SUFA Initiative (2002)

Health Canada - Food Directorate

General Information
Department	Health Canada
Partners	Partners within Health Canada include the Veterinary Drug Directorate (VDD), Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion (ONPP), Population and Public Health Branch (PPHB), First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB), and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). Outside partners include: other federal departments and agencies, in particular the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO); provincial / territorial governments and municipal associations. Others involved in the food safety system include the food industry, hospitals and non-governmental agencies, and academics.
Effective Date	Ongoing, mature program
Expiry Date	Ongoing
Web Site	http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment
Purpose	The Food Directorate helps to protect and improve the health and well-being of the Canadian public by identifying, advising on and managing risks and benefits associated with the food supply. To achieve this, the Food Directorate develops appropriate polices, procedures, regulations and guidelines directed towards the achievement of a high standard of safety and nutritional value of foods. Under its mandate, the Food Directorate delivers programs focussed on pre-market review of new food products, research, surveillance, policy development, standard-setting, and risk assessment. As well, the Food Directorate assesses the effectiveness of the activities of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency related to food safety.
Roles and Contributions	In Canada, food safety is a shared responsibility. Health Canada Food Directorate develops policies and standards relating to the safety and nutritional value of food sold in Canada and assesses the effectiveness of the Canada Food Inspection Agency's activities related to food safety. VDD addresses the safety, effectiveness, and quality of veterinary drugs. Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion promotes the nutritional health and well-being of Canadians by collaboratively defining, promoting, and implementing evidence-based nutrition policies and standards. Population and Public Health Branch conducts surveillance, investigates outbreaks of foodborne disease, knowledge development, education, and public awareness. First Nations and Inuit Health Branch supports culturally relevant community nutrition programs in First Nations and Inuit communities. Access to a safe, acceptable and affordable food supply and the development of understanding or knowledge about all aspects of both traditional and modern food ways are addressed collaboratively. Pest Management Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating the use of substances that claim to have a pest control use. It also regulates other substances, such as formulants, adjuvants and contaminants, that are contained in pest control products. Other Federal Government agencies Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for providing all federal inspection services related to food safety, economic fraud and trade-related requirements. Provincial and territorial governments have jurisdiction over public health matters, which extend to food manufactured, traded and sold within their borders. Provincial governments inspect food-processing establishments, food retail facilities, and the food service sector. In some provinces, municipal governments are also involved in regulation enforcement. In general terms, provincial legislation that refers to or parallels the federal requirements allows for the inspection of all establishments where food intended for human consumption is kept for sale. Food industry has the primary responsibility for the safety of its products and for providing appropriate information to permit consumers to make informed choices. Information on activities is publicly available through standard reporting and the web-site (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment). Use of polling / survey data with regard to public understanding and recognition of the Food Directorate's role and contributions has been inconsistent. An example of where it has been used with good effect has been in the recent review of nutrition labelling. One of the objectives of the funding provided for in the Federal Budget of 1999 was to establish a policy development capacity, comprising an open decision-making process and mechanisms for full public consultation (e.g., selected public hearings, etc.). The Food Directorate is committed to improving the decision-making process by incorporating a variety of mechanisms to involve the public, ensuring full access to information and transparency to formulate and develop policies, legislation, standards etc.

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Resources
Funding	450 people work in the Food Directorate in locations throughout Canada (Ottawa, Halifax, Longueuil, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Burnaby). Actual year-to-year expenditures in the FD have been as follows: 1996-1997: $29.2 million 1997-1998: $29.4 million 1998-1999: $32.1 million 1999-2000: $28.5 million 2000-2001: $41.9 million 2001-2002: $40.5 million 2002-2003: $35 million (estimated)
Tracking and Reporting	The Food Directorate has a comprehensive planning and reporting system (PMRS) which links to the departmental financial reporting (SAP/FIRM). Information on spending is available in Annual Reports (DPR/RPP), available through the Health Canada web site: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/

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Measurement and Reporting
Outcomes	Long-term outcomes as stated in the Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) include: protection of Canadians against risk factors related to food, which can be expected to result in the reduction in the incidence of acute food-borne diseases and diet-related chronic diseases, as well as improved nutritional status; and, contribute to consumers, stakeholders and the public being involved in dialogue and consultations regarding policies, priorities, plans and programs related to food. In response to a federal accountability initiative (PMDP - Performance Measurement Development Project: Fall 1999 - March 2002), a prototype version of a Food Directorate Performance Measurement System (FD PM System) has been developed with the intention of: facilitating the measurement, monitoring and assessment of outputs and outcomes associated with Food Directorate activities; facilitating the description of a program or policy by grouping its elements / components into one of six categories. These categories, which are related in a linear and hierarchical manner, are: inputs; activities; outputs; reach; short-term, intermediate and long-term impacts / outcomes. (External influence variables can also be considered). Using the FD PM System, specific logic models can be developed for any FD activity, using some or all of the categories in the performance pathway (see previous bullet). While system users are encouraged to consistently develop logic models that link a given FD activity to its intended health impacts / outcomes, other aspects of model creation are flexible; thus, responding to the specific needs of different system users. To date, a draft "overview" logic model has been developed for the Food Directorate as a whole. Currently, three draft logic models (each with explicit links to the overall FD logic model) are being developed to address three specific program activities generally considered to be representative of the work undertaken in the Food Directorate.
Indicators	As part of PMDP (2000-2002), work began on the creation of an Indicator Library for use with the FD PM System. Still under development, this library is intended to include indicator information for all steps (categories) in the performance pathway, as well as for external influence variables. Two approaches are being taken to populate this library: For steps in the performance pathway generally considered to be under program control (inputs; activities; outputs), a mechanisms is provided so that staff can enter indicator information collected as part of ongoing program development and implementation (e.g., efforts to initiate and maintain collaboration with key partners) into the FD PM System. For steps generally considered to be only under program influence (short-term, intermediate and long-term impacts / outcomes), work is underway to facilitate ongoing access to data collected and maintained by other groups (e.g., Health Canada’s DAIS and its underlying model are founding components of the Public and Population Health Intelligence Database (PHIDB), a database intended to provide a shared repository of information resources for use in population health monitoring, public health surveillance, and associated health and social research, policy and program development activities in Canada).
Comparable Indicators	There are no known comparable indicators in Canada. However, many countries, particularly the USA, UK and Australia, have established indicators that may be comparable to those that will be developed by the Food Directorate. Depending on the indicators chosen, there may be opportunities to compare food safety results against Canadian data from previous years to establish benchmarks and/or determine trends. Work is also underway to help ensure that logic models for specific Food Directorate projects use a standardized approach to indicator selection and naming, thereby facilitating "roll-up" of performance information to the Directorate level.
Evaluation / Thrid Party Assessments	A formative evaluation of a Health Canada "food-related" policy by an external consultant was initiated in July 2000. The consultant was contracted to perform this evaluation in order to provide early indications of the effectiveness of a Health Canada policy, and thereby assist in decision-making related to potential changes to the policy for the 2001 season. Elements of this evaluation were replicated in early 2002, and comparative analyses of findings form the two evaluation periods were undertaken.
Shared Information and Best Practices	An oral presentation on Implementation of a Performance Measurement Framework in the Food Directorate was made at the Canadian Evaluation Society annual meeting in Banff, Alberta, May 2001. A presentation on work done on development of the FD PM System during 2001-2002 was made at the Departmental PMDP Reporting Workshop in March 2002. The Food Directorate is represented at the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Network, a Health Canada network being developed under the leadership of the Departmental Program Evaluation Directorate. Arrangements are being made to share the Food Directorate’s experience in developing the prototype version of the FD PM System with other Directorates in the Health Products and Food Branch, as well as with other Branches in Health Canada. A Best Practices manual intended to accompany the FD PM System is under development. Much of the initial information relates to experiences of FD staff working on the development of logic models and the identification of relevant indicators intended to describe, measure, and report on the performance of Food Directorate activities.
Public Reporting	Details of the evaluation program have yet to be determined. The results of our performance will be available on our web site soon. Other means of public reporting include public accounts and departmental performance reports.

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Involving Canadians
Provisions for Citizens to Participate in Developing Social Priorities and Reviewing Outcomes	In the Fall of 2001, following consultations with staff, the Food Directorate management team issued a draft Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles as well as a final Mandate statement. In addition, the management team articulated five high-level priorities for the Directorate and ranked their Project Areas. The next step in the Directorate’s planning process was to obtain the views of key interested parties on the Food Directorate’s priorities and activities through and open and inclusive process. In February and March, 2002, the Food Directorate held a series of consultation meetings with key external interested parties to obtain their views on the re-drafted Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles and priorities. The meetings were held across the country as follows: Winnipeg, February 11, 2002; Edmonton, February 13, 2002; Burnaby, February 15, 2002; Halifax, February 19, 2002; Ottawa, February 26, 2002; Toronto, March 6, 2002; and, St-Hyacinthe, March 8, 2002. The total number of outside participants in the sessions was 264, which included representatives from the Health Products and Food Branch, other Health Canada branches, federal departments and agencies; provincial, territorial and municipal governments; consumer and industry associations; academia; medical and health associations; and other special interest groups. The sessions went extremely well, and the Directorate received many valuable comments on its program. The Food Directorate will be considering the comments raised by the participants in developing its plans and priorities for the next three to five years.
Feedback Mechanisms to the Public	The primary mechanism being the Food Directorate Website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/food-aliment

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Service Commitments
Public Availability of Eligibility Criteria	No methodology has yet been developed.
Existence and Availability of Service Commitments	No methodology has yet been developed.
Measurement and Public Reporting	No methodology has yet been developed.

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Appeals and Complaints
Existence, Availability and Communication of Mechanisms	No methodology has yet been developed.
Tracking and Public Reporting	No methodology has yet been developed.

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Mobility
Existence of Measure	Not applicable as the Food Directorate deals with food safety and nutrition issues rather than programs that deal with post-secondary education, training, health and social services and social assistance.