Results at a Glance – Evaluation of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory 2014-15 to 2018-19

Program Context

With a budget of about $80.3M per year, the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) works with provincial, national, and international public health and laboratory partners to prevent the spread of infectious diseases through:

Evaluation Approach

The objective of this evaluation was to examine how the NML fosters and manages innovation, while balancing core public health functions. It covered the period April 2014 to September 2019.

Evaluation Methodology

Summary of Findings

The NML is a highly credible and relevant organization for public health in Canada. It is recognized by its partners for its ability to provide core services to the public health sector and to innovate.

The NML has made a significant contribution to protect Canadians against infectious diseases through the development of expertise that provincial laboratories do not always have the means to develop, and by occupying specialized niches. It helps equalize the playing field across the Canadian public health laboratory system.

Improving some internal practices would help the NML and PHAC, as a whole, to enhance their reach. As resources for public health are limited, adopting more consistent practices to plan and follow up on research and innovative work would help balance the need to foster innovation with meeting core public health priorities.

Collaborations with PHAC Centres tend to be ad hoc, although there are good practices already in place in some areas (e.g., surveillance for food- and water-borne enteric illnesses). 

There is also a need for the NML to communicate better regarding its expertise, engagement, and services to both internal and external partners. In particular, there is a lack of understanding within PHAC Centres about NML’s functions and services and external partners often experience challenges navigating the NML.

While the NML’s work is well aligned with PHAC priorities, mechanisms to foster strategic discussions on priorities that are common to both science and policy appear to be limited within the Agency.

Recommendations and Management Response

  1. Implement consistent practices to plan research and innovation in order to create the space necessary to foster innovative thinking while also addressing key priorities related to NML’s mandate.

    Response: NML will develop a science planning process to enable research planning and innovation management that provides a mechanism to identify linkages to priorities and mandate.

  2. Improve communication with internal and external partners on the services and scientific expertise delivered by the NML. As part of these efforts, both the NML and the Centres from the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch should examine best practices already in place and emulate what worked well in order to foster more systematic two-way and proactive collaboration and communication.

    Response: NML will undertake initiatives to communicate information about services and expertise available at the NML directed at both internal and external stakeholders.

  3. Identify opportunities to formalize discussions and expectations on strategic priorities to connect laboratory science to policy.

    Response: The Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (IDPC) Branch will strengthen opportunities for integrated planning and prioritization.

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