Summary of the Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee on Science and Knowledge June 2 and 3, 2021 Virtual Meeting

Meeting Objective

There were four main objectives of the June 2 and 3 meeting of the TAC. The first was to have a discussion with David McGovern, Agency President, on potential TAC priorities for this year. The second was to receive an update from the leads of the joint Sub-committee on Indigenous Knowledge and Science on their IAIA (International Association for Impact Assessment) presentation and other work on bringing together IK and science in the planning phase. The third was to hear from Dr. Debra Davidson and Dr. Ian Stewart on their project, Advancing Impact Assessment for Canada’s Socio-Ecological Systems. The final objective was to recognize TAC Accomplishments, identify best practices, and identify a path forward.

Day 1

Agenda Item: Opening Remarks

• The Agency provided a territorial acknowledgement for the land on which the Agency representatives were located, and recognized the tragic news regarding the Kamloops Residential School.
• The Agency provided some updates on arrivals and departures of secretariat members, as well as on the Agency’s work related to Free Prior and Informed Consent.
• The TAC co-chairs updated the members on a meeting held with the chair of the Minister’s Advisory Council (MINAC) and one of the co-chairs of the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC). They also provided an overview of the meeting agenda and the purpose of the agenda items.

Agenda Item: Presentation on Advancing Impact Assessment for Canada’s Socio-Ecological Systems

• Dr. Davidson and Dr. Stewart provided an overview presentation on the project, particularly the establishment of the Network of Expertise and Dialogue on Impact Assessment (NEDIA).
• TAC members emphasized the need for the network to address practical challenges and had a number of suggestions related to the project’s scope as well as the network’s reach and composition.

Agenda Item: Joint Sub-committee on Indigenous Knowledge and Science

• The joint sub-committee co-champions delivered the presentation that they had delivered at the IAIA 2021 conference. Presentation elements included the consideration of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), observations that the joint sub-committee has made about the current practice of IK inclusion in impact assessment, and advice from the joint sub-committee to proponents on considering IK in the early planning phase.
• TAC members discussed the content of the presentation as well as the work of the joint sub-committee. Topics of discussion included: the importance of early work in the impact assessment process; the need to provide advice to all parties involved in the process; the importance of educating decision-makers on the equitable inclusion of IK; ensuring that IK inclusion is equitably funded; and the importance of understanding how IK and science information is used in the Section 63 requirements of the IAA.

Day 2

Agenda Item: Presentation from Agency President

• The Agency’s President spoke to his appreciation of the TAC’s work over the past year, the need for the Agency to show how this advice was considered, and the possibilities for areas of future work. The remarks were followed by an exchange between the TAC and the President.
• As part of this exchange, TAC members highlighted potential work plan items of importance to them. They also raised a number of issues related to the management of the Committee’s agenda including the importance of receiving documents well in advance for review, a desire to have the ability to identify issues to put on the TAC’s agenda, the importance of allowing flexibility in the TAC agenda, and the desirability of taking on a mix of short and long term priorities. TAC members also expressed general positivity about their experiences participating in the committee to date.

Agenda Item: Retrospective on the TAC – the first two years

• A TAC co-chair presented on ways the committee can best work together. Elements of the presentation included ground rules for engagement, approaches for managing the conversation, and decision-making.
• The Agency presented on the work of the TAC to date, as well as potential work for the future and possible ways for the TAC to organize itself accordingly (e.g., the possible use of subcommittees).
• TAC members discussed the logistics of finalizing new priorities.

Agenda Item: Recap & Next Steps

• The TAC will next meet near the end of June for a short meeting to review and discuss potential new priorities.

Take Away

• The secretariat will organize a short administrative meeting near the end of June to review new priorities.
• The next full meeting for the TAC is planned for September.

Attendees

TAC Co-Chairs

• Kevin Hanna
• Darcy Pickard

TAC Committee Members

• Alistair MacDonald
• Bill Ross
• Colin Webster
• Gillian Donald
• Glennis Lewis
• Helga Shield
• Marie Lagimodiere
• Mark Shrimpton
• Meinhard Doelle
• Michel Bérubé

Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

• David McGovern
• Terry Hubbard
• Patricia Brady
• Steve Chapman
• Eric Landry
• Robyn Whittaker
• Michael Grassie
• Joshua Boisvert
• Alana Green