ARCHIVED - Canadian Grain Commission

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Section IV – OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

CGC Corporate Infrastructure

CGC corporate infrastructure includes support functions such as management of human resources, information technology, statistical services, communications, finance, policy and planning, administration services, health and safety, and corporate development. These functions enable the CGC to deliver the activities necessary to achieve its strategic outcomes and result in improved performance, increased employee productivity and effective communication with industry and producers. Success in these areas was measured by evaluating the effectiveness of specific activities and measurement tools for specific programs such as competent staff, number of accidents, meeting legislative requirements, and efficiency gains due to well-developed information technology.

Management of Human Resources

A skilled and motivated workforce is critical to the CGC in delivering its services to Canadians. During 2007-2008, the CGC launched a formal integrated people and business planning process for the first time. In preparation for 2008-2009, an audit of this process was conducted to identify opportunities for improvement and these recommendations were built into our plans. This year also saw the second year of implementation of the CGC Informal Conflict Management System which has resulted in significant skill-building at both the employee and manager level as well as earlier identification and resolution of issues. In September 2007, the CGC launched a Performance Development and Achievement Program (PDAP). This multi-faceted program involves managers, supervisors, and employees participating together to ensure that the work we do, and how we do it, supports the CGC in successfully achieving its strategic business and people outcomes. Effective performance development and achievement is integral to the CGC and is an important initiative within the CGC People Management Framework. It connects to other CGC initiatives including competencies, performance measures and people planning.

The successful management of human resources during 2007-2008 positively contributed to individual performance and enhanced the CGC’s working environment thereby contributing to all of the CGC’s strategic outcomes and program activities.

Government-Wide Initiatives

Although the CGC is a small statutory agency with limited resources, it prides itself on the ability to implement government-wide initiatives. Sound agency management denotes not only cost efficiency, but signifies the CGC’s commitment to government-wide initiatives such as the Management Accountability Framework, providing services in both official languages, the Government On Line (GOL) initiative, Paper Burden Reduction Initiative, and effective partnering with other government organizations to provide effective, efficient service to Canadians. Success in this area is measured by tracking specific activities undertaken to achieve the goals of various government-wide initiatives and measuring program, unit, and individual performance against performance targets.

Collaborative Work and Partnering with Other Government Organizations

The CGC continued its collaborative work with Agriculture Portfolio partners through membership on committees dealing with: low level presence (AP) of GM events in grain shipments and required detection technologies, implementation of regulations by importing countries in accordance with the international Biosafety Protocol and Plants for Molecular Farming. CGC also participated in bilateral meetings with government officials from China and India and in meetings of the North American Biotechnology Initiative. These meetings were aimed at understanding grain industry segregation capabilities in each country and working towards the coordination of regulatory systems for the products of biotechnology, all with the goal of preventing future trade disruptions.

The CGC continued to provide ongoing phytosanitary inspection of grain elevators on behalf of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to eliminate the duplication of services. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding with the CFIA, the CGC conducted a total of 217 elevator inspections across Canada, inspected 17 vessels in the Port of Churchill, and provided information on 1877 submitted samples that allowed for phytosanitary certificates to be issued by CFIA. In addition, the CGC provided 537 samples of weed seeds to the CFIA as part of a joint project to update their weed seed database.

The CGC also continued to provide ongoing services on behalf of the U.S. Federal Grain Inspection Service in eastern Canada as per the Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the movement of grain.

Management Accountability Framework

In 2007-2008, the CGC continued to pursue the goals of the ten elements of the Management Accountability Framework. At the end of the MAF Round V Audit, in March 2008, the CGC identified three priority areas for focused effort. These are Internal Audit, Risk Management and Reporting to Parliament. Presently, the Chief Operating Officer is in discussion with Treasury Board concerning the establishment of an Executive Chief of Audit and Evaluation, and the position is being classified. A review and update of the CGC’s Risk Management Profile is slated for the fall of 2008, and efforts to increase incremental project reporting continue. Changes to the manner in which the CGC reports to Parliament through the RPP and DPR are presently being implemented.

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