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2008-09
Departmental Performance Report

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Supplementary Information (Tables)

Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue

**Respendable Revenue**
($ thousands)	Actual 2006-2007	Actual 2007-2008	2008-2009
($ thousands)	Actual 2006-2007	Actual 2007-2008	Main Estimates	Planned Revenue	Total Authorities	Actual
Environmental Assessment Support
Cost recovery for environmental assessment services	6,305.1	6,027.9	7,751.0	7,751.0	7,751.0	4,008.9
Cost recovery for publications, training and education materials (federal)	120.6	109.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	83.2
Cost recovery for publications, training and education materials (external)	166.7	147.9	150.0	150.0	150.0	104.3
Total Respendable Revenue	6,592.4	6,285.6	8,001.0	8,001.0	8,001.0	4,196.4

**Non-Respendable Revenue**
($ thousands)	Actual 2006-2007	Actual 2007-2008	2008-2009
($ thousands)	Actual 2006-2007	Actual 2007-2008	Main Estimates	Planned Revenue	Total Authorities	Actual
Environmental Assessment Support	261.8	168.0	—	—	56.9	56.9
Total Non-Respendable Revenue	261.8	168.0	—	—	56.9	56.9
Total Revenues	6,854.2	6,453.6	8,001.0	8,001.0	8,057.9	4,253.3

The Agency has authority to recover costs for environmental assessment services, publications, training and education material. However, it should be noted that the use of this authority is dependent on the level of review panel activity that is eligible for cost recovery; as such, the level of revenue tends to fluctuate from year to year.

User Fees Act/External Fees

***User Fees Act***
($ thousands)
User Fee	Fee Type	Fee-setting Authority	Date Last Modified	2008-2009					Planning Years
User Fee	Fee Type	Fee-setting Authority	Date Last Modified	Forecast Revenue	Actual Revenue	Full Cost	Performance Standard	Performance Results	Fiscal Year	Forecast Revenue	Estimated Full Cost
Environmental assessment services	R	Environmental Assessment Review Panel Services Charges Order	2002	7,751.0	4,009.0	5,679.6	An internal review of the existing performance standards, specifically with regard to the sufficiency of the Cost Recovery Order, began in 2007-2008. While in the midst of designing the parameters for evaluation, the Agency underwent a substantial modification to its structure. In order to reflect the new operating environment, the Agency is re-developing its Participant Satisfaction Survey to establish indicators (such as Fairness, Accessibility, Timeliness, Efficiency and Value for Investment) to allow for qualitative performance evaluation within the new structure.	The Agency will use these measures in the 2009-2010 DPR.	2009-2010	7,751.0	11,006.4
									2010-2011	7,751.0	11,006.4
									2011-2012	7,751.0	11,006.4
Fees charges for the processing of access requests filed under the Access to Information Act	O	Access to Information Act	1992	0.1	0.1	119.4	Service standards are in section 7 of the Access to Information Act¹	Statutory deadlines were met 38% of the time	2009-2010	0.7	91.4
									2010-2011	0.7	91.4
									2011-2012	0.7	91.4
Sub-total (R)				7,751.0	4,009.0	5,679.6			2009-2010	7,751.7	11,097.8
Sub-total (O)				0.1	0.1	119.4			2010-2011	7,751.7	11,097.8
Total				7,751.1	4,009.1	5,799.0			2011-2012	7,751.7	11,097.8

For 2008-2009, environmental assessment services constitute the main source of revenues for the Agency. This amount is subject to variation depending on the level of review panel activity that is eligible for cost recovery. Reflected forecasted revenues of $7,751K are based on authorities. As review panel activity increases additional authorities will be sought. Full costs of environmental assessment services are based on actual revenues for 2008-2009 and forecasted revenues for 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 adjusted for an estimated portion of the cost provided without charge² and other costs that can not be recovered under the current authorities.

Actual and forecasted revenues for Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) are based on a set fee per request as prescribed in the Access to Information Act. Full costs are based on actual costs related to generating the required information adjusted by an estimated portion of the cost provided without charge.

¹ http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/A-1/index.html

²Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada. Contributions covering employer's share of employees' insurance premiums and expenditures paid by the Treasury Board Secretariat. Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by Justice Canada.

External Fees

External Fee	Service Standard¹	Performance Results²	Stakeholder Consultation
Environmental assessment services	Environmental Assessment Review Panel Service Charges Order	Individual service-level agreements were signed and administered between the Agency and project proponents in support of 75% of the active environmental assessments conducted by review panels, in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act during the reporting period. The remainder are expected to be signed during the 2009-2010 reporting period.	Before the development of the Order, public comments were solicited at stakeholder meetings held across Canada, and consultations were held over the course of several meetings with the Minister's multi-stakeholder Regulatory Advisory Committee. All the comments received were considered and, where appropriate, incorporated into the design of the Order.
Fees charged for the processing of access requests filed under the Access to Information Act	Service standards are in section 7 of the Access to Information Act³	Statutory deadlines were met 38% of the time.	The service standard is established by the Access to Information Act and the Access to Information Regulations. Consultations with stakeholders were undertaken for amendments made in 1986 and 1992.

¹As established pursuant to the Policy on Service Standards for External Fees:

Service standards may not have received parliamentary review; and
Service standards may not respect all performance standard establishment requirements under the User Fees Act (UFA)(e.g. international comparison; independent complaint address).

² Performance results are not legally subject to section 5.1 of the UFA regarding fee reductions for unachieved performance.

³ http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/A-1/index.html

Other Information

Over the last fiscal year, the Agency's ATIP Office has faced a major staffing turnaround issue which is now resolved. Moreover, ATIP requests received by the Agency during the reporting period were of a very complex nature, resulting in longer than anticipated response times. As a result, the Agency was required to request extensions to fulfill the requests. In addition, consultation with some departments took longer than expected, which resulted in further delays.

Sustainable Development Strategy

Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) Departmental Goals

To promote full and meaningful application of a results-oriented federal environmental assessment framework.

Federal SD Goal(s), including Greening Government Operations (GGO) goals

Strengthen federal governance and decision making to support sustainable development:

Expected Results 2008-2009	Supporting Performance Measure(s)	Achieved SDS Departmental Results for 2008-2009
The government is better informed and equipped to address policy and regional-scale sustainable development issues.	Improved understanding of how the various components of an effective and efficient environmental assessment framework should work together, and of the strengths and weaknesses of the current framework in supporting integrated decision making.	Advancing the science and practice of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and regional-scale environmental assessment (REA) The Agency supported the work of the Minister's Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC) Subcommittee on SEA as it completed its mandate to define the broader context for SEA, explore meaningful linkages between strategic and project-level EA, and examine the role of the public and Aboriginal groups in SEA. The Agency continued to support research projects aimed at advancing the science and practice of SEA and REA. These include Atikamekw Nation Territorial Planning: The Role of Strategic Environmental Assessment in Sustainable and Adaptive Joint Management of Forest Area and Extending Models and Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. Final reports for both projects are expected in 2009. The Agency continued to participate in work undertaken through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to promote and advance a Canada-wide understanding of regional strategic environmental assessment. The Agency undertook a coordinating lead role, including financial support, to develop a framework for an REA in the Beaufort Basin and worked with other partners to explore the potential for REA offshore in Nova Scotia. The Agency invested in a review of existing SEA tools and best practices and the development of an SEA toolbox to strengthen the methodological basis for the practice of SEA at the federal level. The Agency developed a geographic information system to assist in identifying environmental and policy variables in environmental assessment. This tool has the potential to support analysis of development impacts on a regional scale.
There is improved cooperation and collaboration between federal departments and agencies and with other jurisdictions, which results in high-quality environmental assessments delivered through a timely, predictable process.	A more timely, coordinated, and consistent approach to the environmental assessment process of major projects is applied.	Promoting and ensuring the implementation of initiatives that improve the coordination among stakeholders in federal project environmental assessments The Agency continued to define and implement its new roles for managing the environmental assessments and coordinating Crown consultations for major projects under the 2007 Cabinet Directive on Improving the Performance of the Regulatory System for Major Resource Projects and its Memorandum of Understanding. The Agency continued to chair and support the work of the Environmental Assessment Project Committee (EAPC), which aims to facilitate a whole-of-government approach to the preparation of high-quality environmental assessments in a timely, certain and predictable manner. Gaining a greater understanding of the effectiveness of the Agency and its supporting legislative and policy tools in achieving coordination among stakeholders The Agency implemented, on a pilot basis, Learning Logs for environmental assessments for which the Agency is the Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator (FEAC) or Project Manager. Learning Logs document the environmental outcomes and project design changes that occur as a result of the federal environmental assessment process.
Decisions are better informed through effective engagement of the public, including Aboriginal peoples, in the environmental assessment process.	Improved knowledge across government of how to engage the public, including Aboriginal peoples, in high-quality environmental assessments.	Building knowledge and capacity internally and throughout the federal government in the area of public and Aboriginal peoples engagement in environmental assessment The Agency participated in an initiative with the Chiefs of Ontario to develop an Environmental Assessment Toolkit for member communities. The toolkit was designed to assist Ontario First Nations in understanding environmental assessment as it is practiced by their own communities and to facilitate their participation in the environmental assessment of projects that may affect them. The Agency actively participated in a senior-level interdepartmental policy working group tasked with developing a national action plan for the federal government on the legal duty to consult with Aboriginal groups. The Agency's participation in this initiative helps to ensure that the federal government's duty to consult is appropriately fulfilled in relation to federal environmental assessment. The Agency continued to support research projects aimed at providing a new understanding and approaches for the meaningful involvement of Aboriginal groups in environmental assessment. These include Atikamekw Nation Territorial Planning: The Role of Strategic Environmental Assessment in Sustainable and Adaptive Joint Management of Forest Area and Effective Engagement of Aboriginal Peoples in Environmental Assessment: A Case Study of Treaty 8 Nations. Final reports for these projects are expected in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Improved understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of self-assessment processes.	Regular and consistent training in sustainable development tools for planners and analysts across government.	Collaborating with other federal departments and agencies to increase awareness and application of the principles of sustainable development and sustainable development tools The Agency participated in interdepartmental efforts to develop a federal sustainable development strategy in accordance with the recently proclaimed Federal Sustainable Development Act, supporting linkages between SEA and sustainable development.
	Identification of areas requiring improvement in the application of the Cabinet Directive and the Act.	Evaluating the effectiveness of the SEA and project EA processes The Agency began work leading a government-wide evaluation of the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. The evaluation will assess the contribution of SEA to balanced decision making in support of sustainable development, with a final report expected in June 2009. The Agency provided coordinated input to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, who commenced a performance audit of the application of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The Commissioner's final report is expected in November 2009. The Agency's quality assurance unit has been working to identify and to analyze aspects of the current environmental assessment process that are most likely to lead to favourable environmental outcomes. This work included case studies of five environmental assessments in Ontario, follow-up on public participation in screenings and an assessment of the first year of implementation of the Interim Approach to Scoping.
The Agency has the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions regarding the future of the federal environmental assessment framework.	Identification of opportunities to better integrate the project review process across jurisdictions.	Examining how the Agency can move toward better integration of the project review process at the national level The Agency continued to work with other jurisdictions through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to identify opportunities to improve the coordination of assessments for projects subject to both federal and provincial environmental assessment.
	Themes of R&D reflect issues and needs addressed in the Agency's sustainable development strategies.	Ensuring that the research areas promoted and encouraged by the Agency are consistent with, and supportive of, the goals and objectives set out in the Agency's sustainable development strategies The Agency has used the sustainable development strategy to guide the selection of research priorities for its Research and Development Program. Specifically, these priorities have included: Climate Change Adaptive Management Small Projects Strategic Environmental Assessment Meaningful Involvement Follow-Up Determining the Significance of Environmental Effects Human Impact Assessment Integrating Climate Change Considerations into EA Regional Environmental Effects Framework

Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits

Response to Parliamentary Committees
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) did not receive any Parliamentary Committee recommendations during the period under review.

Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
The Agency was not subject to any recommendations by the Auditor General or the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development during the period under review.

External Audits (Note: These refer to other external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages)
No external audits were conducted during the period under review.

Internal Audits and Evaluations

Internal Audits (current reporting period)

Name of Internal Audit	Audit Type	Status	Completion Date
No internal audits were conducted during the period between April 2008 and March 2009.

Evaluations (current reporting period)

Name of Evaluation	Program Activity	Evaluation Type	Status	Completion Date
Evaluation of the Participant Funding Program	Environmental Assessment Support Program	Summative/Impact Evaluation	Completed	March 2009