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Business Plan 2002-2003Introduction IntroductionSince its inception in 1990, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has developed a strong world-wide reputation for conducting independent investigations into transportation occurrences and for the professional skills it applies to investigations. By embarking upon a strategic planning process and building upon these strengths, the TSB has committed to improve its ability to advance transportation safety through a transition to internal practices which will be more rigorously aligned with the principles of modern management. This undertaking is motivated largely by three factors:
The publication of the TSB Business Plan 2002-2003 represents another key step in this transition. For the first time, a formal business plan has been published by the TSB bridging the gap between the Strategic Plan 2001-2002 to 2005-2006 published in January 2002 and the operational planning that will govern the activities for the TSB over the next twelve months. This first iteration of a business plan represents work in progress that will clearly mature in subsequent years as the organization gains more experience from working within a formal planning and management structure. The current TSB Strategic Plan clearly describes our mission, values, strategic objectives and strategies that provide the framework for achieving the organization’s outcomes and desired results. We have identified five strategies which we see as a means of enhancing the organization’s strengths to provide a sound basis from which to move forward. Senior management then identified four goals that stand out as the highest priorities for our 2002-2003 Business Plan. Three other important issues were also identified as requiring attention during this fiscal year.
Priorities 2002-2003
In response to Program Review reductions, major organizational changes were implemented in the late ‘90s under the aegis of TSB 2000. Now, three to four years after implementation of these changes, there remain several questions of governance and organization that tend to detract from the organization’s ability to deal with and resolve the numerous challenges which it faces. Efforts to resolve these issues are restricted to internal deliberations for the moment. It is entirely possible, however, that external assistance will be required to address the question of governance in a thorough and objective manner. Should that be the case, the additional funding that would be required has not yet been identified. This issue will be reevaluated as the year progresses. The renewal of our information technology / information management is a major undertaking in both time and financial resources. Additional funding has been obtained to cover most of the costs of the implementation of information technology renewal, with the majority of the project being completed in this fiscal year. Efforts will also be made towards the development of multi-year plans for the maintenance of our information technology infrastructure. A comprehensive review of the current state of information management within the TSB is currently being completed and will serve as the foundation upon which a detailed action plan can be developed. The Bottom Line
We anticipate confirmation, during the current fiscal year, that this level of funding will be added to our resource base on an ongoing basis thereby helping the TSB to face the numerous on-going resource pressures. Nevertheless, there remains a gap between what resource managers require to accomplish the work they feel they have been asked to do and the amount of funds allocated to the TSB. Our collective decision to address critical change issues only places more pressure on current allocations (approved budget allocations for fiscal year 2002-2003 are shown in Appendix A) and, therefore, trade offs have to be made. For the forthcoming year, there will be areas where less will be accomplished than in past years and, in some cases, activities will cease, at least for this year. None of these decisions has been easy because there is a sense that adjustments subsequent to Program Review reduced the TSB to a level of activity that is inadequate for the sustained achievement of its mandate. However, we have embarked upon a path of change which we collectively have agreed is essential. The reallocation of resources reflected in this year’s Business Plan is an investment in the TSB’s future. There are definite risks attached to this strategy, the most important of which are outlined later in this document. Nevertheless, we must manage in such a way as to minimize those risks and not allow ourselves to be deterred from our vision of change.
A variety of other, more detailed programs or priorities flow logically from these seminal documents. These must not be viewed as being an optional adjunct to or in conflict with internal TSB business activities because, in virtually every case, they help to define the strong, professional type of organization that the TSB aims to be. Initiatives such as Modern Comptrollership do not detract from the accomplishment of TSB’s Strategic Outcomes and Objectives; they are entirely complementary to the directions established at Merrickville in October 2001 and in subsequent deliberations. By fully integrating all elements of Modern Comptrollership into the development of the TSB business plan framework, the successful implementation of a modern management framework can be more easily accomplished which will, in turn, facilitate our ability to effectively manage our program and achieve our desired outcomes.
Modern comptrollership is a change in emphasis from ensuring the integrity of financial administration to the establishment of a means which facilitates the achievement of our management and operational objectives. With Modern Comptrollership, the Government is looking beyond departmental accountability in terms of controlling financial transactions. Modern Comptrollership practices are founded upon integrated performance information, sound risk management, appropriate control systems and a shared set of values. In late 2001, we conducted a Modern Comptrollership Capacity Assessment. It was a self-assessment of current TSB capabilities relative to modern management practices defined by 33 Modern Comptrollership criteria. The purpose was to identify areas for improvement so that action plans can be prepared. For detailed results of this assessment, please refer to the TSB InfoNet. Senior Management reviewed the results of the assessment and has identified a number of criteria to be included as an integral part of our current business planning initiative. The integration of these criteria into this year’s planning process are the first steps towards integrating Modern Comptrollership into every management activity. Key Criteria for the Implementation of Modern ComptrollershipLeading the list of criteria selected by Senior Management are managerial commitment, planning and resources management. The objectives in selecting these criteria are:
As a means of demonstrating senior management’s commitment to Modern Comptrollership, the creation of a Strategic Plan this year is a clear and essential first step. This Business Plan includes descriptions of the next steps in the process toward achieving the latter two objectives as well as full integration with our management practices. Senior management also selected the following Modern Comptrollership criteria
which are closely related to our strategic objectives: integrated departmental
performance reporting, knowledge management, management tools and techniques,
specialist support and measuring client satisfaction.
The Strategic Plan has indicated several strategies that these criteria relate to and initiatives currently underway to conduct a client survey and to develop a training, development and learning framework are illustrative of the approach TSB is taking towards modern management. In selecting this first set of criteria, senior management recognizes that work will also take place on other Modern Comptrollership elements as some are naturally inter-dependant and others are enablers. During the upcoming fiscal year, we will continue the integration of the Modern Comptrollership principles with the management practices adopted this year.
Impacts / Risks of Business Plan and Resource AllocationAs noted earlier, this Business Plan and the related resource allocation for fiscal year 2002-2003 require that some difficult choices and compromises be made. As a result, some activities will be curtailed and certain things will not be done. The Senior Management Committee has considered and accepted the impacts and the risks arising from these decisions. Senior management also commits to managing activities and resources in such a way as to minimize those risks while ensuring that we do not deviate from our renewal agenda. There are three major impacts/risks identified that will require on-going monitoring throughout the year. Reduced Investigation ActivityLimited resources will result in reduced investigation activity involving, to various degrees, deployment to accident sites, number and depth of investigations, and timeliness of public reports. This reduced level of activity may be perceived negatively by external stakeholders such as regulators, coroners, manufacturers, operators, and individual citizens for various reasons, depending on their individual interests. Data collection will be impacted. Some safety deficiencies may be left unidentified and unattended. This could represent a significant risk for the transportation system but the level of risk is difficult to quantify. Senior management accepts that some temporary reduction in the level of investigation activities is necessary for the organization to proceed with its renewal plan. Careful monitoring will be required throughout the year to ensure that essential work continues to be done in line with our legislated mandate. Investigation and safety analysis processes must be optimized so that those safety deficiencies that pose high risks to the travelling public will not be left unattended. The possibility of adverse reaction can be mitigated through on-going communication with stakeholders to explain the renewal plan and manage their expectations while data is collected through the stakeholder needs analysis to help define the acceptable level of activity for future planning purposes. Reduction in Formal Safety CommunicationsThe reduction in the number of investigation reports, Reflexions magazines and statistical reports may result in not getting the safety message out effectively to key stakeholders who can influence change within the transportation system. No hard data is currently available to determine the potential impact of these temporary reductions. However, a number of measures can be taken to potentially reduce risks, such as:
Internal Understanding and Buy-InTSB staff and managers are known to have a great sense of duty. They are dedicated to their mission in advancing transportation safety. With resources becoming scarce, the level of activities had to be curtailed over the years. While the renewal initiatives described in this Business Plan will bring about benefits in the long term, level of activities, including those associated with investigation operations will be further curtailed in the short term. These changes will not be readily endorsed by everyone. This could result in an increase in the stress and frustration levels of certain employees leading to reduced motivation, lower productivity and a high staff turnover rate. Senior management is taking steps to mitigate this impact by enhancing communication to ensure that staff at all levels understand the plan and the longer term benefits, that they see the progress being made, and that they can appreciate that the current situation is temporary. Early approval of budgets and training plans will permit responsibility centre managers to complete their operational work plans and to effectively manage their resources. Other Impacts and RisksSenior management has also identified and assessed a number of other impacts/risks for the coming year, such as: reduced participation in international undertakings, specialists working outside of their area of expertise, employee training currency issues, inability to reduce backlogs, inadequate specialist support, increased difficulty in responding to a major occurrence, limited investment in systems development and capital asset replacement, and loss of corporate knowledge due to staff attrition. All of these potential risks could have a negative impact on the TSB. However, prudent and sensible management of financial, human and material resources can go a long way towards mitigating these risks as the organization implements its renewal plan. Senior management expects that managers at all levels within the organization will contribute to effectively minimizing these risks through the sound management and periodic re-allocation of their allotted resources. Throughout this period of change the TSB will ensure that it fulfills its obligations as a federal government agency in the areas of official languages, employment equity, access to information and privacy, information management, as well as occupational health and safety. Current government priorities and initiatives will also be implemented to the extent that resources permit and that they can be integrated into the TSB renewal plan. Senior management will ensure that the right balance is maintained between the government-wide agenda and the TSB’s own legislated mandate and internal agenda so that maximum progress can be achieved towards the TSB’s stated outcomes.
Annex A2002-2003 Resource AllocationBudgets for fiscal year 2002-2003 were approved by the Executive Director on March 27, 2002. Approved allocations are shown in the following table.
Funding has been specifically set aside for the various key initiatives described in this Business Plan. Preliminary allocations are shown in the following table.
Annex BModern Comptrollership Priorities
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