Management response and action plan for the Evaluation of Alternative Service Delivery

Recommendation 1

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) should update and expand the guidance and tools available to support officials responsible for designing and managing Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) programs.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with this recommendation

Rationale

This staggered approach would enable alignment of investment in resources and tools in accordance with:

• renewed support and oversight functions (recommendation 6)
• policy requirements (recommendation 5)
• strategies for training and succession (recommendation 4)

A comprehensive business case for investment would be drafted for training and development, tools and database by the time a centralized oversight function is expected to be initially established.

Recommendation 2

CFIA should clarify and document the decision-making processes, including decisions taken, related to ASD programs as per the Treasury Board Policy on Service and Digital and related policies, directives, standards and guidelines.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with this recommendation

Rationale

This would ensure comprehensive alignment of resources against renewed policy requirements and support and oversight function. All activities would be aligned with strategic direction to be:

• set out by
  • the support and oversight body (recommendation 6)
  • renewed policy requirements (recommendation 5), and
• supported by
  • the new electronic database for ASD programs (recommendation 3)
  • renewed training (recommendation 4), and
  • tools/guidance documents (recommendation 1)

Recommendation 3

CFIA should develop and maintain a complete and up-to-date electronic database of CFIA ASD programs that captures: the arrangements that enable each ASD program, which CFIA official is accountable, and which CFIA official(s) manages the program day-to-day.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with this recommendation

Rationale

A staggered approach is applied to ensure alignment of operational requirements for ASD information needs and oversight with the design and development of the new database. Continuous improvement of this tool will be managed over the longer term based on risks to the integrity and effectiveness of the support and oversight function and overall ASD programs.

A comprehensive business case for investment would be developed for training and development, tools and database by the time a centralized support and oversight function is expected to be initially established.

Recommendation 4

CFIA should strengthen ASD program sustainability by implementing a plan to facilitate training, collaboration, succession planning, knowledge transfer, and retention of expertise.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with this recommendation

Rationale

All activities would be aligned with strategic direction to be

• set out by:
  • the oversight body (recommendation 6)
  • renewed policy requirements (recommendation 5), and
• supported by
  • the new electronic database for ASD programs (recommendation 3)
  • renewed decision making processes (recommendation 2)
  • renewed tools and guidance documents (recommendation 1)

Recommendation 5

CFIA should review and adjust its Horizontal Program Policy Suite to align with the Treasury Board Policy on Service and Digital (and related policies, directives, standards and guidelines) with respect to the design and management of ASD programs and communicate these changes to CFIA officials.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with this recommendation

Rationale

An initial delay by 3 months in policy analysis would permit officials sufficient time to support the analytical work needed for establishing the support and oversight function. All CFIA horizontal policies will be reviewed against TBS policies and directives with a goal to streamline the existing suite of policy instruments while determining the most appropriate instrument to capture and formalize policy requirements for ASD program design and management.

New policy instrument(s) will serve as the framework for implementation of renewed roles and responsibilities, decision making processes, tools and services. Update to the balance of CFIA horizontal policies is to be conducted on a risk basis in alignment with priorities for the agency over the longer term, not limited to a 5-year cycle.

Recommendation 6

CFIA should establish a centralized team to promote and support a consistent agency-wide approach to the implementation, oversight and continuous improvement of ASD programs.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with this recommendation

Rationale

CFIA management agrees with the recommendation to promote and support agency ASD program design and delivery. Further, the CFIA will invest into creating a centralized function that will oversee corporate-level monitoring and continuous improvement of ASD programs to ensure strategic alignment of planning and reporting on risks and results of all ASD programs. A review of best practices will support the determination of an ideal model for internal oversight and support function.

The establishment of the new function will be phased-in to allow for sufficient time for planning and development of a comprehensive set of deliverables set out in recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.