ARCHIVED - Natural Resources Canada - Supplementary Tables

• On March 24, 2011 the Minister of Natural Resources presented to the House of Commons the Government's response to the Standing Committee on Natural Resources' report entitled "The National Research Universal Reactor Shutdown and the Future of Medical Isotope Production and Research in Canada" that was presented to the House on November 24, 2010. The response addresses each of the report's eighteen recommendations in detail.
  
  
• This response can be found online at:  http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/
  Publication.aspx?DocId=5063422&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3

2009 Spring Report of the Auditor General of Canada (2009-05 OAG) Chapter 6 - Selected Contribution Agreements—Natural Resources Canada
For more information on this audit, go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200905_06_e_32519.html

Recommendation 6.28
Natural Resources Canada should develop policies and guidance to identify and address conflict of interest situations noted by our audit.

Response
Natural Resources Canada has developed policies and guidance to identify and address conflict of interest situations in contribution agreements. Management’s actions to-date include: updating the transfer payment policy to address conflict of interest, forming a transfer payment review committee, creating a centre of expertise on Grants & Contributions, and updating our Values and Ethics framework. We have also updated our transfer payment training to better address conflict of interest situations.

Recommendation 6.29
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) should ensure that the management of contribution agreements, and compliance with them by both parties to the agreement, is monitored independently from outside the program area.

Response
Financial Management Branch implemented its independent monitoring strategy in June 2010. It is currently finalizing the analysis and preparing a draft report which will be completed in April 30, 2011.

2009 Spring Report of the Auditor General of Canada (2009-05 OAG) Chapter 3 - Health and Safety in Federal Office Buildings
For more information on this audit, go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200905_03_e_32516.html

Recommendation 3.80
Departments should ensure that fire safety plans are prepared and administered in accordance with established federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

Response
The OAG audit only examined one NRCan building, 580 Booth Street, and it revealed a weakness regarding the preparation and administration of the fire plan for this facility. The 580 Booth Building Emergency Organization Fire Evacuation Plan has since been updated and is administered in accordance with established federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards. 
With regard to other NRCan facilities, all senior officers have prepared and administered a fire safety plan in accordance with established federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

Recommendation 3.88
Departments should ensure that all evacuation drills are held as required by federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

Response
The audit only examined one NRCan building, 580 Booth Street, and revealed a weakness regarding the holding of evacuation drills for this facility.  At 580 Booth Street, evacuation drills, are now being held as required by federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards. For all other facilities, a review has indicated that out of 41 facilities where drills must be conducted, only two facilities did not comply with the requirement to conduct fire drills.  Appropriate steps are being taken to ensure compliance.

Recommendation 3.93
Departments should ensure that building fire emergency organizations are established and administered as required by federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

Response
Fire emergency organizations are established and administered in all NRCan facilities, as required by federal legislation and Treasury Board policies and standards.

2005 April Report of the Auditor General of Canada (2005-04 OAG) Chapter 1 - Natural Resources Canada - Governance and Strategic Management
For more information on this audit, go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_200504_01_e_14932.html

Recommendation 1.111
Natural Resources Canada should improve its performance measurement framework and reporting to provide parliamentarians with better information on the results and outcomes of its programs. In particular, it should -develop a systematic process for linking performance targets at the corporate level with business plans; and improve its performance reports by including an analysis of its legislated mandate, linking the Department's priorities to government priorities and rationalizing its assessment of its performance against various frameworks.

Response (Update 2011)
In 2010-11, the Department has continued its efforts in improving its Program Activity Architecture (PAA) along with making further refinements to its supporting performance measurement framework (PMF), which includes the ability of the Department to “tell a comprehensive performance story”.

2006 September Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (2006-09 CESD) Chapter 1 - Managing the Federal Approach to Climate Change
For more information on this audit, go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/att_c20060901aa_e_14562.html

Recommendation 1.44 Natural Resources Canada should ensure that the model, data, and results from the 2005 memorandum of understanding with the automotive industry are independently verified and that the results of the verification are reported publicly.

Response (Update 2011)
A report was released in the 2009/10 fiscal year. A contract with a firm for independent verification was put into place in July 2010.  The contractor has completed and submitted the work.

2006 September Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (2006-09 CESD) Chapter 2 - Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change
For more information on this audit, go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200609_02_e_14984.html

Recommendation 2.56  
Working with other federal departments and agencies producing or using information needed for adaptation efforts and with other levels of government and stakeholders, Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada should identify and fill gaps in the needed information, including results of impacts and adaptation research and results from climate science; and identify the demand for initiatives that provide decision makers with access to information and technical expertise on adaptation tailored to their needs. Based on that work, they should strengthen existing initiatives and establish others, as required.

Response (Update 2011)
As of August 2010 - On Regional Adaptation Collaboratives (RACs): Adaptation project development in the 5 southern Canada regions is now well underway. Public announcements were made for agreements in BC, the Prairies and the Atlantic. Quebec and Ontario RACs are expected to be publicly announced by fall 2010. Work is still underway for the Northern RAC and arrangements should be finalized this fall. Longer than expected discussions with parties and the summer season explain the additional delay (no real consequences).

On Tools: Seven contribution agreements have been put into place to develop decision-support tools in three theme areas: risk management guides for communities (in partnership with ICLEI); Local Governments for Sustainability; tools for  professional planners (in partnership with Canadian Institute of Planners); and an upgraded protocol for assessing infrastructure vulnerability (in partnership with Engineers Canada). Also, NRCan has conducted a national benchmark survey of business and government decision-makers to assess their level of awareness and action on climate change adaptation.

Finally, an NRCan-led federal-provincial-territorial working group tasked the Pembina Institute and EcoRessources Consultants to prepare a report that identified enablers and barriers, sector requirements and government activities in adaptation for the Canadian electricity sector. The report was completed earlier this year and shared with other jurisdictions and sector stakeholders.

In November 2010, management provided further documentation regarding a paper published on climate change.  This paper has been prepared in collaboration with other federal departments, provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdictions, as well as other stakeholders and academics who participated on this initiative.

2006 September Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (2006-09 CESD) Chapter 3 - Reducing Greenhouse Gases Emitted During Energy Production and Consumption
For more information on this audit, go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_200609_03_e_14985.html

Recommendation 3.32   Natural Resources Canada should complete the evaluation of the Wind Power Production Incentive that it committed to in 2002. It should also complete a thorough economic analysis to clarify the extent to which the economics of wind power are changing across Canada and whether there are implications for this program.

Response (Update 2011)

NRCan has developed a comprehensive financial model to assess levelized unit cost of wind energy, the impacts of the ecoENERGY for Renewable power program incentive and federal tax measures on the economics of wind power. The model and its results have been the subject of consultations with other Departments and the Wind Energy Industry.  The evaluation of the WPPI Program started in 2009 and was completed in August 2010.  The evaluations of other renewable energy programs were completed at the same time.