At a Glance: Departmental Evaluation Plan for Health Canada 2020-21 to 2024-25
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Published: 2020-09-29
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the work of Health Canada (HC) as it is at the forefront of the Government of Canada’s response. To be respectful of the need for branches to focus on the response, many engagements scheduled to start in 2020-21 were put on hold. In addition, the Office of Audit and Evaluation (OAE) mobilized staff to assist in HC critical functions and to remain responsive to management requests for advice or assistance. The present Departmental Evaluation Plan (DEP) reflects the response of OAE to these circumstances, by developing a plan that ensures that evaluation focuses its efforts and resources on emerging priorities.
This document presents the OAE Departmental Evaluation Plan (DEP) for fiscal years 2020-21 to 2024-25 for HC. While not presented jointly, OAE also prepared a Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP) in parallel to the DEP. Both plans are updated annually through an extensive consultation process with each branch in HC as well as a document review. The use of parallel processes allowed OAE to fully utilize synergies between the audit and evaluation functions and maximize their combined value.
The DEP is updated annually to support the allocation of resources to a suite of evaluation projects over a five-year period, and is focused on Health Canada information needs. The development of this plan complies with requirements of the Treasury Board (TB) Policy on Results (July 1, 2016). The projects contained within this plan were selected to ensure compliance with legislation and policy, support information needs, and consider risks in order to ensure the optimal use of resources.
The 2020-21 to 2024-25 DEP for HC reflects OAE’s commitment to implementing TB’s Policy on Results (2016) requirements. The Departmental Results Framework (DRF), program inventory, and performance information profile developed by HC have formed the basis for this plan.
Planning for Evaluation
Over the next five years, the OAE plans to conduct 28 evaluations that involve HC: 21 of which will be led by HC while the remaining seven are horizontal evaluations led by other government departments or agencies. A yearly breakdown is provided in Table 1. Appendix A outlines the direct program spending (DPS) by branch for all scheduled evaluation for the next five years.
| Number of evaluations | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 21 |
| Horizontal OGD led | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 28 |
| Program | Evaluations planned in the next five years | Fiscal year of approval | 2020-21 spending covered by evaluation ($)Footnote 1 | Rationale for not evaluating program or spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Responsibility - Health Care Systems ($1,773,863,046) | ||||
| Health Care Systems Analysis and Policy ($56,616,691) |
Home Care and Mental Health Services Initiative | 2022-23 | 12,498,691 | N/A |
| Health Care Policy Contribution Program | 2023-24 | 27,118,000 | N/A | |
| Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 17,000,000 | N/A | |
| Access, Affordability, and Appropriate Use of Drugs and Medical Devices ($27,494,407) |
Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 27,494,407 | N/A |
| Home, Community and Palliative Care ($651,078,707) |
Home Care and Mental Health Services Initiative | 2022-23 | 651,078,707 | N/A |
| Mental Health ($615,328,707) |
Home Care and Mental Health Services Initiative | 2022-23 | 600,000,000 | N/A |
| Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 15,328,707 | N/A | |
| Substance Use and Addictions ($68,786,386) |
Health Portfolio’s Tobacco Activities (including vaping) | 2021-22 | 100,000 | N/A |
| Canadian Drugs & Substances Strategy (including opioids and drug overdose crisis in Canada) | 2022-23 | 68,686,386 | N/A | |
| Digital Health ($78,078,707) |
Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 78,078,707 | N/A |
| Health Information ($93,743,281) |
Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 93,743,281 | N/A |
| Canada Health Act ($1,649,138) |
Canada Health Act Administration | N/A | 1,649,138 | Low Need: HC’s activities have focused on the administration of the Act, such as monitoring for compliance. On an annual basis, the federal Minister of Health is required to report to Parliament on the administration and operation of the Canada Health Act, which provides good oversight on this activity. |
| Medical Assistance in Dying ($1,078,707) |
Medical Assistance in Dying | N/A | 1,078,707 | Low Need: Program has been recently implemented. Furthermore, while the potential for conducting an evaluation will be examined in the future, parliamentary reporting requirements provide good oversight on this activity at this time. |
| Cancer Control ($52,078,707) |
Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 52,078,707 | N/A |
| Patient Safety ($8,678,707) |
Pan-Canadian Health Organizations | 2023-24 | 8,678,707 | N/A |
| Blood Systems, Organs, Tissue and Transplantation ($8,583,487) |
Canadian Blood Services Contribution Programs | 2022-23 | 8,583,487 | N/A |
| Promoting Minority Official Languages in the Health Care Systems ($38,798,752) |
Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages: Education, Immigration, Communities | 2021-22 | 38,798,752 | N/A |
| Brain Research ($24,676,683) |
Canadian Brain Foundation Contribution Program | 2021-22 | 24,676,683 | N/A |
| Thalidomide ($20,191,979) |
Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program | 2024-25 | 20,191,979 | N/A |
| Territorial Health Information Fund ($27,000,000) |
Territorial Health Investment Fund | N/A | 27,000,000 | Low Need: Program will be sunsetting in 2020-21. An evaluation was completed in 2018-19. If the program is eventually renewed, the timing of the evaluation will be determined in a future version of the DEP. |
| Core Responsibility - Health Protection and Promotion ($556,966,716) | ||||
| Pharmaceutical Drugs ($56,601,336) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| Pharmacetical Drugs Program - Human and Veterinary Drugs | 2022-23 | 56,601,226 | N/A | |
| Biologics and Radiopharmaceuticals Drugs ($41,624,276) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| Biologics and Radiopharmaceuticals Program | 2023-24 | 41,624,276 | N/A | |
| Medical Devices ($17,585,305) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| Medical Devices | 2024-25 | 17,585,305 | N/A | |
| Natural Health Products ($16,320,931) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| Natural Health Products Program | 2024-25 | 16,320,931 | N/A | |
| Food Safety and Nutrition ($67,579,450) |
Food and Nutrition Program – Nutrition Policy | 2022-23 | 13,868,931 | N/A |
| Impact Assessment and Regulatory Processes (IARP) Horizontal Initiative | 2022-23 | 6,891,799 | N/A | |
| Food and Nutrition Program – Food Safety and Veterinary Drugs | 2023-24 | 46,818,720 | N/A | |
| Canadian Food Safety Information Network | 2024-25 | - | N/A | |
| Air Quality ($20,194,385) |
Addressing Air Pollution Horizontal Initiative (AAPHI) | 2020-21 | 20,194,385 | N/A |
| Water Quality ($3,617,520) |
Chemicals Management Plan (including water quality) | N/A | 3,617,520 | Low Need:Program is scheduled to sunset by March 2021. An evaluation was completed in 2019-20. If the program is eventually renewed, the timing of the evaluation will be determined in a future version of the DEP. |
| Climate Change ($4,849,460) |
Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program | N/A | 4,849,640 | Low Need: ECCC recently announced that they were postponing the horizontal evaluation of Climate change initiatives to 2026-27. Data to feed into the horizontal evaluation will only be required in 2025-26. This evaluation has thus be postponed. |
| Consumer Product Safety ($31,386,270) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| Consumer Product Safety | 2022-23 | 31,386,270 | N/A | |
| Health Impacts of Chemicals ($65,877,181) |
Genomics Research and Development Initiative | 2020-21 | 514,074 | N/A |
| Impact Assessment and Regulatory Processes (IARP) Horizontal Initiative | 2022-23 | 4,985,635 | N/A | |
| Federal Contaminated Sites | 2023-24 | 1,657,441 | N/A | |
| Chemicals Management Plan (including water quality) | N/A | 58,720,031 | Low Need: Program is scheduled to sunset by March 2021. An evaluation was completed in 2019-20. If the program is eventually renewed, the timing of the evaluation will be determined in a future version of the DEP. | |
| Workplace Hazardous Products ($3,597,392) |
Workplace Hazardous Products | 2024-25 | 3,597,392 | N/A |
| Tobacco Control (including vaping) ($26,802,800) |
Health Portfolio’s Tobacco Activities (including vaping) | 2021-22 | 26,802,800 | N/A |
| Controlled Substances ($57,617,422) |
Canadian Drugs & Substances Strategy (including opioids and drug overdose crisis in Canada) | 2022-23 | 57,617,422 | N/A |
| Cannabis ($78,721,454) |
Cannabis Program | 2022-23 | 78,721,454 | N/A |
| Radiation Protection ($15,171,889) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| Radiation Protection Activities | 2021-22 | 15,171,889 | N/A | |
| Pesticides ($34,759,769) |
Single Window Initiative | 2020-21 | - | N/A |
| PMRA’s Activities in Support of AAFC’s Minor Use Pesticides Program | 2020-21 | - | N/A | |
| Pesticides Program | 2023-24 | 34,759,769 | N/A | |
| Specialized Health Services and Internationally Protected Persons Program ($14,659,876) |
Specialized Health Services | N/A | 14,659,876 | Low Need: No requirement to inform major policy or spending decisions. Low Risk: Low enterprise risk. For one program component, Health Canada is the delivery agent rather than program owner (Employee Assistance Services - EAS). EAS has been accredited with the highest quality standard (gold) of the industry as set out by the Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA) as the Council of Accreditation (COA) carries out in-depth assessments of EAS' compliance with best practices in the industry. |
| Other | Sex and Gender-based Analysis | - | N/A | |
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