these costs is $232,840
 

Program FT and Regular PT staff as of July 1, 2024 2025 % allocation 2025 allocation
Ontario Works 11 6.40% $14,891
Children's Services 3 1.74% $4,061
Paramedic Services 144 83.72% $194,936
Community Housing 14 8.14% $18,952
Total 172 100.00% $232,840

# 3 Finance Department

Allocation:    

  • These costs are allocated based on program expenditures as a percentage of gross 2023 audited costs (50%) 
  • Number of service delivery locations as a percentage of all locations (30%) 
  • Program staff as a percentage of total staff (20%)

Cost components:

  • Salaries, benefits and travel of Director of Finance, Integrated Human Services Manager,     Finance Manager, Finance Assistants and Administrative Assistant
  • Office supplies

The total of these costs is $965,631

#3A Share of Prior Year Audit Expenditures

The total of these costs is $482,816

Program

Program expenditure (prior year audit)

A

Percentage of gross expenditure

B

Finance Department cost

C

Gross share of costs

D

(column B x C)

Allocation 50% Finance Department cost

E

(50% of column D)

Ontario Works $8,128,033 16.85% $965,631 $162,713 $81,357
Children's Services $11,959,450 22.51% $965,631 $217,393 $108,696
Paramedic Services $20,769,266 43.06% $965,631 $415,774 $207,887
Community Housing $8,479,615 17.58% $965,631 $169,751 $84,876
Total $49,336,364 100% $0 $965,631 $482,816

#3B Share of Service Locations/Service Providers

The total of these costs is $289,389

Program

Number of service delivery locations or service providers

A

Total service delivery locations or providers

B

Finance Department cost

C

Gross share of costs

D

(column A/B x C)

Allocation 30% Finance Department cost

E

(30% of column D)

Ontario Works 2 5.00% $965,631 $48,282 $14,485
Children's Services 10 25.00% $965,631 $241,408 $72,421
Paramedic Services 12 30.00% $965,631 $289,689 $86,907
Community Housing 16 40.00% $965,631 $386,252 $115,876
Total 40 100%   $965,631 $289,689

#3C Share of Staff

The total of these costs is $193,126

Program

Staff

A

% of total staff

B

Finance Department cost

C

Gross share of costs

D

(column B x C)

Allocation 20% Finance Department cost

E

(20% of column D)

Ontario Works 11 6.40% $965,631 $61,755 $12,351
Children's Services 3 1.74% $965,631 $16,843 $3,368
Paramedic Services 144 83.72% $965,631 $808,435 $161,687
Community Housing 14 8.14% $965,631 $78,598 $15,720
Total 172 100% $0 $965,631 $193,126

Finance Summary

Department #3A #3B #3C Total
Ontario Works $81,357 $14,485 $12,351 $108,193
Children's Services $108,696 $72,421 $3,368 $184,485
Paramedic Services $207,887 $86,907 $161,687 $456,481
Community Housing $84,876 $115,876 $15,720 $216,472
Total $482,816 $289,689 $193,126 $965,631

#4 Accommodations costs:

Allocation: Accommodation costs are allocated to each program based on the number of program staff in that location. All Paramedic Services base costs are reflected directly in the Paramedic Services budget.  All other office costs are divided by number of staff. 

Cost components:

  • All office locations, lease, utilities, heat, improvements, municipal water, telephone, photocopiers, postage, insurance

The total of these costs is $255,629

210 Mead Blvd 2025 Location Costs 2025 FT and PT Staff 2025 % allocation 2025 allocation
Ontario Works $152,418 7 58% $88,911
Children's Services $152,418 2 17% $25,403
Paramedic Services $152,418 0 0% $0
Community Housing $152,418 3 25% $38,105
Sub-Total $152,418 12 100% $152,419
347 Second Ave. 2025 Location Costs 2025 FT and PT Staff 2025 % allocation 2025 allocation
Ontario Works $103,211 0 0% $0
Children's Services $103,211 0 0% $0
Paramedic Services $103,211 12 100% $103,211
Community Housing $103,211 0 0% $0
Sub-Total $103,211 12 100% $103,211
Total $255,629 24 0% $255,630

#5 Information Technology/ Communications

Allocation: Based on number of computers supported 

Cost components:  

  • Salary, benefits, travel of two IT staff
  • Hardware, software (program specific software shows up in the individual programs whereas system wide software is captured here)

The total of these costs is $588,316

Program Number of computers June 30, 2024 2025 % allocation 2025 allocation
Ontario Works 25 21.74% $127,895
Children's Services 5 4.35% $25,579
Paramedic Services 70 60.87% $358,105
Community Housing 15 13.04% $76,737
Total 115 100 $588,316

#6 Integrated Delivery Costs

Allocation: The cost of providing integrated reception and related client services are divided among Ontario Works, Children’s Services, and Community Housing.

Cost components:  

  • Salary, benefits, travel of Integrated Program Assistants 
  • Accommodation costs for three satellite offices
  • Chapleau – 12 Birch Street 
  • Little Current – 7 Water Street
  • Noëlville – 11 Lahaie Street

All office locations, lease, utilities, heat, improvements, municipal water, telephone, internet, photocopiers, office supplies and postage.

The total of these costs is $454,956

Program 2025 % allocation 2025 allocation
Ontario Works 40% $181,979
Children's Services 30% $136,488
Community Housing 30% $136,487
Total 100% $454,956