Archived - Management Response and Action Plan (MRAP)

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Terminolgy

Evaluation Recommendation: As stated in evaluation report
Management Response: Agree, agree with conditions, or disagree with recommendation, and why
Action Plan: Actions to be taken to address the recommendation
Deliverables: Key deliverables that demonstrate implementation of action plan
Expected Completion Date: Date for each deliverable
Lead: Position, for each deliverable
Resources: Human and/or financial resources required to carry-out actions, including the source(s) of resources

Recommendation 1: Review the CFIA's plant protection-related arrangement with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to facilitate optimal programming options

Management Response

The Plant Business Line (PBL) agrees.

Prevention is the most cost effective strategy for mitigating the phytosanitary risks associated with imports.

The PBL recognizes that an opportunity exits to leverage the Agency’s relationship with CBSA through projects and discussions with the objective of enhancing prevention approaches and systems supporting plant protection programs.

Action Plan

1.0 Undertake a review of the overarching CFIA-CBSA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to identify possibilities where language may be revised to reinforce and where needed, clarify respective organizational roles and responsibilities regarding border-related programming
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
1.0.1 Bilateral meeting to discuss plant health priorities between CFIA-CBSA senior executives	1.0.1 January 2015	1.0.1 Executive Director, Plant Health and Biosecurity (PHBD), Policy and Programs Branch (PPB)	1.0.1 Within internal existing resources
1.0.2 Review MOU	1.0.2 March 2015	1.0.2 Executive Director, Operations Policy and Systems Directorate (OPSD), Operations (Ops)	1.0.2 Operations 0.1 FTE within existing FTEs and budget resources
1.0.3 Revise and approve MOU	1.0.3 March 2016

1.1 Collaborate with CBSA and the United States (US) Customs and Border Protection on an implementation plan for responding to the Canada/US feasibility study for Wood Packaging Materials (WPM)
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
1.1.1 Letter of Agreement between Canada-US to implement the six recommendations from the WPM feasibility study	1.1.1 November 2014	1.1 Executive Director, PHBD, PPB	1.1 Within internal existing resources
1.1.2 Implementation Plan for responding to recommendations from the WPM feasibility study	1.1.2 March 2016	1.1 Executive Director, PHBD, PPB	1.1 Within internal existing resources

1.2 Develop a CFIA-CBSA joint work plan for increasing scientific capacity at CBSA for the inspection of wood packaging material (CFIA Science-CBSA MOU)
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
1.2.1 FY 2014-15 CFIA Science Branch – CBSA work plan and performance	1.2.1 March 2015	1.2 Executive Director, Plant Health Science Directorate (PHSD), Science Branch	1.2 Within existing FTEs and budget resources
1.2.2 Evaluation of the improvement of CBSA scientific capacity for the inspection of wood packaging	1.2.2 December 2016	1.2 Executive Director, Plant Health Science Directorate (PHSD), Science Branch	1.2 Within existing FTEs and budget resources

1.3 Identify program import priorities based on areas of highest risk (such as pathways) to be shared with CBSA
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
1.3 A summary of the CFIA findings for high risk pests and pathways	1.3 September 2015	1.3 Executive Director, PHBD, PPB	1.3 Within existing FTEs and budget resources

1.4 Conduct Plant Health studies (including proposals for implementation and maintenance) to explore shifting high risk priorities to the border or off-shore risk mitigation sites
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
1.4.1 Disseminated study report of best practices for plant health prevention	1.4.1 February 2015	1.4. Executive Director, PHBD, PPB	1.4 Within resources and funding as allocated to PPB-PHBD Strategic Initiative projects and as identified within the Plant Protection Division work plan
1.4.2 Joint Canada-US report on the best ways to mitigate high risk pathways of plant pests of significant socio-economic concern (such as Asian Gypsy Moth and the North American perimeter approach)	1.4.2 January 2015	1.4. Executive Director, PHBD, PPB	1.4 Within resources and funding as allocated to PPB-PHBD Strategic Initiative projects and as identified within the Plant Protection Division work plan

Recommendation 2: Review and improve performance measurement associated with the PPP

Management Response

The PBL agrees provided the following condition is recognized:

Work needs to improve, and is already underway, in ensuring branches have access to, and make better use of, historical data.

As well, CFIA continues to improve its use of IM/IT systems to gather and collect this information.

Work to ensure branches have access to and make better use of data is currently underway.

CFIA continues to improve its use of IM/IT systems to collect information.

The PBL acknowledges that it needs to continue to encourage and support improvements to its IM/IT systems.

CFIA has recognized these deficiencies as part of its overall IM/IT strategy.

Action Plan

2.0 PBL will conduct research (e.g. deliverable 2.0.1) and draft a proposal for a PPP performance measurement framework (PMF) within the current constraints of its data collection and reporting systems.
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
2.0.1 Compilation of best practices for plant protection program performance measurement as employed by other countries including QUAD members	2.0.1 September 2015	2.0 Executive Director, Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	2.0 Within Branch resources and funding as allocated to lead tri-Branch Directorates and key Divisions
2.0.2 Performance Measurement Study Report	2.0.2 December 2015	2.0 Executive Director, Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	2.0 Within Branch resources and funding as allocated to lead tri-Branch Directorates and key Divisions
2.0.3 Draft PPP PMF proposal that will support data and inform program design and IM/IT decision.	2.0.3 March 2016	2.0 Executive Director, Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	2.0 Within Branch resources and funding as allocated to lead tri-Branch Directorates and key Divisions

Recommendation 3: Assess the effectiveness of alternative service delivery options relative to traditional PPP program delivery to better support the case for their continued or expended use

Management Response

The PBL agrees with the recognition of the following condition

PPP has made significant use of ASD mechanisms for many years.

Qualitatively, there have been no significant increase in incidences of non-compliance over the last 30 years i.e. post implementation for such programs as Forestry heat-treated wood nor complaints about other ASDs such as the Horticulture Greenhouse Certification program

Action Plan

3.0 The PBL will identify a way to measure program effectiveness pre- and then post ASD implementation.

This will begin with the Forestry Heat-Treated (HT) Wood Program. PPB and Operations will be implementing new guidance for audit and oversight of third party service delivery providers. As part of the new program, a more systematic assessment of the volume of export certificates, CFIA inspectorate activities and CFIA audit activities and their findings will be put into place.
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
3.0.1 Report on results of CFIA oversight of the redesigned HT-Wood ASD program	3.0.1 March 2016	3.0 Executive Director: Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	3.0 Within Branch resources and funding as allocated to lead tri-Branch Directorates and key Divisions

3.1 Contingent on outcomes of the Forestry ASD report, determine the feasibility of applying those measurement indicators to other plant ASDs.
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
3.1 Feasibility Paper	3.1 September 2016	3.1 Executive Director, Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	3.1 Within Branch resources and funding as allocated to lead tri-Branch Directorates and key Divisions

3.2 Develop a framework for the use of private labs / ASD arrangement for the delivery of diagnostic testing.
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
3.2 Report on findings with recommendations to the business line for a path forward.	3.2 March 2016	3.2 Executive Director, Plant Health Science (PBL Vice-Chair)	3.2 Within resources and funding as allocated to Science Branch and as identified within Plant Health Science and Labs work plans.

Recommendation 4: Based on prioritized goals, estimate PPP resource requirements during annual planning

Management Response

The PBL agrees.

Action Plan

4.0 Engage Corporate Management Branch (Financial Services) to conduct and report on a financial analysis of PPP expenditures.
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
4.0.1 Terms of Reference for CMB Financial Analysis	4.0 .1 May 2015	4.0.1 Executive Directors: Financial Services Directorate, Corporate Management Branch Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	4.0.1 Within resources and funding as allocated to PBL Branches and CMB
4.0.2 CMB Financial Analysis Report	4.0.2 September 2015	4.0.2 Executive Directors: Financial Services Directorate, Corporate Management Branch Plant Health and Biosecurity (PBL Chair)	4.0.2 Within resources and funding as allocated to PBL Branches and CMB

4.1 Based on financial report findings, develop a strategic action plan – prioritization and resource allocation model to integrate work planning such that PBL project and core activities are prioritized, corresponding PPP resource requirements are identified and PPP resource allocations are directed in accordance with said model. A pilot application of the model could be considered against the Invasive Alien Species program which has an overarching plan already prepared.
Deliverables	Expected Completion Date	Lead	Resources
4.1 Program Response and Action Plan to the CMB Financial Analysis Report	4.1 January 2016	4.1 Executive Director, PHBD, PPB (PBLC Chair) working in conjunction with other Tri-Branches as part of a PBL approach	4.1 Within resources and funding as allocated to PBL Branches

Acronyms

CBSA – Canada Border Services Agency

CMB – Corporate Management Branch

ESDP – Electronic Service Delivery Platform

IASDP – Invasive Alien Species and Domestic Programs Section

ISPM – International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures

KPI – Key Performance Indicators

MOU – Memorandum of Understanding

MRAP – Management Response and Action Plan

Ops – Operations Branch

OPSD – Operations Policy and Systems Directorate

PBL – Plant Business Line

PHBD – Plant Health and Biosecurity Directorate, Policy and Programs

PPP – Plant Protection Program

WPM - Wood Packaging Material