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2003 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Appendix—Audit criteria
Sub-objective 1: To determine the extent to which the pesticide registration, re-evaluation, and special review processes are resulting in a mix of registered pesticides that meet current standards for acceptable environmental and health risks.
Audit criteria:
- The Pest Management Regulatory Agency ensures that the new pest control products it registers are safe.
- The Agency ensures that registered pest control products meet current safety standards through re-evaluation, including special reviews.
- The Agency is taking action to discontinue products with formulants of greatest toxicological concern.
Sub-objective 2: To determine the extent to which the Agency is providing timely access to new pest control products, and is re-evaluating older pesticides in a timely manner.
Audit criteria:
- The Agency is meeting its stated performance standards for review times of registration submissions.
- The Agency is meeting its objectives with respect to timing and costs of re-evaluations.
- The Agency is providing access to minor use pesticides where there is a need.
- The Agency has achieved its stated goals with respect to efficiency improvements in reviewing submissions.
Sub-objective 3: To determine the extent to which the federal government ensures compliance with the Pest Control Products Act.
Audit criteria:
- The federal government has a clear understanding of the practices of agricultural and urban pesticide users.
- The Agency ensures that pest control products are used legally, according to the Pest Control Products Act, relevant regulations, and label instructions.
- The Agency has efficiently and effectively allocated its resources for compliance and enforcement.
Sub-objective 4: To determine the extent to which the federal government has tracked the effects of pesticides, including their efficacy and their health and environmental effects, and then used this information in its decision-making.
Audit criteria:
- The federal government has set clear priorities for its monitoring efforts, and is allocating its resources efficiently to meet these priorities.
- The Agency has up-to-date and reliable information on the efficacy of pesticides currently in use.
- The Agency has up-to-date and reliable information on the success of the risk mitigations it proposes.
- Health Canada (and the Agency) has up-to-date and reliable information on the health impacts associated with pesticide use.
- Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans and the Agency have up-to-date and reliable information on the environmental impacts associated with pesticide use.
- The Agency has established strong linkages in research and monitoring related to pest management with the five natural resource departments.
Sub-objective 5: To determine the extent to which the Agency is managing the business risks associated with funding sources and human resources.
Audit criteria:
- The Agency has identified its key business risks.
- The Agency has established measurable performance indicators and is measuring and reporting its overall performance.
- The Agency has obtained predictable and stable funding to achieve its objectives.
- The Agency has obtained and retained sufficient and appropriate human resources to achieve its objectives.