E-MANAGING EMS: HOW FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS ARE USING ELECTRONIC TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT EMS

A SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS

A total of 17 federal departments and agencies were contacted to get an idea of their current usage of electronic tools. The results allow for a number of observations to be made:

While approaches to data collection range from spreadsheets on a shared drive to interlinked databases on the Web, features commonly found in these reporting tools are:

None of the departments interviewed are using commercially available EMS management software packages. A few departments - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Correctional Services Canada, and Natural Resources Canada - indicated that they had investigated using commercial packages but found the cost prohibitive and a high level of customization still required. Departments are instead developing their own systems or teaming together with other departments to borrow and adapt existing systems. For instance, Agriculture Canada is adapting a copy of PWGSC's CatchAll system for its own use, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is working with Environment Canada on its own version of the Automated Real Property Management System (ARMS).

HIGHLIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

After looking at commercially available packages, Agriculture and Agrifood Canada is in the process of developing a pilot adaptation of CatchALL to collect operational data from its own facilities.

Within Human Resources Development Canada's (HRDC) EMS, Strategic Property Initiatives has developed specific guidelines and action plans for each EMS objective. In order to manage the development and monitoring of multiple targets for each objective, HRDC has developed EAP(Environmental Action Plan) Online. This is a Web-based tool that allows users to set, monitor and document SDS objectives and targets. Furthermore, the EAP database permits users to adjust their targets within specific limits, to account for regional differences. The program rolls up the data from all of the regional level inputs into a single figure for each target. In 2001, HRDC will expand its EAP Online to allow online reporting by each of its 320 local offices including a roll-up to a single national number for each target.

Parks Canada has developed an Access-based EMS Action Plan tool to guide personnel in developing EMS management programs. Available on the Parks Canada Intranet, the tool provides step-by-step instructions and a template for parks and other sites to follow in creating their own customized EMS Action Plans. The tool also includes a reporting function, providing a template for the recording, and regular updating, of summarized performance data and background information regarding environmental aspects. Summary reports are automatically generated based on action commitments entered and progress reported.

Of the departments interviewed, Health Canada has taken the most "EMS element-centered" approach to developing an electronic tool. Through an "EMS wheel" screen of ISO 14001 elements, backed by a Lotus database, users can click on an element of interest to view the associated EMS procedure(s) and relevant information. For instance, the legal requirements section of the database identifies federal environmental regulations applicable to the Department and provides links to the full text of the regulations on the Justice Canada Web site. In addition to providing information on the EMS, the database also incorporates a data reporting function. The data recorded by the system ranges from a listing of employees who have received EMS training to the details of storage tanks located at an individual facility. The EMS database was introduced in July 2000 and while development to date has focused on the policy and planning elements, further features and tools will be added to the database as the Department progresses to the EMS implementation, checking and review phases.

Environment Canada (EC) has developed a product called Automated Real Property Management System (ARMS) to collect operational data relating to its identified significant environmental aspects. Using the Web-based system, Regions access site-specific pages through which they enter totals for annual energy consumption, waste generation and other environmental aspects. Regions can access data for facilities within their own Region while at headquarters, the system "rolls-up" data received from the Regions and generates a variety of reports to facilitate analysis of the results. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has also decided to use ARMS.

Correctional Service Canada (CSC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) also considered the use of commercial software and for various reasons decided not to purchase an 'off-the-shelf' product. NRCan is focusing on establishing a Web-based interactive system that will provide and collect information specific to its EMS. CSC has developed Excel spreadsheets that can be customized to the environmental aspects of each facility and used to store data from utility bills. The spreadsheet contains the necessary calculations and conversions and provides a comparison of current data to data from the same period the previous year.

Transport Canada (TC) posts EMS documents, such as the Environmental Policy, on an internal Web site. Personnel from the Environmental Programs group at headquarters and in the Regions use a variety of separate databases to track information on storage tanks, ozone-depleting substances and contaminated sites. These databases allow Regional environmental personnel to input their own data and view data from other Regions. An overall environmental management database does not exist, and while the existing databases may be linked in the future, TC currently does not consider such integration necessary.

CONCLUSION

While the departments may vary greatly in their aspects, sizes and resources, they face similar issues and challenges in managing their SDS commitments. Developing an effective means of collecting environmental performance data has been the common primary hurdle tackled to date. The trend is also for departments to create their own solutions to these challenges. None of the respondents are using commercially available EMS management software packages, choosing instead to create their own customized tools. In some cases departments are teaming up to share the tools that have been developed. Only a few respondents have begun applying electronic management tools to other elements of EMS beyond performance monitoring. However, as departments continue to develop and implement their management systems, it is anticipated that a further crop of innovative electronic tools will be created to meet the new challenges.