Section IV

Other items of Interest

Section 4.1: 2004-2006 Sustainable Development Strategy

Environment Canada's Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) 2004-2006 highlights for Canadians key commitments that the department is undertaking over this three-year period to further our sustainable development objectives.

SDS 2004-2006 focuses on themes that enhance the capacity for integrated decision-making and increase the sustainability of operational aspects of the department:

• Information for Decision Making;
• Innovative Instruments;
• Partnerships for Sustainable Development;
• Managing for Sustainable Development

The Strategy focuses on building a strong knowledge base which puts human and natural capital on an equal footing with economic capital, informs public debate and supports integrated decision-making. It advances innovative policy instruments to ensure that market signals support and advance a more competitive and prosperous economy and enhanced protection of our natural environment. It emphasizes partnerships and governance models that enable horizontal decision making at the government, community and corporate levels. And finally, the Strategy requires leadership by example in our own operations.

The Strategy also focuses on strengthening performance measurement and reporting on the commitments and outcomes of SDS 2004-2006. Since the tabling of the Strategy, work has continued to identify performance measures, determine targets and assign accountability which will help build a logic model for the Strategy.

The Competitiveness and Environmental Sustainability Framework (CESF) is a comprehensive and integrated approach to achieving the highest level of environmental quality, strengthening Canada's long-term competitiveness, and ensuring the health and well-being of its citizens. The Framework provides the department with a significant policy tool to engage other partners in moving towards environmental sustainability. During this period of transformation when the department will be concentrating on implementing the Framework, SDS 2004-2006 will continue to demonstrate key opportunities for Environment Canada to enhance its contribution to sustainable development by:

• Strengthening our departmental capacity to integrate social and economic considerations into our policy, programming, and operational decisions; and
• Developing and delivering the information, innovative instruments and partnership arrangements that will enable Canadians and Canadian institutions to better support sustainable development.

For more information on Environment Canada's 2004-2006 Sustainable Development Strategy, visit: http://www.ec.gc.ca/sd-dd_consult/SDS2004/index_e.cfm.

Section 4.2: Management, Administration and Policy

What is the issue?

Environment Canada's operating context is complex. Environmental issues are global in nature, jurisdictions are shared and the challenge of integrating environmental considerations into economic and social decision-making is significant. As such, it is important to have the appropriate people, processes, systems and relationships in place internally so that we can focus on embedding environmental considerations into decision-making and addressing the environmental priorities of Canadians.

Transforming the way Environment Canada operates and manages and developing a clear policy agenda will help us focus our work, set priorities and build on our previous successes so that we can implement a comprehensive one department approach to achieving our goals.

Transforming the way Environment Canada works will allow us to provide more informed and coherent advice, maximize the results we achieve for the investment made and become a more agile organization that knows its capacity, continues to evolve and can deploy its resources where needed to effectively address immediate and ongoing priorities.

What are we doing about it?

Corporate programs, services, initiatives and activities are being rethought and realigned as part of Environment Canada's focus on departmental transformation and our ongoing work to develop integrated policy and horizontal management agendas.

Section 4.2: Corporate Services Program Activity D1 - Policy development, implementation and communications

What is the issue?

Environmental issues are complex and global in nature. They also have widespread economic, social and local impacts.

Addressing climate change, for example, is a worldwide challenge and its solutions will likely have a major impact on our economy - in particular on our daily transportation and energy decisions. Air pollution, acid rain and water quality do not respect jurisdictional boundaries and they all have serious impacts on human and ecosystem health.

Developing a coherent policy suite, appropriate partnerships, and effective communications tools help to embed environmental considerations into everyone's day to day decision-making.

What are we doing about it?

A competitiveness and environmental sustainability policy framework will provide direction and a coherent agenda within which to position environmental issues and the work of Environment Canada. One purpose of the new policy framework is to further Canada's long-term competitiveness by advancing sustainable approaches to economic development in order to achieve increased productivity, increased efficiency, and more sustainable energy use.

Although environmental issues affect many departments, Environment Canada is the lead for the coordination of the Government of Canada's policies and programs with respect to the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment. This role places the department in a unique position to influence the agenda of other departments. It also means that most of the department's initiatives need the support of other departments to be successful because most of the levers for action rest with others. Recognizing this symbiotic relationship, the department has taken a leadership role in the development of a government-wide environment and sustainable development agenda.

In this leadership role, the department is exploring the potential role for more innovative environmental policy tools that are tailored to the issues at hand. While regulation continues as a policy option, the department is expanding its use of information, partnerships, and economic instruments.

Major Programs and Initiatives

Section 4.2: Corporate Services Program Activity D2 - Accountable management of resources for results

What is the issue?

Achieving results for Canadians is not just about the results that you achieve or how much they cost but also about how you achieve those results.

The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening public sector management especially in the areas of governance, accountability, transparency, and financial management.

Environment Canada is transforming how it does its business so that it can meet the management expectations of parliamentarians and Canadians and deliver on its commitments in a meaningful and cost-effective way.

What are we doing about it?

Environment Canada is implementing a new governance structure that promotes decision-making informed by perspectives outside the responsible organizational unit. Under the Deputy Minister and the departmental Executive Management Council, Boards of Assistant Deputy Ministers and Regional Directors General are responsible for providing the leadership and direction required for Environment Canada to deliver on its mandate. The Strategic Integration and Departmental Management Services Boards contribute to delivering on Environment Canada's priorities in the areas of management, administration and policy.

Government-wide management initiatives are also helping Environment Canada transform how it does its business. Work related to populating the government-wide Expenditure Management Information System (EMIS) and departmental Program Activity Architectures and Management, Resources and Results Structures (MRRS) is being reinforced by the development of a comprehensive set of plans and the collection of detailed performance information to support internal management, priority-setting and allocation and reallocation decisions.

We are also using the Management Accountability Framework to help us focus on the areas where we need to strengthen our management and accountability tools, systems, policies or practices.

Several audits and evaluations are planned over the next three years. Planned 2005-2006 evaluations include evaluations of the Species at Risk Act, Meteorological Service of Canada transition; and management of Aboriginal files. Planned 2005-2006 audits include cash advances; petty cash and financial management processes at risk under the Financial Information Strategy (FIS).

We will continue to evolve our internal management framework as we transform the department and get organized to deliver on the goals of the Competitiveness and Environmental Sustainability Framework.

The major initiatives below reflect how Environment Canada is organizing its work to provide accountable management of resources for results.