Report 3—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies

Audit at a Glance Report 3—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies

What we examined (see Focus of the audit)

This audit examined whether the Department of Justice Canada, National Defence, Parks Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada adequately

  • applied the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals and its related guidelines to policy, plan, and program proposals submitted for approval to an individual minister or to Cabinet, including Treasury Board;
  • reported on the extent and results of their strategic environmental assessment practices as required by the Cabinet directive and its related guidelines; and
  • met their departmental sustainable development strategy commitments and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy commitment to strengthen their strategic environmental assessment practices.

Why we did this audit

This audit is important because the government must have relevant information on environmental, economic, and social factors to make informed decisions that support sustainable development. This is particularly important for ministers of federal departments and agencies, whose decisions on government policies, plans, and programs can significantly affect the health and well-being of Canada’s economy, society, and environment. It is also important for stakeholders and the public to be assured that ministers receive information about potential important environmental effects, which they should factor into the decisions they make.

What we concluded

We concluded that only Parks Canada adequately applied the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals and its related guidelines to policy, plan, and program proposals submitted for approval to its Minister. The Department of Justice Canada, National Defence, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada did not adequately apply the Cabinet directive to proposals submitted for approval to their individual ministers.

We concluded that Parks Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and the Department of Justice Canada adequately applied the Cabinet directive and its related guidelines to policy, plan, and program proposals submitted for approval to Cabinet. National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada did not adequately apply the Cabinet directive to proposals submitted to Cabinet for approval.

We also concluded that the Department of Justice Canada, Parks Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada adequately reported on the extent and results of their strategic environmental assessment practices as required by the Cabinet directive and its related guidelines. National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada did not adequately report on the extent and results of their strategic environmental assessment practices.

Finally, we concluded that Parks Canada made satisfactory progress in meeting its departmental sustainable development strategy commitments and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy commitment to strengthen its strategic environmental assessment practices. The Department of Justice Canada, National Defence, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada did not make satisfactory progress.

What we found

Applying the Cabinet directive

Overall, we found that the Cabinet directive was not applied to most policy, plan, and program proposals. Only Parks Canada was successful in applying the Cabinet directive to policy, plan, and program proposals. None of the other entities consistently applied it to proposals submitted to their individual ministers. We also found that the Cabinet directive was applied to only 23 percent of proposals submitted for approval to Cabinet. Veterans Affairs Canada did not apply the Cabinet directive to any proposals they directed to a minister or Cabinet. The entities we reviewed were successful in meeting the selected requirements of the Cabinet directive for most preliminary scans we reviewed.

This is important because ministers need to receive complete and timely information on the potential important environmental effects of the proposals they are considering for approval. In addition, ministers need to ensure that their policies, plans, and programs are consistent with the government’s broad environmental objectives and sustainable development goals and targets, as set out in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

  • The Cabinet directive was not applied to most policy, plan, and program proposals

    Recommendation. The Department of Justice Canada, National Defence, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada should apply the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals to all policy, plan, and program proposals submitted for approval to their individual ministers or to Cabinet, as required.

  • Most preliminary scans reviewed met selected requirements of the Cabinet directive

    Recommendation. The Department of Justice Canada, National Defence, Parks Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada should ensure that when they assess proposals, they do so in a timely manner, as required by the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals and its related guidelines.

Reporting publicly

Overall, we found that Parks Canada, the only entity that conducted detailed strategic environmental assessments, issued public statements for the assessments we reviewed, as required by the Cabinet directive

We also found that three of the five selected entities—the Department of Justice Canada, Parks Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada—reported consistently on the extent and results of their strategic environmental assessment practices, as required by the Cabinet directive. Public Services and Procurement Canada also included useful information on the number of proposals it submitted to Cabinet and the number of preliminary scans it conducted. In addition, we found that only public reports prepared by Parks Canada consistently included a description of how plans, programs, and policies subject to strategic environmental assessments had affected or were expected to affect progress toward goals and targets in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

This is important because public reporting helps ensure that decisions made that affect the environment are open and accountable. Departments and agencies are required to prepare a public statement of environmental effects when a detailed strategic environmental assessment has been conducted and are also required to report on the extent and results of their strategic environmental assessment practices.

Meeting commitments

Overall, we found that only one selected entity, Parks Canada, had made satisfactory progress in meeting its sustainable development strategy commitment to strengthen strategic environmental assessment practices. The other four selected entities had not made satisfactory progress.

This is important because departments and agencies, as part of the government’s activities supporting environmental sustainability, committed to sustainable development activities. If these commitments are not met, the environment is not considered and could be exposed to damage by government programs and initiatives that did not receive complete environmental assessment.

Entity Responses to Recommendations

The audited entities agree with our recommendations, and have responded (see List of Recommendations).

Related Information

Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Type of product Performance audit
Topics
Audited entities
Completion date

28 July 2016
Tabling date

4 October 2016
Related audits

For more information

Media Relations
Tel.: 1-888-761-5953
E-mail: infomedia@oag-bvg.gc.ca

Twitter: OAG_BVG