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Message from the President and CEO

I am pleased to present the Performance Report of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) for the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2008.

Created by the Prime Minister in 1988, the NRTEE is an independent advisory body reporting to Parliament through the Minister of the Environment. The mandate of the Round Table is “to play the role of catalyst in identifying, explaining and promoting, in all sectors of Canadian society and in all regions of Canada, principles and practices of sustainable development.” The agency strives to influence federal policy development on environment and economy issues. To accomplish this, it must produce and disseminate relevant, credible advice in a timely manner.

The NRTEE draws on the insight and experience of its members to examine the environmental and economic implications of priority issues and offer independent advice on how to address them. Appointed by the government, its members represent different regions of Canada and are distinguished leaders in business, labour, universities, environmental organizations, Aboriginal communities, and municipalities. NRTEE activities contribute to the government’s objective of building a strong, globally competitive, sustainable, technologically innovative economy.

In 2007─2008, the NRTEE focused its attention and research on the critical issues of climate change and clean air. In January 2008, the NRTEE released the main results of its Clean Air Act Program in a report entitled Getting to 2050: Canada’s Transition to a Low-emission Future. This extensive and well-received report set out five enabling conditions that should be reflected in Canada’s climate policy framework. It offered specific recommendations to the federal government, including the need to establish an economy-wide price signal on carbon, either through an emission tax or a cap-and-trade system or a combination of the two.

The NRTEE’s ambient air report was issued in June 2008. It reviewed the approach used to set long-term ambient air quality objectives for Canada and proposed a series of principles and next steps in moving this issue forward.

In June 2007, the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act received Royal Assent, obligating the NRTEE to undertake an evaluation of the federal government’s annual Climate Change Plan. The NRTEE undertook the required analysis and its findings were provided in a first report in September 2007, a second in July 2008, and will continue to do so on an annual basis until 2012.  To complement this analysis, the NRTEE released a report on International Best Practices in GHG Emission Forecasting which provides useful lessons for Canada.

During 2007─2008, the NRTEE continued work on its Adaptation Program examining the influence of Canadian public policy on northern infrastructure in planning and managing the impact of climate change. This focuses on the territories and portions of the provinces north of the 60th parallel, in recognition of the severe and sustained character of climate change emerging in the Canadian North. This report will be released in the 2008─2009 fiscal year.

Overall, the Round Table’s policy output increased over the course of the fiscal year, not just in completing reports, but in beginning work on future reports expected for release this year and next. This includes the adaptation report for northern infrastructure, energy efficiency in commercial buildings, and a national carbon pricing policy. 

For all its work, the Round Table undertakes extensive original and expert research to inform the analysis undertaken by the secretariat, and to inform the deliberations of the members. Expert advisory committees involving stakeholders from across the country were struck to assist us in our consideration of issues and solutions. The NRTEE held a series of national and regional consultation meetings on its reports, both to receive needed input and to disseminate our findings.

On the operations side, the Round Table continued to strengthen its accountability and management systems. Notably, the NRTEE undertook an agency-wide review of its organizational structure and implemented changes to significantly realign jobs and resources supporting the agency’s medium- and long-term objectives. In addition, a formalized training function was put in place.

With regard to the management of government information, the NRTEE introduced a Records, Document and Information Management System (RDIMS), completing a pilot application and beginning the rollout of training and implementation by all staff by the summer of 2007. The RDIMS project will enable the agency to organize and control all corporate documents and records so as to ensure information is archived appropriately and is available when needed. It also facilitates the agency’s compliance with government legislation and policy related to information management and expedites responses to Access to Information requests.

The NRTEE is now in its second year of implementing a performance measurement framework designed to generate improved performance information for decision making and for external public reporting. Last year, it conducted a survey of federal decision makers, and this year a survey of national stakeholders. Workshops were also held with decision makers and stakeholders in November 2007 to obtain their views on NRTEE’s strategic direction. The feedback collected as part of these data collection tools served as the basis for reporting results summarized in this report.

Our performance measurement results demonstrate a clear awareness and perceived value to the NRTEE’s research and reports among stakeholders and decision makers. We are performing our role, advancing Canada’s public policy debate on critical issues such as climate change, and contributing thoughtful solutions on sustainable development issues.

 

David McLaughlin
President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Section 1  Overview

1.1     Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2007–2008 Departmental Performance Report for the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE).

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide to the Preparation of Part III of the 2007–2008 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

• It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board Secretariat guidance;
• It is based on the agency’s approved Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture that were approved by the Treasury Board;
• It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced, and reliable information;
• It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
• It reports finances based on approved numbers from the Estimates and the Public Accounts of Canada.

David McLaughlin
President and Chief Executive Officer

1.2  The NRTEE Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

The NRTEE is presenting this performance report using the Treasury Board-approved PAA shown in Figure 1 below. This aligns with the PAA used in the 2007–2008 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), which indicates that the NRTEE worked toward a single strategic outcome and was engaged in a single program activity. However, for this Departmental Performance Report (DPR), consistent with minor changes recently approved by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), the NRTEE will report only on this program activity, rather than to the sub-activity level.¹

1.3 Performance Measurement: A New Approach for the NRTEE

During the last two years, the NRTEE has initiated a more rigorous approach to measuring its performance. The objective is to produce evidence-based performance information for decision making and improve external public reporting in the DPR. The NRTEE’s performance is therefore assessed against the expected results and indicators shown below.

Expected Result	Performance Indicator
High quality research	Quality of research
Effective stakeholder consultations	Extent of consultations
	Effectiveness of consultations
Useful policy advice and recommendations	Perceived usefulness
	Perceived independence of NRTEE
	Demand for NRTEE advice
Effective communication of recommendations	Reach of recommendations
	Quality of communications
Increased awareness and understanding of issues and solutions	Awareness of issues and solutions
	Understanding of issues and solutions

Data sources for this reporting period include a recent survey of national stakeholders conducted in June–July 2008 (via in-person and telephone interviews), and a survey of federal decision makers (via in-person interviews) conducted in May–June 2007 (“the NRTEE surveys”).² Other data sources included the following:

• A roundtable series on NRTEE’s Strategic Direction, facilitated by the Public Policy Forum in November 2007;
• Feedback provided by participants after NRTEE consultation sessions (by completion of a questionnaire); and
• Operational data related to the research programs, communications, and overall management of the NRTEE.

1.4 Summary Information

Reason for Existence: The purpose of the Round Table is to play the role of catalyst in identifying, explaining and promoting, in all sectors of Canadian society and in all regions of Canada, principles and practices of sustainable development. The NRTEE interprets this broad mandate through a strategic focus on issues of national interest at the intersection of the environment and the economy. Through its work, the NRTEE strives to influence policy development and decisions on issues pertaining to the environment and economy. These promote economic prosperity for all Canadians while striving to preserve the environment for current and future generations.³

Financial Resources ($000s)

2007–2008
Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
5,156.0	5,432.9	4,857.7

Human Resources

2007–2008
Planned	Actual	Difference
27	24	-3

Departmental Priorities

Name	Type	Performance Status
Priority 1: Provide advice on environment and economy issues	Ongoing	Successfully met
Priority 2: Apply sound management principles in operations and implement federal initiatives.	Previously committed to/Ongoing	Successfully met

1.4.1 Performance Results by Priorities: Summary

In the RPP for 2006–2007, the NRTEE identified two priorities. The performance results for each are summarized below.

Priority 1: Provide advice on environment and economy issues

During 2007–2008, the NRTEE focused its attention and research on the critical issues of climate change and clean air. The NRTEE looked at the issue in terms of long-term policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions in Canada, and policies for adaptation to climate change in the Canadian North. It also evaluated the federal government’s 2007 Climate Change Plan for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act.

As specified in its RPP, the agency will have succeeded when decision makers report that the NRTEE has given them a new way of viewing issues and has raised their awareness and understanding of the issues. Feedback from national stakeholders and federal decision makers surveyed was positive on most counts, with the exception of the reach of the NRTEE communications activities:

• There is a continuing high regard for the quality of research carried out by NRTEE, its members, and the staff.
• The scope and effectiveness of consultations carried out by NRTEE are broadly recognized, both at a national level and within specific research programs.
• NRTEE policy analysis is relevant, timely, and useful. The NRTEE had successfully maintained its independence.
• NRTEE communications could expand their reach, for example, at the provincial/regional level and across a broader range of federal decision makers.

Priority 2: Apply sound management principles in operations, and implement new federal initiatives

Even with limited staff and a small budget, the agency takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that the stewardship of its financial and human resources is effective and aligned with government-wide initiatives.

In 2006–2007, the NRTEE established several areas of focus to improve its management practices. The single performance indicator noted in the RPP 2006–2007 was “compliance with government requirements.” In each instance, the NRTEE has met or exceeded requirements. Of particular note are the following areas of improvement:

1. Management of Government Information: In 2007–2008, the NRTEE embarked on a major project to implement the Records, Document and Information Management System (RDIMS), completing a pilot application and beginning the rollout of training and implementation by all staff by the summer of 2007. The RDIMS project will enable the agency to organize and control all corporate documents and records so as to ensure information is archived appropriately and is available when needed. It also facilitates the agency’s compliance with government legislation and policy related to information management and expedites responses to Access to Information requests.
2. Content Management Solution (CMS): In 2007–2008, the NRTEE completed Phase I of its project to design and implement a CMS that builds on the Government of Canada’s CMS approach and common standards for integrated government information and service delivery. Phase II, focusing on content delivery and stakeholder engagement strategies, is ongoing.
3. Human Resource Management: In 2007–2008, the NRTEE undertook an agency-wide review of its organizational structure and implemented changes to significantly realign jobs and resources such that they better support the agency’s medium- and longer-term objectives. In addition, the agency instituted a formalized training function. Beginning in 2008-2009, all employees will have formal training plans that are reviewed twice annually.

1.5 Operating Environment and Context

The NRTEE’s success depends on its ability to influence federal policy on environment and economy issues. To accomplish this, the NRTEE must produce and promote relevant, neutral, credible advice in a timely manner. Its ability to do so is affected by a range of internal and external factors. Those relevant in 2007–2008 are discussed below.

Internal operating factors

The NRTEE reached a turning point in 2007–2008 when a number of research programs and projects were completed, providing the agency with an opportunity to review our research priorities and projects. Extensive discussions were held with the Round Table members and external stakeholders to obtain input into what these priorities should be.

The NRTEE also underwent significant change during 2007–2008 in terms of the leadership of the organization, the members of the Round Table, as well as the staff of the secretariat. This provided both an opportunity for the NRTEE in developing the way ahead as well as a challenge in maintaining continuity and in-house knowledge.

Requests from the government to provide specific kinds of advice can also create challenges in terms of the organization’s ability to plan from year to year. The timing of such references cannot be controlled and the agency is often expected to identify the necessary resources from within its own budget.

External factors

Climate change is of major concern to Canada at this time. Policies are not developed in isolation—the federal government’s associations with the provinces, municipalities, and even other countries can affect them. This creates a complex decision-making environment and presents the NRTEE with a number of unique challenges in terms of maintaining the proper balance as an expert advisor to government:

• Achieving the right balance in being responsive to the federal government on the one hand, and maintaining independence on the other;
• Maintaining an appropriate balance between environmental and economic considerations, and offering advice on how best to reconcile and integrate the sometimes competing interests of economic prosperity and environmental conservation;
• Focusing on long-term, complex climate change issues while still ensuring that policies and strategies proposed can be translated into action;
• Meeting pressure to broaden its reach within the federal government, as well as at the provincial and regional levels across Canada, given the constraints on the resources at its disposal; and
• Ensuring an optimum mix between facilitating the exchange of ideas, building coalition around new innovative approaches, and acting as an advocate for positive change without losing credibility as an independent expert advisor.

1.6    Alignment with the Government of Canada Outcome Areas

The NRTEE’s work is relevant to several of the Government of Canada’s outcome areas, but aligns most directly with the strong economic growth outcome as shown below.

Strategic Outcome	Program Activity	Link to Government of Canada Outcome area
Federal policy development on environment and economy issues, and decisions in other key sectors, are influenced by NRTEE advice on selected issues	Provide advice on environment and economy issues	Strong economic growth

In 2007–2008, the NRTEE contributed to this outcome primarily through its work and resulting advice on energy and climate change and on how Canada can address this issue in the medium and long terms. This advice is consistent with Canada’s national interest and the government’s objective of building a globally competitive, sustainable, technologically innovative economy that benefits all Canadians.

1.7 Achieving the NRTEE’s Strategic Outcome: Overall Progress

Strategic Outcome: Federal policy development on environment and economy issues and decisions in other key sectors are influenced by NRTEE advice on selected issues.

The NRTEE’s approach to achieving its strategic outcome is to produce policy advice and disseminate it so as to increase the understanding of decision makers about challenges and opportunities at the interface between the environment and the economy, and to inform the debate on those questions.

An indicator of NRTEE performance in achieving this strategic outcome is the extent to which NRTEE advice is considered in federal policy decisions. Findings from the NRTEE surveys show a range of opinions, the overall perception (particularly among national stakeholders) being that NRTEE advice in certain areas has not to date been considered to a large extent in federal policy and decision making. Nevertheless, a number of national stakeholders stated that the research and advice provided by NRTEE had changed the nature of the debate and had acted as a catalyst that could influence future decisions, and that NRTEE activities had produced other benefits such as fostering dialogue between stakeholders and creating new networks for exchanging information.

A summary of performance by expected result is provided below.

1.8 Summary of Performance Results by Indicator

Figure 2: Summary of performance results, Fiscal Year 2007–2008

Expected Results and Outputs	Performance Indicator	Performance Assessment	Performance Level
High quality research	Perceived quality	Well perceived High quality analysis High quality personnel	At target
Effective stakeholder  consultations	Extent of consultations	Broad consultations with high level of participation Extensive expert consultation	At target
	Effectiveness of consultations	High added value Good process Able to bring players together Online consultation well perceived
Useful policy advice and recommendations	Perceived usefulness, relevance, and timeliness	Useful and timely Relevant Foster best practices and sharing of information	At target
	Perceived independence of NRTEE	Some concern about long-term loss of independence
	Demand for NRTEE advice	Continuing requests from federal government Strong demand for briefings from federal department and national stakeholders Citations from stakeholders
Effective communication of recommendations	Reach of communications	Extensive data base Increasing media coverage Overall (5-year trend) increase in use of website Reach could be increased	Approaching target
	Quality of communications	Good mix of instruments Products are well perceived
Increased awareness and understanding of issues and solutions	Awareness of issues and solutions	Stakeholders and decision makers are already aware of the issues	Approaching target
	Understanding of issues and solutions	Strong benefit in terms of greater understanding of issues

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