ARCHIVED - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

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In this section:

• Organizational Information
• Management Accountability Framework
• Program Enablers
• Awards and Recognition
• Contacts for Further Information

Organizational Information

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is a largely decentralized department with almost 9 of every 10 employees situated in regions outside the National Capital Region. The Department operates across Canada from six regional offices, as well as from the national headquarters in Ottawa. The regions are displayed as follows.

 

Each of the six regions is headed by a Regional Director General (RDG) in a regional headquarters. The RDGs are responsible for organizing and managing the delivery of programs and activities in their regions through area offices, in accordance with national and regional priorities and within national performance parameters set for each program and activity.

The senior management at national headquarters in Ottawa — under the leadership of the Deputy Minister, Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard and five Assistant Deputy Ministers — is responsible for establishing national objectives, policies, procedures, and standards. It also runs some national programs and monitors departmental activities nationwide to ensure the quality and consistency of service delivery.

The Canadian Coast Guard is a special operating agency within DFO under the leadership of the Commissioner and organized into five regions headed by Assistant Commissioners.

The rest of the Department is organized into five sectors, each headed by an Assistant Deputy Minister. Assistant Deputy Ministers are responsible for establishing national objectives, policies, procedures, and standards for their respective sectors and program activities.

The Deputy Minister, Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Ministers, and Regional Directors General work closely together in managing the Department and its operations.

Regional Directors General and Assistant Deputy Ministers report directly to the Deputy Minister.

This organizational and governance information is shown in the accompanying figure.

Organizational and Governance Information

The Departmental Management Committee (DMC) is supported by the following senior management committees: Policy Integration Committee, Finance Sub-Committee, Human Resource Sub-Committee, Legal Risk Management Committee, Departmental Internal Audit Committee, Information Management Board, and the Science Management Board.

Management Accountability Framework

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) is a framework for sound management in the public service. Good departmental management crosses sectors, the Agency, regions, and Program Enablers. Management performance is measured by the ten elements of the MAF. Each element has one or more separate indicators, which measure specific parts of the element. Each year, Treasury Board Portfolio assesses departmental performance against the ten elements. The results highlight good performance and identify departmental management priorities for the upcoming year.

Treasury Board Portfolio identified the following improvements in internal departmental management in the 2006 (Round IV) Management Accountability Framework assessment:

• Governance and Strategic Directions (Utility of the corporate performance framework measure) rose from Opportunity for Improvement to Strong.
• Stewardship (Effectiveness of information technology management measure) rose from Opportunity for Improvement to Strong.
• Citizen-Focussed Services rose from Acceptable to Strong.

The Department made some progress against its management priorities, based on the 2005 MAF assessment:

• Met the commitment to appropriately resource the evaluation function. Rating from Opportunity for Improvement to Acceptable.
• Made some improvement in the representation of women and visible minorities, particularly in the EX category. The rating for employment equity rose from Attention Required to Opportunity for Improvement.

MAF Indicator	2006 Results	2005 Results
Public service values. Through their actions, departmental leaders continually reinforce the importance of public service values and ethics in the delivery of results to Canadians	Acceptable	Strong
Governance and Strategic Directions. Internal coherence, corporate discipline, and alignment to outcomes are in place for providing effective strategic direction, support to the minister and Parliament, and the delivery of results	Acceptable	Acceptable
Policy and Programs. Departmental research and analytic capacity is sustained to assure high quality policy options, program design and advice to ministers	Acceptable	Improvement
Results and Performance. Relevant information on results (internal, service and program) is gathered and used to make departmental decisions, and public reporting is balanced, transparent, and easy to understand	Improvement	Improvement
Learning, Innovation and Change Management. The Department manages through continuous innovation and transformation, promotes organizational learning, values corporate knowledge, and learns from its performance	Acceptable	Not rated
Risk Management. The executive team clearly defines the corporate context and practices for managing organizational and strategic risks proactively	Improvement	Acceptable
People. The Department has the people, work environment, and focus on building capacity and leadership to assure its success and a confident future for the Public Service of Canada	Acceptable	Acceptable
Stewardship. The departmental control regime (assets, money, people, services, etc.) is integrated and effective, and its underlying principles are clear to all staff	Improvement	Improvement
Citizen-Focused Service. Services are citizen-centred, policies are developed from the "outside in", and partnerships are encouraged and effectively managed	Strong	Improvement
Accountability. Accountabilities for results are clearly assigned and consistent with resources, and delegations are appropriate to capabilities	Not rated	Not rated
MAF Assessments -http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/maf-crg/assessments-evaluations/assessments-evaluations_e.asp#r5

Program Enablers

Program Enablers are the corporate functions that support the delivery of DFO's plans and priorities. In DFO, the enablers represent approximately 17% of total employees. Their work is ongoing and multi-faceted: from paying bills, to preparing news releases, to analyzing policy issues. They work together with the programs described in Section 2 to deliver departmental and government priorities and initiatives.

The financial and human resources listed below have been attributed across the three strategic outcomes and program activities discussed in Section 2.

The Program Enablers have six sub-activities: executive direction; strategic policy; communications; legal services; human resources; and corporate services.

Financial and Human Resources, Program Enablers, 2006-2007

Financial Resources (millions of dollars)	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Executive Direction	24.4	24.7	29.1
Strategic Policy	23.2	23.9	22.9
Communications	9.4	9.6	11.6
Legal Services	5.4	5.3	3.2
Human Resources	25.3	24.1	28.2
Corporate Services1	220.3	226.2	186.1
Total	308.1	313.7	281.1
Human Resources (number of FTEs)	Planned	Actual	Difference
Executive Direction		211
Strategic Policy		205
Communications		93
Legal Services		20
Human Resources		316
Corporate Services		878
Total	1,784	1,723	-612

Note: Because of rounding, figures may not add to the totals shown.

Planned FTEs by sub-activity are not available for 2006-2007.

¹ Corporate Services includes Finance and Administration, Information Management, Information Technology, and Real Property, Safety and Security. Information Technology and Real Property both have significant major and minor capital resources.

² Underutilization of FTEs is the result of turnover, difficulty in finding qualified replacements because of poor labour market availability for jobs being staffed; and delays in the staffing and classification process.

Program Sub-activity: Executive Direction

This sub-activity Includes the offices of the Deputy Minister, Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Regional Directors General, Area Managers, and the Executive Secretariat including Access to Information and Privacy. It also includes the Audit and Evaluation Directorate, which has responsibility, on behalf of the Deputy Minister, for the provision of internal audit, evaluation, and integrated risk management; and the Values, Integrity and Conflict Resolution Secretariat, responsible for building awareness of, and strengthening compliance with, the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service and for ensuring that DFO employees are aware of and use the internal process for disclosing allegations of wrongdoing.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Results Achieved
Improved management practices, policies, and internal control systems in DFO through the audits, evaluations, and follow-up audits carried out according to the Annual Audit and Evaluation Workplan	Percentage of audits, evaluations, and follow-up audits in the annual workplan that are completed or started	92% of audits in the annual workplan completed or started 88% of evaluations (15 of 17) in the annual workplan completed or started; 3 of the 17 were postponed to 2007-2008, one was advanced from 2007-2008, and a new one started in 2006-2007
	Percentage of recommendations approved or implemented, totally or partially	72% of audit and review recommendations were totally or partially approved or implemented 75% of the evaluation recommendations from the years 2003-2004 to the end of the fiscal year 2005-2006 completed; 7 evaluations completed in 2006-2007
Improved organizational objectives in DFO achieved through the implementation of Integrated Risk Management in departmental decision making	Number of sectors that have implemented risk-based planning for their activities	Thirteen Risk Profiles completed in the sectors and program areas, with two more near completion; with this, DFO will have total coverage in all areas of the PAA; many Program Enablers have also completed a Risk Profile
	Departmental Management Committee (DMC)-approved governance model for future implementation	DMC approved a model governance structure, with Regional Co-ordinators in every region; all co-ordinators have been appointed DMC approved Sectoral Risk Profiling based on the Program Activity Architecture

Program Sub-activity: Strategic Policy

This sub-activity supports the Department's mandate and advances its policy priorities through integrating the policy agenda within DFO and establishing linkages with the broader Government of Canada agenda; setting the strategic direction for the Department; conducting economic research and analysis and compiling statistics in areas of relevance to departmental and government decision-makers; and analyzing horizontal policy issues and developing policy frameworks.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Results Achieved
Senior management, including the Deputy Minister and Minister, properly prepared to make departmental policy decisions and representations	Senior management satisfied that the policy decision-making process is strategic and properly informed from a whole-of-department perspective	Introduced the Policy Integration Committee as a forum for developing policy initiatives for senior management consideration Continued co-ordination of DMC meetings has ensured that senior management is prepared to make departmental policy decisions
Enhanced capacity within DFO to conduct complex economic research and analysis	Number of highly skilled economists and quantitative analysts recruited	The number of FTEs within the Economic Analysis and Statistics branch increased from 13 to 22
Increased information and analytical base upon which decisions are made on departmental programs and policies (evidence-based policy making)	Number of economic and statistical analyses prepared to support the development and assessment of existing and new programs and policies	Prepared 12 economic research reports to support key policy and program decisions within the Department and to serve as a basis for further economic research in priority areas
Increased credibility with respect to the Department's policies, program, and approaches to natural resource management	Number of requests to provide economic advice and analysis or to use DFO as a valuable source of economic information and analytical expertise	Demand for economic and statistical analyses continued to increase from both internal and external clients and the public; in 2006-2007, received approximately 1,300 requests for economic and statistical information and advice Participation in fisheries economic and statistical fora has increased to present the Department's work to other interested government, academic, and industry organizations
Effective Canadian participation in international meetings	Canadian positions promoted and adopted internationally	Tabled National Plans of Action on Seabirds and Sharks at a meeting at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Led development of guidance for implementing the ecosystem approach to oceans management within the UN Informal Consultative Process for Oceans and the Law of the Sea
Enhanced capacity within DFO for legislative and regulatory initiatives	Number of requests for new legislative and regulatory initiatives and their implementation as Smart Regulations	Started review of the DFO regulatory process Incorporated the Triage Framework into all regulatory amendments Continued to streamline and simplify regulations (e.g., Ontario Fishery Regulations, 1989)

Program Sub-activity: Communications

Communications works with program and policy leads across DFO and the Canadian Coast Guard to explain the priorities and directions of the Department to Canadians, meeting their information needs according to the requirements of the Government of Canada Communications Policy.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Results Achieved23
Increased transparency with media and citizens	Total number of media interactions (proactive and responsive)	4,905 media interactions, a slight increase over 2005-2006
	Balance of tone in media coverage	Predominantly neutral and positive tone in media coverage: Positive 31.9% Neutral 48.6% Negative 19.3% Represents a 12% improvement from 2005-2006 126 news releases and 53 media advisories
	Total General Inquiries requests and response rates per established service standards	General Inquiries received 22,149 information requests on DFO issues; of the total number of General Inquiries calls that reached the service during open hours, 87% were answered within 18 seconds A slight decrease in calls from 2005-2006 (24,310 inquiries)
Informed and engaged managers and employees in DFO	Number of internal Communications activities	6 editions of the national employee newsletter 51 editions of the weekly internal news bulletin 30 Deputy Minister messages to employees 1 DM newsletter

Program Sub-activity: Legal Services

Legal Services enables DFO's sectors and regions to pursue policy, program, and service delivery priorities and objectives within a legally sound framework. The services include the provision of policy and program advice; direction in the development and drafting of the legal content of bills, regulations, and guidelines; assistance in the identification, mitigation, and management of legal risks; legal support in ensuring compliance and enforcement of standards, regulations, and guidelines; and represention of the Crown's interests in litigation.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Results Achieved
Legal risk anticipated and mitigated	Number of legal risk (litigation) and high-impact case committee meetings	Five Legal Risk Management Committee meetings Thirteen High Impact Litigation Committee meetings
Programs, reports, and materials that enhance legal awareness	Number of legal awareness products delivered	Twenty-two In the Loop Legal Tips were written Seven training sessions provided to CCG College, Small Craft Harbours, Fishery Officers, and Habitat Management One Legal Risk Management retreat

Program Sub-activity: Human Resources

Human Resources provides effective and timely human resources services and advice to managers, employees, and unions and, working with those stakeholders, leads the transition to Human Resource Modernization.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Results Achieved
Continued implementation of Human Resource Modernization and effective delivery of human resource advice and services in DFO, in line with the People Component of the Management Accountability Framework	Number of positions using national model work descriptions (NMWD)	35% of DFO's positions are mapped to a NMWD and sector/CCG plans are in place to achieve 80% by the end of 2007-2008
	Number of managers trained to exercise their delegated responsibilities	686 of 726 managers responsible for a salary budget hold full delegations
	Number of Human Resource Advisors validated by the Public Service Commission	39 of 47 Human Resource Advisors validated
	Effectiveness of regional/sector Human Resource (HR) plans	Beginning to see the positive effects of HR plans through the use of National Model Work Descriptions, collective staffing, fewer long-term acting positions, and learning plans
	Assessment of compliance or movement toward compliance with the 12 statutory requirements of the Employment Equity Act	The Canadian Human Rights Commission assessed DFO as compliant Continued implementing the 2004-2007 Employment Equity Management Action Plan
	Increase in the number of employees who meet the language requirements of their position, and reduced official language complaints	1,978 (92.5%) of 2,138 bilingual positions encumbered with employees who met the linguistic requirements; this represents an increase of 1.5% from 2005-2006 The number of official languages complaints deemed founded (4) in 2006-2007 is consistent with the previous year24
	Increase in the number of employees who have a learning plan	2006-2007 is the first year where this is being tracked; approximately 65% of employees were offered the opportunity to develop learning plans; however, not all employees took advantage of the opportunity
	Establishment of a career and succession management program for the EX group	DMC agreed that career and succession plans for all EXs (includes EX positions considered key to organization effectiveness) would linked with 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 performance discussions
	Departmental support for development programs such as the Management Trainee Program (MTP) and the Career Assignment Program (CAP)	Amalgamated the CAP and MTP Programs into the Professional Leadership Development category DFO launched a CAP national recruitment campaign to fill 4 positions by Fall 2007
	Number of union/management meetings	Management and union representatives convened 136 meetings across DFO locations
	Continued use of both formal and informal recognition mechanisms	Achieved an increase in the number of employees recognized and a decrease in the cost of the program

Program Sub-activity: Corporate Services

Corporate Services provides the following services: Finance and Administration, which develops, maintains, and implements integrated systems, policies, procedures, and services for the effective acquisition and stewardship of financial and material resources; Real Property, Safety and Security, which focuses on managing the Department's real property assets, providing accommodation and specialized facilities to program personnel, divesting properties surplus to program requirements, ensuring environmental stewardship, and providing safety and security services for departmental assets and personnel; and Information Management and Technology Services, which provides functional direction on, and operational services related to, the management and use of information and technology in DFO.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Results Achieved
Effective stewardship of DFO Real Property custodial inventory	Ratio of capital investment to asset replacement value	Divested 68 properties, which generated $321,648K in net proceeds from sale; details on the Small Craft Harbours divestitures can be found on page 34
	Number of contaminated sites assessed, risk managed and cleaned up	346 contaminated properties were assessed; 77 properties were risk managed or remediated; and 9 remediation projects were completed.25
Safe and healthy work environment for employees in DFO	Number of safety hazards reported and addressed by management	Accidents and resultant losses include zero deaths, 344 disabling injuries, and 415 minor injuries; 7,792 days were lost Achieved 18% compliance with the Canada Labour Code Part II for workplaces with Occupational Safety and Health committees on a minimum 12 inspections/year (57 locations with more than 20 employees) 442 inspections completed at unstaffed sites such as communication towers resulted in 50% compliance
Efficient management of government information	Number of Management of Government Information Policy Readiness Indicators met	Of the 17 Information Life Cycle Management Program indicators, 7 were met, 8 were partially met, and 2 were not met
Reliable, secure, and responsive information technology infrastructure	Percentage availability of IT infrastructure during working hours	99.2% availability achieved
Departmental finances managed according to government policies and regulations	Percentage of Treasury Board decisions that are made without conditions	70% of Treasury Board decisions made without conditions from April 2006 - March 2007; of 20 submissions sent to TBS, 14 were approved without conditions and 6 with conditions; this is on par with previous years
Departmental staff with the tools and information required to manage effectively	Percentage of DFO staff that rate Finance and Administration tools and information as Excellent, Very Good, or Good	New tools developed over past year have received special recognition from Departmental Management Committee and Finance Committee
Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory - http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fcsi-rscf/home-accueil.aspx?Language-EN&sid=wu730125842517 Management of Government Information Policy Compliance Readiness Indicators - http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/im-gi/implement/indicat/indicattb_e.asp

Awards and Recognition

Awards and Recognition Internal to DFO

• One hundred and two recipients from across Canada received DFO's Prix d'Excellence for their exceptional contributions to achieving DFO objectives during 2006.
• The Deputy Minister awarded five DM Commendations in 2006 to DFO employees in recognition of their significant acts of devotion to duty or bravery that contributed to the betterment and well-being of society.
• Approximately 304 employees received Distinction Awards for their outstanding achievements and contributions in furthering the objectives of the Department or the public service.
• The Canadian Coast Guard honoured 18 employees in 2006 with the Governor General's Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal or a Bar to the Medal.
• DFO honoured 6 employees in 2006 with the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal.
• Over 700 DFO employees were recognized for their long service with the federal government: 205 for 15 years of service; 394 for 25 years of service; and 120 for 35 years of service.
• More than 1,000 employees were recognized by their supervisor with an Immediate Award.

Awards and Recognition from Outside Organizations

First Officer Leslie Palmer - Governor General of Canada - Cross of Valour

On October 13, 2006, First Officer Palmer, with the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter (CCGC) Point Henry of the Pacific Region was presented with the Cross of Valour by the Governor General. First Officer Palmer received this award for his heroic courage and determination when, late at night on December 27, 2004, he braved a severe winter storm to rescue two fishermen stranded on the shores of the Greenville Channel, near Prince Rupert, British Columbia. First Officer Palmer has proudly become the 20th Canadian to be awarded this decoration of bravery.

John Butler - Association of Public Service Executives (APEX) - 2006 Partnership Award

John Butler, Assistant Commissioner, Canadian Coast Guard Newfoundland and Labrador Region, is the recipient of the Association of Public Service Executives (APEX) 2006 Partnership Award. This award is given annually to a member of the federal executive cadre who embraces partnerships with individuals or organizations to achieve public service objectives. John Butler devoted considerable time and energy to building innovative alliances to protect the marine environment, enhance inter-agency preparedness to deal with marine crises, and develop the Government's marine capacity.

Dr. David Higgs - Aquaculture Association of Canada - Research Award of Excellence

Dr. David Higgs is Head of the Fish Nutrition Program at the DFO and University of British Columbia Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research in the Pacific Region. Dr. Higgs works collaboratively with universities and/or industry in three main subject areas: improving hatchery operations, minimizing environmental effects of salmon farming, and fish nutrition. In November 2006, Dr. Higgs received the Research Award of Excellence from the Aquaculture Association of Canada for his research accomplishments and contributions to advancing our knowledge on fish nutrition.

Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) - American Society for Quality (ASQ) - Quality Recognition Award

In April 2006, the Honourable Kevin O'Brien, Minister of Business, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, presented this award to the CHS Newfoundland District Office in recognition of the successful implementation of a Quality Management System that meets the requirements of the ISO 9001: 2000 international quality management standard. ASQ Canada has been active in Newfoundland and Labrador since the early 1990s to advance learning, quality improvement, and knowledge exchange. This is the first presentation of Newfoundland and Labrador ISO 9000 Quality Recognition Awards.

DFO Pacific Region - Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) - 2006 Award

In October 2006, Mark Johnson, Community Advisor, Pacific Region, proudly accepted the award, on behalf of his DFO colleagues, from Mr. Grant Gardner, President, EECOM, for the Stream to Sea Education Program. The Canadian Network for EECOM chose the Stream to Sea as the recipient of its 2006 award for a government agency that has demonstrated an increase in public awareness about the environment.

Shelley MacAulay - Nova Scotia Federal Council - Public Service Volunteer Award

In June 2006, Shelley MacAulay from the Canadian Coast Guard College was awarded the Public Service Volunteer Award for her significant contribution to her community through the voluntary sector. She was recognized as an outstanding citizen who demonstrates the true spirit of the Canadian volunteer.

Ward George and Grant Ivey - Federal Council Awards

Messrs. George and Ivey from the Newfoundland and Labrador Region, Canadian Coast Guard, Maritime Search and Rescue, received this award for their roles as part of the Ocean Guardian II Project Team, which involved two marine exercises related to the current climate of international terrorism and transportation security and the search and rescue component of a disaster at sea involving the St. Pierre Fortune ferry.

Jerome Keen and David Haight - Great Lakes Fishery Commission - 2006 Vern Applegate Award

On June 6, 2006, Jerome Keen, from the Sea Lamprey Control Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, and David Haight, now retired from DFO, were presented the 2006 Vern Applegate Award by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission for going above and beyond their regular positions and enhancing the profile of DFO's Sea Lamprey Control Program throughout the region.

Dr. Eddy Carmack - The Royal Canadian Geographical Society - Massey Medal

Dr. Eddy Carmack is a climate oceanographer with the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, British Columbia. The Massey Medal recognizes outstanding personal achievement in the exploration, development, or description of the geography of Canada. For his leading role in ocean science, Dr. Carmack has been awarded the 2007 Massey Medal for outstanding achievement in Canadian geography.

Dr. James Gower - Pan-Ocean Remote Sensing Conference (PORSEC) - 2006 Distinguished Science Award

Dr. James Gower is a researcher at DFO's Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, British Columbia. At the Pan-Ocean Remote Sensing Conference (PORSEC), held every two years, he was recognized for his outstanding work in the advancement of science in this field.

Dr. Simon J. Prinsenberg - Canadian Meteorological Oceanographic Society - Tully Medal in Oceanography

Dr. Simon Prisenberg, with the DFO Bedford Institute of Oceanography, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, was the recipient of the J.P. Tully Medal on Oceanography. He was recognized for his outstanding ability to conceive of new instruments required to perform unique measurements in harsh environments, which has led to breakthroughs in our understanding of both oceanic and glacial processes that influence the northern environment.

Dr. Michael Sinclair - Vice President of International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES)

Dr. Michael Sinclair, the Regional Director of Science in the Maritimes Region, located at the DFO Bedford Institute of Oceanography, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, was elected the inaugural Vice President of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). ICES is an organization that co-ordinates and promotes marine research in the North Atlantic and acts as a meeting point for a community of more than 1,600 marine scientists from 20 countries around the North Atlantic.

Contacts for Further Information

Region	Name	Telephone
Newfoundland and Labrador	Jan Woodford	(709) 772-7622
Maritimes	Kathy Kieley	(902) 426-3866
Gulf	Terrance Boucher	(506) 851-7757
Quebec	Caroline Hilt	(418) 648-7316
Central and Arctic	Lawrence Swift	(519) 383-1830
Pacific	Terry Davis	(604) 666-3855
Headquarters	Anne Lamar	(613) 990-0219

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