The findings of this evaluation are presented below by evaluation issue (relevance and performance) and the related evaluation questions. The findings at the overall issue level are presented first, followed by the findings for each evaluation question.
A rating is also provided for each evaluation question based on a judgement of the evaluation findings. The rating symbols and their significance are outlined below in Table 6. A summary of ratings for the evaluation issues and questions is presented in Annex 2.
| Symbol | Significance |
|---|---|
| Achieved | The intended outcomes or goals have been achieved or met |
| Progress Made; Attention Needed | Considerable progress has been made to meet the intended outcomes or goals, but attention is still needed |
| Little Progress; Priority for Attention | Little progress has been made to meet the intended outcomes or goals and attention is needed on a priority basis |
| N/A | A rating is not applicable |
| ~ | Outcomes achievement ratings are based solely on subjective evidence |
Multiple sources indicate that there is a continued need for ice and marine weather information activities and products, as these activities help Canadians reduce risks posed by changing weather conditions. Findings from multiple sources also indicate that activities and services offered under the SMT SA are consistent with the legislated mandates of the involved departments and with responsibilities assigned through agreements and other mechanisms for collaboration. The need for SMT services was particularly apparent given the evidence indicating that the MSC is obligated by various acts and agreements to deliver SMT SA services, including in the context of ongoing northern development. In addition, it was noted by key informants that the SMT SA is aligned with and supports federal government priorities and departmental strategic outcomes.
Some concerns were expressed regarding the extent to which some areas of shared responsibility are clearly articulated. Furthermore, there is additional concern that the Department’s ability to deliver on its responsibilities is vulnerable, as these services are reliant on key collaborating departments and agencies.
| Evaluation Issue: Relevance | Indicator(s) | Methods | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Is there a continued need for SMT? |
|
|
Achieved |
Multiple sources indicate that there is a continued need for ice and marine weather information activities and products, as these activities help Canadians reduce risks posed by changing weather conditions. The continued need is particularly apparent given that the MSC is obligated by various acts and agreements to deliver SMT services, including in the context of ongoing northern development. This need was also recognized by all key informants interviewed as part of the evaluation, with some indicating that it is fundamental to supporting the health and safety of mariners, instrumental in supporting fishing and other marine industries, and important in the context of northern climate change and economic development, as the level of maritime traffic in the north has been increasing due to longer navigation periods in Arctic waters.
The following extract outlines the key reasons for the provision of ice and marine weather information as a public service:
As a northern nation, Canada must know about its ice environment and the impacts it has on human activities. As a trading nation dependent on marine transportation, we must deal with the hazards that the constantly shifting ice presents to ships. Three of the five largest Canadian ports are affected by ice for a large part of the year and rely on ice information to stay active and viable. It is believed that because of the widespread public impact that ice has on broad sectors of the economy and because of the safety hazards it presents to the marine public, there has been little question that providing ice information is an essential federal government service. The public benefits are too widely dispersed to sustain a viable private sector service except in certain niche areas, such as site‑specific information for offshore oil platforms. Like all other northern nations, Canada provides an ice information service as a public benefit.21
The need for services offered by SMT is expected to continue and even increase. The CCG Fleet Annual Report for 2007-2008 noted that “Climate change, notably in the Arctic, is already extending the duration of the commercial shipping season, and may further intensify the demand for marine science and other activities.”22
The document review indicates that the provision of SMT SA services should not be considered an optional service for EC. Rather, EC is obligated by a variety of acts and agreements to provide these services, both in partnership with other departments and directly to Canadians. For example23:
The continued need for the services of the SMT SA was also recognized by all key informants interviewed as part of the evaluation. A plurality of respondents indicated that they thought the SMT SA is fundamental to supporting the health and safety of mariners, and that it is instrumental in supporting the fishing and other marine industries. Furthermore, approximately one in four key informants indicated that there are no alternative providers of these SMT SA services and that these services are a public good. Approximately one in four indicated that the SMT SA is particularly important in the context of northern climate change / economic development, as the level of maritime traffic in the north has been increasing due to longer navigation periods in Arctic waters. Other comments included the fact that the SMT SA is essential for the activities of other federal departments (examples include supporting the CCG and the Department of National Defence [DND] in search and rescue operations and environmental protection), and that SMT SA supports the development of private sector organizations that use generalized EC data to provide a level of detailed information (e.g., for offshore drilling and support to northern communities).
| Evaluation Issue: Relevance | Indicator(s) | Methods | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
2. Are Services to Marine Transportation aligned with federal government priorities? |
|
|
Achieved |
The SMT SA is aligned with and supports federal government priorities (e.g., health and safety, the economy, infrastructure and sovereignty) as well as departmental strategic outcomes and priorities.
Alignment with Federal Government Priorities
In terms of recent priorities, the Government of Canada has been active in promoting and defending Canada’s sovereignty over Arctic waters. The 2010 Speech from the Throne contained the following commitment:
Our Government will continue to vigorously defend Canada’s Arctic sovereignty. It will continue to map our northern resources and waters. It will take action to increase marine safety and reduce pollution from shipping and other maritime traffic.30
Arctic sovereignty was a theme of the 2007 Speech from the Throne as well, which highlighted a need for improved patrol, surveillance, and environmental research capabilities.31 SMT services such as supporting patrol and surveillance capacity are essential to furthering the goals of establishing and defending sovereignty, and to the ongoing development of Canada’s North.
Budget 2010 contained several provisions related to the SMT SA. Most directly, the Budget provided $9.2 million to EC and $2.2 million to DFO, over two years, to deliver meteorological services in the Arctic to help meet Canada’s commitments to the IMO. Other Budget provisions that indicate the continued importance of SMT include $497 million over five years for the CSA’s RADARSAT Constellation Mission (which has marine and ice applications); and $27.3 million over five years to aid the CCG in ensuring maritime safety, as well as $175 million to the CCG for the repair and refit of existing vessels and the purchase of new vessels.32
Key informants also indicated that the SMT SA is aligned with government priorities. Nearly half of the key informants indicated that the SMT SA helps support the Canadian economy and efforts for economic development (particularly in the North), and that the SMT SA contributes in key ways to ensuring the health and safety of Canadians. Several key informants also noted that the SMT SA is important for federal efforts to enhance infrastructure in the North.
Alignment with Departmental Strategic Outcomes
SMT information products (e.g., ice and marine weather warnings) are designed to help people across Canada respond appropriately to marine and ice weather conditions. The newly developed Marine and Ice Program Management Board (MIPMB) is tasked with managing the activities of EC’s SMT as identified within EC’s PAA.33,34 The delivery of the SMT SA supports the departmental strategic outcome “Canadians are equipped to make informed decisions on changing weather, water and climate conditions.” Weather prediction activities also align with one of three strategic outcomes in EC’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2007-2009: “Weather and Environmental Services: Weather and environmental predictions and services reduce risks and contribute to the well-being of Canadians.”35
Furthermore, key informants also noted that SMT is aligned with departmental priorities. For example, approximately one in five key informants indicated that the SMT SA helps support departmental efforts to protect the environment, such as from oil spills to water bodies, and that it contributes to the safety and security of marine transport. Several key informants also indicated that the SMT SA helps support the integrated decision making of EC’s WES Board.
| Evaluation Issue: Relevance | Indicator(s) | Methods | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
3. Are Services to Marine Transportation consistent with federal and departmental roles and responsibilities? |
|
|
Achieved |
The provision of the SMT SA is consistent with the legislated mandates of the involved departments and with responsibilities assigned through agreements. For the most part, comments from key informants focused on the SMT SA services’ complementary nature with OGDs. Some concerns were expressed by EC and collaborating organization representatives regarding the extent to which some areas of shared responsibility are clearly articulated.
The roles and responsibilities for the provision of services to marine communities and marine industries are spread across EC, DFO and TC. Generally, the commitments of the various departments with respect to providing services to aid marine transportation are as follows:
EC’s mandate for federal involvement in providing services to aid marine transportation is set by sections 4 and 5 of the Department of the Environment Act, which assigns to the Minister of the Environment jurisdiction over water and meteorology issues and responses, as well as the provision of environmental information to Canadians and the development and coordination of environmental programs.
Section 6 of the Emergency Management Act requires all departments to develop and implement emergency management plans in relation to the risks associated with their area of responsibility. In terms of the coordination of efforts between levels of government in the case of meteorological emergencies, EC is responsible for issuing marine warnings; flood warnings are issued by provincial governments.36
The following table sets out the various linkages with other organizations, for EC’s SMT, by subject area.
| Subject Area | Linkages |
|---|---|
| Marine safety and navigation in ice | TC, International Hydrographic Organization, IMO, Shipping Federation of Canada, U.S. Coast Guard, International (North Atlantic) Ice Patrol, International Navigation Association |
| Marine meteorology and ice information services | WMO/JCOMM Expert Team on Sea Ice, U.S. National Ice Center, other national ice services, International Ice Charting Working Group, others |
| Satellite missions for ice and marine surveillance | CSA, European Space Agency, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)–Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS), NOAA, North American Space Agency (NASA), Japanese Space Agency |
| Satellite data processing and satellite-based operational services | CSA, European Space Agency, NRCan–CCRS, NOAA, NASA |
| Arctic transportation and sovereignty | DFAIT |
| Ice climatology and climate change research | Climate Research Branch–MSC, Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences, Canadian Collision Industry Forum, National Snow and Ice Data Center, ArcticNet, Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study |
| Ice engineering and environmental design | National Research Council–Canadian Hurricane Centre, C-CORE, other industry |
For the most part, comments from key informants focused on the complementary nature of SMT SA services with OGDs. For example, nearly half of the key informants noted that the SMT provided by EC do not duplicate private sector endeavours. Private sector endeavours tend to build upon publicly provided information, and are frequently aligned with a specific set of users (e.g., skiers, offshore oil and gas industry). Approximately one in four also noted that the SMT SA complements and supports the work of other organizations (e.g., DFO/CCG, TC, International Joint Commission, CSA, U.S. National Ice Service).
However, key informants pointed to the potential risks associated with the extent to which the SMT SA relies on collaborators to meet its program objectives (e.g., DFO and NAV Canada). The risk exists that, if these relationships were terminated, EC may be unable to deliver on certain services until other suitable collaborators could be identified. If business relationships with collaborators or third parties are not well managed, or if there is a failure on the part of collaborators, this could negatively affect program or service delivery. This issue is discussed further in the section related to efficiency and economy.
21. EC and DFO. 2005. IISPA.
22. CCG. 2009. CanadianCoast Guard Fleet Annual Report – 2007-2008, p. 12.
23. These issues are discussed in detail in section 4.1.3.
24. United Nations. 1982. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
25. IMO, 1974 and later amendments. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
26. Article 4 and 5 of the Department of the Environment Act, as quoted in WES Consultation Document August 28 2008.
27. WES Consultation Document August 28 2008.
28. Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. 2009. Rising to the Arctic Challenge: Report on the Canadian Coast Guard, pp. 21-27, 42-45.
29. Government of Canada. 2010. The Budget Speech 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth.
30. Government of Canada. 2010. Speech from the Throne. Delivered March 3, 2010.
31. Government of Canada. 2007. Speech from the Throne. Delivered January 26, 2009.
32. Finance Canada. March 4, 2010. The Budget Speech 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth, pp. 106, 68, 111, 255, 231.
33. Terms of Reference - MIPMB v 20100608.
34. As noted previously, the SMT PAA element is the entity being focused on in this evaluation.
35. EC. 2006. Environment Canada’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2007-2009, p. 4.
36. Office of the Auditor General of Canada. 2008. 2008 December Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Chapter 2—Managing Severe Weather Warnings—Environment Canada.
37. EC and DFO. 2005. IISPA, p. 5.