Lead Department: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Start Date of the Horizontal Initiative: September 17, 2003
End Date of the Horizontal Initiative: March 31, 2008
Total Federal Funding Allocation: $118.2 million

Description

The ERI is a partnership of eight federal departments and agencies. The ERI provides a coordinated and integrated approach and direction to managing and advancing Canada's advocacy, trade, business development, science and technology and investment interests in the United States. This is done through the collaboration of ERI partners and consultation with other federal government departments, provinces and territories and other stakeholders. When fully implemented, the ERI partnership will oversee a network of 43 U.S. points of contact through consulates general, consulates, trade offices and honorary consuls.

Shared Outcome(s)

Outcomes reflect total Canadian government efforts respecting advocacy and business development with the United States set in the international economic environment. Specific outcomes are defined by the ERI's Resultsbased Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF):

Short-term Outcomes:

• Increased Domestic Engagement and Coordination
• Raised awareness of:
  • Canada-U.S. interdependence in North American security
  • Canada-U.S. interdependence in North American economy
  • Canada-U.S. social differences
• Increased number of export-ready firms
• Raised awareness in the U.S. of:
  • Investment opportunities in Canada
  • Canadian technological capabilities
• Increased Canada-U.S. sharing of technologies
• Raised awareness of U.S. market opportunities for Canadian firms
• ERI Partnership development
• Increased capacity for advocacy and business development in the U.S.

Governance Structures

The ERI Partnership is managed through a formal governance structure including a Deputy Ministers Steering Committee, an Assistant Deputy Ministers Policy Committee, a Directors General Operations Committee and three director-level Standing Committees: Advocacy and Business Development, Communications and Human Resources. Day-to-day operations are managed by the ERI Secretariat, which is responsible to the ERI Partnership, through the governance structure, for planning, implementing and evaluating the ERI's annual action plan. The ERI Secretariat is accountable administratively to its host department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which provides financial, human resources and physical resource services to the Secretariat.

Partners

• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
• Canada Economic Development for Quebec regions
• Industry Canada (IC)
• National Research Council (NRC)
• Western Economic Diversification (WD)

Contact

Wolf Nowak
Manager
Strategic Planning and Analysis U.S. Enhanced Representation Initiative Secretariat (ERI)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
Telephone: 1-613-944-2715