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Management Response and Action Plan - Health Products and Food Branch - Audit of the Management of Scientific Research - March 2013

Recommendations Management Response and Planned Management Action Deliverables Expected Completion Date Responsibility
Recommendation 1

It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch implement an enhanced branch level governance for scientific research supported by the program governance. 		Management agrees with this recommendation.

Scientific research is a program matter and as a result discussions related to scientific research will occur at the Program Executive Committee (PEC) sub-committee level and will report to the PEC.

As Health Products and Food Branch scientific research is linked to specific programs (for example, food/nutrition and biologics), the management framework will occur at the appropriate PEC sub-committee level after going through a Directorate level process first.

As well, Health Products and Food Branch has recently created a Branch Science Network with supporting terms of reference to enhance its governance of scientific research.		 Inclusion of scientific research as an agenda item on PEC, Sub-committee agendas April 2013 Program champions, Director generals and PEC members
Defined research plans that align with the research needs of the relevant program April 2013
Recommendation 2

It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch build on existing practices to:
  • define the spectrum of scientific research;
  • detail scientific research plans; and
  • monitor and report expenditures and personnel devoted to scientific research.
 Management agrees with this recommendation.

  1. Internal (Branch) discussion and agreement on a unified definition for scientific research for the purpose of planning and reporting.
  2. Programs will enhance the communication of their scientific research priorities and plans. Scientific research plans will be presented to Partnership Executive Committee at the appropriate time in the planning process.
  3. Health Products and Food Branch will seek to integrate research into the planning process given the limitations of the current planning systems. Through the implementation of the standardized activity structure, revamped financial activity codes and SAP Project Systems across the Branch, Health Products and Food Branch will capture the costs of the research being conducted and will include this as part of the program planning discussion. Reporting of expenditures and personnel devoted to scientific research will be reported through the Program Executive Committee at the appropriate times in the planning and reporting cycle.
 A unified branch definition of scientific research April 2013 Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB), Science Champion, Branch Science Network
Discussion and inclusion of scientific research as an item in Program planning April 2013
A list of all Program approved research projects June 2013 Program champions, Director generals and PEC members
Implementation of standardized Financial Activity coding for research across Health Products and Food Branch April 2013 HPFB, Branch Senior Financial Officer
Time-tracking of research as an activity in SAP Project Systems across the Branch April 2013
Reports through the Program planners will be prepared that detail all resources spent on Branch scientific research October 2013 Program champions, Director generals and PEC members
Recommendation 3

It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch extend the performance measures to all its scientific research.		 Managementagrees with this recommendation.

The Health Products and Food Branchwill develop performance reporting for scientific research. Research metrics, including costs and budget will be discussed as part of the program approach through Partnership Executive Committee.		 Development of performance reporting for scientific research as defined by the audit October 2013 Program champions and Science Champion

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