The First Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Workshop

The Canada Aviation Museum,
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario
March 22 and 23, 2004

The first federal SEA Workshop developed and strengthened capacity within the federal policy community while giving participants the opportunity to learn more about the role of SEA in governmentThe workshop showed the value of SEA as a tool for meeting federal analytical requirements under The Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (the Cabinet Directive).

Who attended?

The SEA Workshop was open only to federal public servants and was specifically targeted to policy developers at all levels.

The SEA Workshop was of particular interest to federal partners involved in the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development audit of SEA.

What did we want to achieve?

• Increase understanding of the updated Cabinet Directive released by Cabinet and effective January 1, 2004.
• Gain insight into how SEA relates to Sustainable Development Strategies, the Management Accountability Framework, Public Consultation and other topics.
• Share information on SEA from multiple perspectives including government, industry and non-governmental organizations.
• Examine next steps to strengthen the role of SEA in horizontal, integrated decision making.

What did participants learn?

Through a combination of prominent and knowledgeable guest speakers, practical case studies and interactive sessions, participants:

• learned about current SEA practice and its evolution within the federal government;
• learned about the importance of developing internal departmental SEA procedures and best practices; and
• obtained practical advice and techniques for planning and implementing effective SEA processes.

For More Information on the SEA Workshop Agenda [PDF - 110 kb]

For More Information on the SEA Workshop Report

For More Information on SEA Best Practices

Organized by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency with support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environment Canada, the Departments of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, National Defence, Natural Resources Canada, and Transport Canada.