SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Progress Report on  2001-2003 Strategy

Theme 4: Managing for Progress and Performance

DFO continues to improve its ability to assess its performance in relation to its sustainable development goals and outcomes and to build an organizational culture in which achievement of results drives decision making. Indeed, the DAAP now under way at DFO has, as one of its key outcomes, a revised Planning, Reporting and Accountability Structure (PRAS).

The Department recognizes that a new PRAS is needed to align its business areas more closely with the outcomes and benefits it provides to Canadians. At the same time, this new accountability framework requires an integrated performance measurement framework to enable DFO to track and review outcomes in a systematic and meaningful way.

Goal 4 A management system to track progress and performance of the Sustainable Development Strategy

Objective 4.1 Sustainable development commitments incorporated into departmental integrated planning initiative

Outcome 4.1.1 Systematic review and measurement of progress and senior management assessment of performance

 

Ultimate Impact, Outcome 4.1.1

Improved management of the Strategy and Action Plan Closing of the "implementation gap" Continuous learning

Outcome 4.1.1

Systematic review and measurement of progress and senior management assessment of performance.

Planned Activities

Integrate SDS into departmental business planning and reporting processes.

Develop a performance measurement framework for the Strategy.

Progress

Progress toward target is on schedule.

Progress has been made with respect to integrating sustainable development commitments into DFO's existing performance measurement, business planning and reporting processes. Since the tabling of the 2001 SDS, sustainable development commitments have been linked to DFO's reports to Parliament and to internal business planning processes. Analysis of the commitments made in the SDS has informed the drafting of both the Report on Plans and Priorities and the Departmental Performance Report since 2001. These reports contain hyperlinks to the SDS, thus allowing readers to cross-reference the commitments and achievements. Finally, through internal business planning, sectors are directed to consider progress against sustainable development commitments in their future plans.

DFO also continues to refine existing performance measures and develop more meaningful ones. At the level of Results-based Management and Accountability Frameworks and Risk-based Audit Frameworks, the Department ensures consistency among program deliverables and sustainable development commitments, which are often inextricably linked. For example, DFO's sustainable development aquaculture commitments exist within a broader policy and program context that has attached to it a separate performance framework. Similarly, regular monitoring of commitments with respect to sustainable operations (Theme 3) is conducted using a thorough performance measurement framework.