Evaluation of the Community Ecosystem Partnerships Program: chapter 2

2.0 Background

• 2.1 Program Profile
• 2.2 Governance and Management
• 2.3 Resource Allocation
• 2.4 Program Logic Model

2.1 Program Profile

The objective of the Community Ecosystem Partnerships (CEP) program is to maintain and restore the beneficial uses and environmental quality of targeted ecosystems of federal interest, by coordinating and providing oversight of initiatives in these targeted ecosystems. The CEP program uses strategic partnerships, research, science, and funding programs to support community ecosystem-based projects and partnerships and include conservation of land and shorelines, protection of land and water through special designation status, and preservation of habitat. Between 2008-2009 and 2012-2013, activities related to the CEP program were primarily delivered in two EC regions: West and North and Atlantic and Quebec.^Footnote1

An ecosystem-based approach to environmental management considers all aspects of an ecosystem - air, water, land, plants, animals, humans and their interactions - when addressing critical environmental issues. This approach also takes into account the social and economic factors relevant to ecosystem health and recovery.The ecosystem approach to delivering programs adopted by CEP program recognizes cost effectiveness, partnership-building, and other advantages of cutting across jurisdictional and program boundaries and focusing on ecosystem or watershed^Footnote2 outcomes. Environment Canada started applying this approach to its programs in 2007.

In 2008-2009, a departmental assessment was undertaken to analyse the status and relative risk to the health of Canadian ecosystems and to review EC’s potential role in the most vulnerable areas. The internal analysis identified vulnerable ecosystems and hotspots using integrated, place-based information on ecological health (air, water and biodiversity) as well as pressures and threats to create a “snapshot” of Canadian ecosystems. In 2009, the Department’s Executive Management Committee endorsed recommendations in 12 vulnerable ecosystems and hotspots^Footnote3 for consideration in departmental planning beginning in 2010-2011.

Decisions about the selection of specific departmental intervention activities in targeted “hotspot” ecosystems, however, had yet to be made and it was decided that work would be consolidated under the CEP Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) element as a “transition” program for a few years, after which it was expected to be replaced by individual Ecosystem Initiatives, each with its own box in the EC PAA. Given the scale of funding allocated to the CEP program and the changing priorities related to implementing Budget 2012 commitments, however, this element has been renewed in the PAA since 2011-2012.^Footnote4

Atlantic Ecosystem Initiatives

The Atlantic Ecosystem Initiatives (AEI) program is delivered by EC’s Atlantic and Quebec Regional Director General’s Office (RDGO) and includes a three-pronged approach: internal engagement, external engagement, and a contribution program (these three components of the approach are discussed in detail further below). It focuses on the Atlantic coastal ecozone, which encompasses all land and marine-based ecosystems within the four Atlantic Provinces and includes 40,000 kilometres of coastline, hundreds of watersheds, over 1,000 estuaries and more than 450,000 hectares of salt marshes, estuarine flats, saline ponds, and islands. Projects undertaken under AEI fall under one or more of these key priorities: nearshore water quality; habitat and biodiversity loss; and the impacts of climate change.

Due to the scientific and jurisdictional complexity of the Atlantic coastal ecozone, AEI’s focus is on collaborative partnerships with other levels of government, communities and other stakeholder groups, to leverage investments and more efficiently coordinate actions. A significant challenge in addressing priority environmental issues throughout the Atlantic coastal ecozone is bridging multiple and overlapping jurisdictions in an increasingly active area of development. These challenges are complicated by overlapping mandates of both federal and provincial departments and agencies. EC’s Atlantic and Quebec RDGO developed a strategy to guide the engagement of internal and external staff, management and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of the AEI. In addition to identifying formal mechanisms for engagement and subsequent collaboration, the strategy also highlights the importance of informal opportunities for the development of strong working relationships in support of effective partnerships.

Internal Engagement

The AEI aims to build strategic partnerships within the department and to identify and facilitate formal and informal approaches to collaboration and coordination among existing program activities, in order to identify issues/threats, gaps and opportunities for collaborative work in advancing an ecosystem approach. These included the AEI Inter-Branch Team, the Atlantic Environment Canada Council (AECC), and joint management meetings.

External Engagement

The objective of external engagement activities is to identify opportunities and build strategic partnerships in order to integrate the Department’s ecosystem-based management initiatives with those of other governing departments and agencies. External engagement attempts to clarify respective mandates, roles, and responsibilities for environmental issues of mutual interest, and identify issues, threats, and gaps in governance in the four priority geographic areas.^Footnote5 These external mechanisms include:

• the Maritimes Regional Committee on Coastal and Ocean Management (RCCOM), a senior executive forum to provide oversight, coordination, and direction to the planning and management processes related to integrated oceans and coastal management in the Maritime provinces;
• the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC), a U.S.-Canadian partnership of government and non-government organizations working to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations;
• bi-Lateral meetings with other government departments and agencies; and
• the Atlantic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Environmental Cooperation: Water Annex Work Plan (ended in June 2013).

Contribution Program

The AEI provides funding support through a contribution program, formerly known as the Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP). ACAP was a unique community-based program initiated by Environment Canada in1991 to help Atlantic Canadians restore and sustain local watersheds and adjacent coastal areas. In the mid-2000s, the ACAP evolved from single watersheds to a more ecosystem-based approach, and the name was changed to the Atlantic Ecosystem Initiatives. The contributions component of the AEI currently works with a fixed number of non-government organizations to collect and analyze data to promote integrated planning and decision-making at all levels, and support projects and initiatives that will improve ecosystem health. AEI is not subject to an open competitive process, but focuses on a closed list of eligible organizations. Currently, there are 18 recipients, which include 14 multi-stakeholder community organizations^Footnote6 in the four Atlantic Provinces and four regional coalitions,^Footnote7 whose work targets larger ecosystems within the Gulf of Maine, the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy.

Okanagan-Similkameen PE

In the department’s West and North, the Ecosystem Coordination Office (ECO) coordinated an ecosystem-based approach in the Okanagan-Similkameen, focusing on key implementation activities and building ecosystem knowledge. The ECO was also involved in implementing key legacy projects in the Georgia Basin, and in supporting national program work plans in the Prince Rupert Gateway, Columbia Glacier Headwaters, and Mountain Pine Beetle area.

In 2012, as a result of organizational efficiency improvements to realize cost-savings in response to Budget 2012 commitments, the ECO was reduced to a single employee and was placed within the Regional Analysis and Relationships unit. In the near term, the ECO analyst is expected to work to establish the internal and external networks (e.g.,the Okanagan Basin Water Board [OBWB], the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program [OCCP], and the Fraser Basin Council) required to build and assimilate baseline and trend information on the status of the ecosystem in the Okanagan-Similkameen region, and identify short-term solutions within current resources. These networks are also essential to help identify gaps in essential information needed to understand the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, prioritize key projects to improve knowledge (e.g., providing funding to support the development and execution of the Water Supply and Demand Study and collaborating with the OBWB on a lake evaporation study), and lead to multi-stakeholder projects to address ecosystem issues and threats in the longer term. Longer-term objectives include engaging in commitments previously identified through these networks and pursuing new network partners to address emerging issues and priorities.

Some of the key activities undertaken by EC’s West and North in support of the Okanagan-Similkameen ecosystem-based initiative include the following.

Supporting Science and Research

In order to improve its understanding of the risks, threats and opportunities to improve ecosystem health in the Okanagan-Similkameen, the ECO analysis strives to collaborate with departmental partners and with other federal, provincial, regional and First Nations partners. Activities includesupporting the completion of a Lake Evaporation Study in the Okanagan Basin to acquire the necessary data to support future water use decisions, working with regional partners to identify opportunities for collaboration on science and research projects, and identifying funding options to support plans.

Developing and Monitoring Ecosystem Status and Trends

In order to effectively intervene in the region, it is necessary to work to establish an agreed-upon set of indicators to monitor ecological health. These indicators need to be aligned with other departmental work on indicators, such as the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators and the Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystem Status and Trends report. In addition, the ECO analyst works with federal and regional counterparts to ensure that monitoring is consistent with that used for other Priority Ecosystem work. Activities include participating in the national working group to establish a common approach to measuring ecosystem health and reviewing existing data sources and indicator work specific to the Okanagan-Similkameen.

Coordinating and Monitoring EC’s Activities in the Okanagan-Similkameen

There is a need to better coordinate EC’s internal activities in the Okanagan-Similkameen to ensure that strategic objectives direct activities from individual EC Branches and that the department is realizing efficiencies in its program delivery while providing integrated service to the stakeholders in the region.ECO activities include coordinating internal working groups on the Okanagan-Similkameen to promote linkages and integrate activities where possible, and participating in priority setting and management initiatives that promote increased involvement in the Okanagan-Similkameen.

Establishing, managing and participating in governance mechanisms in the Okanagan-Similkameen

EC has the mandate to lead and participate in integrated governance mechanisms related to environmental research and management. There are a range of other federal departments that EC currently partners with to better understand and manage issues in the regions. These include, but are not limited to, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC), the Department of National Defence (DND), Transport Canada (TC), the Parks Canada Agency (PCA), and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

The Province of British Columbia is a particularly important partner in the region due to its role as the lead for water allocation, water planning tools, and drinking water protection plans. The province was also the lead for the establishment of the 1996 Okanagan Lake Action Plan, a 20 year plan that attempts to address all the physical and biological factors that influence Okanagan Lake and the Kokanee fresh water fish populations that inhabit it. While EC does engage frequently with the province, there is no formal agreement to work together on environmental issues related specifically to the Okanagan-Similkameen.

The Province has also established the Okanagan Water Basin Board (OBWB), a specialized body that governs water management in the Okanagan. The OBWB has the authority to act on water management issues of Basin-wide significance. The Board has representatives from the three districts in the region and First Nations. The OBWB further established the Water Stewardship Council (WSC) to provide independent technical advice and policy recommendations to inform its decision-making. Members of the WSC are from a diverse group of stakeholders, including EC. Participation on the WSC allows EC to reinforce its role as a provider of impartial advice to improve decision-making by local governance authorities.

Activities includeestablishing a federal working group and work plan for the Okanagan/Similkameen in order to ensure linkages and leverage science and research resources, developing an EC engagement strategy for key stakeholders in the Okanagan-Similkameen in order to better understand ecosystem issues and engage partners in on-going initiatives, and examining options for a federal-provincial working group on issues related to the Okanagan-Similkameen.

Over the longer term, the program intends to establish itself as the EC lead for ecosystem issues and knowledge in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The program aims to advance the departmental profile in the region, and establish the foundation for future strategic investments in order to have a positive impact on the overall environmental health of the ecosystem.

2.2 Governance and Management

The CEP program contributes to the department’s strategic outcome: “Canada’s natural environment is conserved and restored for present and future generations”. Accountability for the program rests with the RDG, West and North, and RDG, Atlantic and Quebec, with direct oversight of the AEI provided by the Associate RDG, Atlantic and Quebec. Prior to 2012, the Department operated under an organizational structure that included 6 regions (PYR, PNR, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic and the National Capital Region). Since 2012-2013, the PYR and PNR have been combined into a single West and North, led by the former RDG, PYR (now RDG, West and North), while the Quebec and Atlantic regions have been combined into a single Atlantic and Quebec organization, led by the former RDG, Quebec (now RDG, Atlantic and Quebec).

There are also cross governance mechanisms in place:

• A working group consisting of Directors General from various Environment Canada programs was established to inform DGs of work under 1.3.4, Ecosystem Initiatives, and to coordinate their programs’ efforts in support of ecosystem initiatives. The CEP program was tasked with preparing updates on the results of CEP initiatives for this working group. Although this group is still officially in existence, it has not met in over two years, due to changing Branch priorities from implementing Budget 2012 commitments.
• Prior to 2012, regular meetings were held between RDGs and Directors of Strategic Integration.^Footnote8 These were initially set up to review Priority Ecosystems Analysis results, but they had also been used to prepare material for Deputy Minister presentations related to proposed EC interventions under ecosystem initiatives.
• The Atlantic and Quebec RDGO had established an informal Inter-Branch Team, which provided a forum for sharing information about activities taking place in the Atlantic Region, worked collaboratively to support the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to environmental management in the Region, and identified gaps and opportunities to better coordinate and/or align EC programs, services and interventions addressing the three environmental priorities (i.e., nearshore water quality; habitat and biodiversity loss; and the impacts of climate change). Members included one representative from each of the departmental branches that carried out activities in the Atlantic Region, as well as representatives from headquarters. This group ceased activities in 2012 as part of the organizational efficiency improvements to realize cost-savings in response to Budget 2012 commitments.

2.3 Resource Allocation

Table 1 provides a summary of financial information for this PAA element. This information references expenditures for the period from 2008-2009 to 2012-2013. Financial data for both the Okanagan-Similkameen PE and AEI are not clearly differentiated from expenditures stemming from other regional activities (e.g., Coast Salish gatherings, Georgia Basin legacy projects) due to the manner in which expenditures are coded into the departmental financial system. This is especially the case for salary and O&M expenditures. However, the evaluation was able to differentiate contribution expenditures specifically related to the two initiatives examined. Between 2008-2009 and 2012-2013, the AEI provided $6,670,292 in contribution funding (a total of 101 projects). Between 2009-2010^Footnote9 and 2012-2013, the Okanagan-Similkameen PE provided $308,959 (a total of 8 projects).

Table 1: Expenditures - CEP program, 2008-2009 to 2012-2013

Source: Environment Canada's Finance Branch.

2.4 Program Logic Model

A program logic model is a representation of the overall activities, outputs and expected outcomes of the CEP program. Prior to the start of this evaluation, no CEP-level program logic model existed, but it was developed by the evaluation team in collaboration with program representatives as part of the evaluation's planning phase. Efforts were made to ensure that the newly developed logic model was an appropriate tool for assessing performance for the CEP program by basing it on existing performance documents and program descriptions (e.g., the departmental performance measurement framework), and developing and validating the logic model in consultation with the Evaluation Committee. The draft evaluation plan, including the logic model, was also shared with senior management in the fall of 2013. The CEP program logic model can be found in Annex 2 of this report.