Report on Plans and Priorities, 2016-2017

Organizational Profile

Minister: The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, P.C., M.P.

Chairperson: Mr. Richard Boudreault, Chairperson

Deputy Head: Dr. David J. Scott, President and Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial Portfolio: Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Enabling Instrument(s): Canadian High Arctic Research Station

Year of Incorporation / Commencement: 2015

Web site: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge.html

Other: Administration of the Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is overseen by a nine-member Board of Directors, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The Board approves the organization’s science and technology plan and annual work plans and budget. The Board is accountable to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. All positions are appointed by Order-in-Council to hold office for terms not exceeding five years, and are eligible for re-appointment for a second term of office. Members of the Board of Directors hold office on a part-time basis.

Organizational Context

Planned Expenditures

Alignment of Spending With the Whole-of-Government Framework

Departmental Spending Trend

Spending increases in 2018-2019 as POLAR assumes responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.

Estimates by Vote

For information on Polar Knowledge Canada’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2016–17 Main Estimates.ⁱⁱⁱ

Program 1.1: Science and Technology for the North

Description

This program aims to create the conditions for Polar Knowledge Canada to anchor a strong research presence in Canada’s Arctic. Through both partnering and internal science and technology, POLAR will acquire the wide range of information needed for effective solutions to Arctic issues, policy and research program development in the North, and to advance Canada’s position as a leading Arctic nation. The depth of knowledge gained through scientific and technological research and training will support greater sustainable use of the North’s land and natural resources.

Planning Highlights

Key POLAR engagement strategies to leverage its resources to facilitate and foster science and technology research and training in the North will be:

• To focus engagement activities on government (federal science departments, territorial science groups); domestic science community (research organizations, academia); international research organizations (leveraging Global Affairs Canada contacts in targeted countries); Cambridge Bay; indigenous communities; and industry.
• Within the international science community, focus partnership activities on Arctic States as well as non-Arctic States with strong polar expertise and interests; and states that have relevant polar expertise or interests or can provide an information/brokerage role.
• Work in close collaboration with the main science associations and networks.

Key success indicators will be the number of partnership agreements negotiated with stakeholders and indigenous organizations, investment by other stakeholders in research activities with POLAR, the number of joint research projects between POLAR and partner research organizations, and the number of international scientists working with POLAR.

Sub-Program 1.1.1: Science and Monitoring

Description

Pursue partnerships with organizations in order to collaborate on cross disciplinary, cross sectoral issues, leveraging their experience, expertise, and resources. Provide direct competitive and peer reviewed processes that fund external recipients with shared goals (e.g., academics, communities, not for profit organizations, industry, governments, and international scientists). Funding to external recipients will be guided by relevance to the Science and Technology Plan, scientific excellence, and the extent to which projects strengthen northern capacity and leadership in science and monitoring.

Planning Highlights

In addition to launching CHARS operations in 2017-2018, POLAR will contribute to northern capacity and leadership in science and monitoring by:

• Building on the expertise and knowledge that already exists in other national and international research organizations
• Using contributions as a leveraging tool to seek the participation of well-established science centres of expertise and/or private sector technology leaders
• Delivering knowledge products to policy and decision-makers
• Making tools and models available to the science community (e.g., predictive models, cumulative effects assessment, risk assessment, scenarios modelling)
• Proposing thresholds/guidelines to help manage change for industry and northern communities.

Indicators of success will be the number of joint research projects, the level of take up on competitive award processes, the number of scientists working with POLAR programs and expedition-participants to CHARS, and publications resulting from POLAR supported research.

Sub-Program 1.1.2: Technology Development and Transfer

Description

Establish CHARS as a major hub for Arctic technology development; and aim to foster northern technology development by providing a research platform, expertise, infrastructure, and funding to support northern entrepreneurs and innovators in development, adapting, and testing technologies that could be used in the North. POLAR will work with Northerners to create an environment at CHARS and in its work in which both traditional knowledge and science contribute to building solutions to challenges in the Arctic.

Planning Highlights

POLAR will contribute to technology development and transfer by:

• Working with industry and technology leaders to bring technologies to the North and test and adapt these technologies to better work in the extreme northern environments
• Establishing testing and demonstration sites, and developing and operating prototypes at these sites to demonstrate their viability and cost savings to northern communities
• Identifying best practices, technology innovations and cost-effective concept designs
• Developing marketing strategies and generating market interest for the most promising technologies.

Indicators of success will be the number of technology development projects with external partners, the number of prototypes tested and adapted to northern conditions, community usage of successful technology solutions, and the level of replication in other northern communities.

In the longer term, success will be the private sector developing, marketing and distributing cost effective products adapted to northern requirements; and the achievement of eventual cost savings for communities as well as improved living conditions.

Program 1.2: Polar Knowledge Application

Description

Lead the mobilization of polar science and technology into action. POLAR will analyze and disseminate polar knowledge from its Science and Technology Program, as well as that from other federal, territorial and other stakeholders, and investments to inform management, programming, and policies; promote Arctic science and technology nationally and internationally; and build capacity through training, outreach, and learning opportunities. This will ensure polar knowledge is relevant to stakeholders and indigenous communities, and builds a science culture in Canada that incorporates indigenous and local knowledge.

Planning Highlights

The initial focus of POLAR will be on developing strategies and approaches for data management, knowledge mobilization, communications and community outreach.

• Data management: to facilitate better access to information, support information sharing, enable access to POLAR research files and encourage collaboration with respect to information and knowledge management on the North.
• Knowledge mobilization: to synthesize scientific information produced by POLAR and other key stakeholders into value-added knowledge products to enable key decisions on the polar regions; and to ensure data, information and knowledge on polar themes are easily discoverable, accessible, disseminated strategically (timing and channels), and meet the needs of stakeholders.
• Communications: tools and processes to communicate externally and internally, using the latest social media and communications technologies.
• Community outreach: the use of webinars and other techniques to foster contact with local communities, key stakeholder groups, indigenous communities, and international initiatives.

The knowledge mobilization plans and priorities are described under each sub-program.

Sub-Program 1.2.1: Knowledge Management

Description

Knowledge management will involve engaging key stakeholders and the production and dissemination of science and technology results. This will happen through scientific papers as well as through a variety of media including policy briefs, social media, input to program design, scientific assessments, decision support tools and models. POLAR will support the translation of knowledge into tangible outcomes for local communities, industry, decision makers, indigenous communities and stakeholders across all of the science and technology activities.

Planning Highlights

POLAR will synthesize scientific information, assess the policy implications and publish knowledge products to enable decision-makers to use this knowledge. This will involve:

• Managing POLAR collected and generated knowledge, so that POLAR becomes the source where people go for scientific knowledge (not just data and information), and science reports that translate the results of science activities into a language that is amenable for public consumption. Examples of current reports on the POLAR website include Reports on the State of Northern Knowledge in Canada and the State of Environmental Monitoring in Northern Canada.
• Synthesis of scientific information and data on the Arctic and Antarctica to identify the relevant and contextual value-added, through research, information gathering, and tailoring the reports for various target audiences.
• Sharing the results through social media (e.g., Polar Knowledge App, Polar Blog).

Information and knowledge on polar themes will be more discoverable, accessible, disseminated strategically (timing and channels), and meet the needs of stakeholders and indigenous communities. Improved knowledge will be available to inform policy and evidence-based decision-making.

Indicators of success will be the extent to which stakeholders access POLAR knowledge products; and policy and government decision-makers use the information for decision-making.

Sub-Program 1.2.2: Outreach and Capacity Building

Description

POLAR aims to build capacity through training, outreach and employment opportunities. POLAR will work with partner organizations to use northern science and technology to promote and build a science culture in Canada, and to build awareness of Arctic science and technology domestically and internationally. Outreach will include dedicated support for engagement activities, and building and maintaining POLAR’s social media and web presence. Capacity Building will manage and support partnered activities and initiatives to advance and support the next generation of researchers and highly qualified personnel and to strive to fulfill Canada’s obligations under Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

Planning Highlights

The initial focus of outreach and capacity building will be on communications, in particular:

• Branding, to create awareness through communications products such as a video “What is Polar Knowledge Canada?”, brochures, and other promotional material.
• Hosting workshops that bring together key interlocutors on priority issues as well as information sessions at major federal science departments and organizations to explain the mandate and future plans for POLAR (e.g., Polar talk series).
• Creating external communications products, for example, a revamped website/portal, updating the Polar Knowledge App, the POLAR blog, exhibitions including a photo exhibit of CHARS and storyline, youth engagement education/classroom activities and resources, annual science reports.
• Participating and being visible at science conferences and polar events in order to establish contacts and discuss opportunities with stakeholders and disseminate knowledge. In the medium to long term, options could include travelling photo exhibits placed in Canadian diplomatic posts abroad; and a public exhibition in Ottawa that would profile POLAR, and feature research highlights, displays and interactive applications.
• Leverage existing and new partnerships to communicate the results to the public.
• Use of webinars and other techniques to maintain contact with local communities, key stakeholder groups, and international initiatives.
• Continuing to administer the Northern Scientific Training Program that supports and encourages young northern researchers, and work to increase the program’s effectiveness.
• Presenting the Northern Science Award to recognize knowledge creation that benefits northerners.

In the longer term, community outreach will be critical to obtain community input, feedback, and participation and foster capacity building. The focus will be on involving and engaging with stakeholders and indigenous groups and building capacity at the community level through training and participation in science and technology projects.

Community outreach will be critical to ensure communities are given the opportunity to provide input into pilot and demonstration projects, have ready access to the test results and can provide feedback and/or validate the results, and are engaged in any follow-up/ implementation. Some demonstration/pilot projects will require technical capacity at the community level, and will be hindered if such capacity is not available.

Finally, POLAR will also strive to be an active and respectful member of our host community, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

Indicators of success will be the level of buy-in to projects in northern communities, awareness of the POLAR mandate in scientific research organizations (nationally and internationally), the level of public awareness of POLAR (based on public opinion surveys), the level of media coverage (trend in the number of media references), and web traffic volume based on web analytics data.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization, and not those provided to a specific program. The groups of activities are Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Planning Highlights

A key challenge for POLAR will be the ability to attract and retain staff with the required competencies in a timely manner given the remote location in Cambridge Bay, the highly specialized nature of functions and positions, and the learning time required to become fully operational. As a new organization, POLAR will also need to establish a suite of management policies and processes specific to its requirements and that are consistent with Canada’s obligations under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement; and seek permanent funding beginning in 2017-2018. Key plans and priorities will therefore be:

• Support staffing for the POLAR organization to increase internal capacity and recruit staff to CHARS in Cambridge Bay once facilities are operational.
• Implement human resources business processes and programs, in particular, for performance management, compensation and benefits, and learning and leadership development.
• Develop human resource/succession planning strategies to transfer knowledge to new staff, with a focus on functions and positions where the organization is most at risk.
• Establish and standardize corporate services processes across the organization, and establish and validate service standards for the delivery of corporate services with client managers and staff.
• Clarify financial management governance to ensure managers at all levels take full accountability for their budgeting and forecasting, and the delivery of projects within budget constraints. Establish forecasting tools and engage managers in financial forecasting to ensure the reliability of forecasts and manager accountability.
• Establish the appropriate level of financial/procurement and other internal controls that are cost-effective considering the level of risk.
• Assess options for the corporate systems, in particular, the human resources and financial information systems.
• Establish an information management classification structure based upon a common classification schema supported by a document management tool.
• Establish information technology strategy, plans and priorities, and review options for information technology user support.
• Review security management, security policies and processes, including the arrangements for security clearances and controls in place for information technology security.
• Establish an occupational health and safety program and policies (including an occupational health and safety committee).
• Seek legal authorities for property management related to the CHARS campus.

Future-Oriented Statement of Operations

The future-oriented financial statements are not available at this time. POLAR began operations on June 1, 2015, and continues to work to consolidate this information. The first POLAR future-oriented financial statements will be presented in the organization's 2017-2018 Report on Plans and Priorities.

Supplementary Information Tables

The supplementary information tables listed in the 2016–17 Report on Plans and Priorities are available on Polar Knowledge Canada’s website.

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Details on Transfer Payment Programs of $5 Million or More
• Disclosure of Transfer Payment Programs Under $5 Million

Tax Expenditures and Evaluations

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations^iv publication. The tax measures presented in that publication are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.