Evaluation At a Glance - Evaluation of ECCC’s Freshwater Quality Science

At a Glance - Evaluation of ECCC’s Freshwater Quality Science
April 2026

1. Freshwater Quality Science overview

ECCC's freshwater quality science activities are designed to support Canadians in having access to clean water.

The department’s freshwater quality science activities include:

• Long term monitoring and surveillance aimed at reporting on freshwater quality and aquatic ecosystem health
• Laboratory analysis, analytical method development, and other technical services
• Research and modelling
• Reporting on and sharing science; and
• Science activities/advice in support of programs, policy, regulation, and enforcement

These actions also support the federal government’s freshwater management priorities including the Freshwater Action Plan led by the Canada Water Agency (CWA) and the newly released National Freshwater Science Agenda (ECCC). They enable and support program, regulatory, and policy needs for internal and external partners and stakeholders.

The activities are led by the Science and Technology Branch.

2. Scope and methodology

2.1. Scope

The evaluation of the ECCC’s Freshwater Quality Science covers the 5-year period from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025. The evaluation focusses on the following themes:

• Relevance and responsiveness
• Governance
• Results and Efficiency

2.2. Methodology

A variety of sources were used, including:

• Document review: Review covered governance documents and agreements, reports on plans, priorities and performance, among others
• Interviews: 26 interviews were conducted with ECCC and Canada Water Agency representatives (n=17) and with external partners and stakeholders involved (n=9)
• Case studies: 3 case studies were conducted on the unique challenges, delivery, and key impacts of the activities
• Data analysis: Data analysis provided information on the achievement of results and on the availability, use, and quality of performance information

3. Findings

3.1. Relevance

Federal involvement in freshwater quality science is critical to addressing national priorities, transboundary issues, and international obligations.

ECCC provides standardized monitoring, long-term data, environmental emergency support, and scientific expertise that support policy and regulatory development, implementation, and environmental law enforcement. Retaining these activities within ECCC supports integration with broader environment, climate change, and nature priorities and enhances evidence-based decision-making.

Emerging pressures stemming from climate change and environmental security and sovereignty further underscore the need for federal leadership to maintain consistent standards and to fulfill regulatory obligations and uphold commitments to Indigenous rights and international agreements.

3.2. Governance

Roles and responsibilities are mostly clear, although coordination with the new Canada Water Agency is still evolving.

There is room for improvement in the identification and uptake of research priorities, especially as planning science against needs, risks, and priorities becomes increasingly important in the current fiscal context.

Some aspects of the suite of activities incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion, but there is still room to further contribute to environmental justice.

Collaboration is efficient with some partners, but less consistent with academic and Indigenous groups.

3.3. Efficiency

Partnerships are employed as a cost-effective and efficient delivery model.

It has improved over time through the application of different initiatives such as the risk-based adaptive management framework. There is also a focus on implementing modern approaches such as better collection, analysis, and use of information and data to support informed decision-making.

Access to vessels in the Great Lakes is an important opportunity that requires timely resolution to support the achievement of results.

3.4. Effectiveness

The evaluation has identified an opportunity to improve the freshwater quality science activities’ performance measurement framework by establishing better measures and indicators to track progress against expected results.

Progress was observed towards achieving the result of developing science and objectives by priority ecosystem and informing freshwater decision-making. These activities support the long-term goal of clean water provision to Canadians by enabling programs, regulation administration, enforcement, and by supporting protection and restoration actions.

Opportunities for advancement include addressing gaps in knowledge and ecosystem assessment and enhancing the application of Indigenous Science.

4. Recommendations

Recommendation 1: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Science and Technology Branch should work at developing an integrated and centralized research tracking, resource allocation prioritization and decision-making framework that integrates water research. The framework should consider interdisciplinary requirements and stakeholder expectations to ensure that resources are directed towards key activities in line with overall departmental priorities. The framework should also be presented at the Executive Management Committee for approval.

Recommendation 2: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Science and Technology Branch should work at developing a performance measurement framework that may be used to improve measuring and reporting on progress, contributions, and results achieved including for ECCC’s freshwater quality science activities.

5. Management action plan

Management Response to Recommendation 1: The Assistant Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Branch agrees with the recommendation.

Management Response to Recommendation 2: The Assistant Deputy Minister of the Science and Technology Branch agrees with the recommendation