ARCHIVED - Industry Canada

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Section 5:
Other Items of Interest

5.1 IM/IT Governance and Responsibilities at Industry Canada

Information management (IM) and information technology (IT) continue to be important elements of Industry Canada’s business. The department must continue to ensure that all IM and IT investment decisions are consistent with departmental priorities, maximize benefits and provide high levels of service to Canadians.

Industry Canada employs a departmental IT governance structure, which provides the framework required for strategic IT decision-making with a departmental lens and approach. IT governance is a senior management responsibility with accountability to the Deputy Minister.

Under the guidance of three departmental IT governance committees, the department ensures all Industry Canada investments in IT are managed corporately and support departmental business objectives and priorities. Industry Canada’s IT governance structure also provides a forum for IT-related strategic discussions. Together, the committees are responsible for IT procedures, policies, planning, investment decisions and standards governing its use.

In 2008–2009, the department will focus on strengthening governance processes and its capacity to monitor and track the benefits of IT investments. The department will introduce new resources to support stronger oversight and reporting of its IT investment portfolio in the form of a centre of expertise for project management. This centre will have responsibility for supporting the governance committees in their oversight and decision-making roles and provide advice, tools and professional development support to the project management community at Industry Canada.

A key responsibility for departmental IT governance over the next year will be oversight of departmental reductions to IT spending. This initiative, in its second year, will focus on effecting reductions through innovation and efficiency of process and operations.

IM governance is being addressed in line with the requirements of the Government of Canada Information Management Policy (IM Policy), making use of the IT governance structure and other existing departmental bodies as appropriate. A draft IM Policy Implementation Plan provides for:

• a governance and accountability framework to lead and support IM at IC;
• the appointment of a Senior Executive for IM at Industry Canada, with appropriate authorities;
• a Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF) for IM that establishes and reports progress against outcomes;
• an IM awareness program to ensure that IC managers and employees understand their roles and responsibilities for managing information and have the basic knowledge they need to manage information in their day-to-day work; and
• IM and supporting IT investment requirements for the core capacity needed to address business, legal and policy requirements.

In 2008–2009, the draft IM Policy Implementation Plan begins to address the requirements for tighter integration on IM into business processes, which will call for enhanced consideration of IM requirements in the IT governance processes described above.

5.2 Section 41, Official Languages Act

Industry Canada provides invaluable strategic information and intelligence on economic development programs and services to Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) to support their economic vitality, enabling them to prosper in their own official language. In order to achieve these results, Industry Canada works in partnership with the regional development agencies. Through a network of contacts and a continuous dialogue, the department is making progress in understanding OLMC priorities and related issues. These goals will be achieved within the context of economic development programs and services and will align with the next phase of the government’s Action Plan for Official Languages.

5.3 20% Paper Burden Reduction Initiative

This is an initiative to reduce paper burden borne by business by 20 percent. Thirteen key regulatory departments and agencies have established an inventory of administrative requirements and information obligations they impose on business that existed as of November 2006. The objective of this baseline count is to establish a benchmark on which the 20-percent reduction will be based.

Partner departments and agencies are reviewing obligations and requirements for which they are responsible and, where appropriate, introduce changes towards the goal of eliminating some 80 000 requirements and obligations by November 2008.

There is no funding attached to this initiative. Funding is dealt with in the context of existing programs and initiatives.

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