1. The department needs to maintain the current flexibility within the WDP in future design and delivery of the program.

• Stakeholders agreed that the flexibility of the WDP is key to be able to address the needs of the west, which change over time.
• The diversity within the WDP helped many projects to be funded in innovation, community economic development and entrepreneurship.
• Flexibility will continue to be needed especially in community economic adjustment to mitigate economic crisis. The continued dependence of the western provinces on resources and commodities will mean that commodity markets will continue to have a major cyclical impact.

Agree.

The ability to adjust the program is very important and WD will continue to consult with stakeholders on changes to economic needs and the impact on program design and delivery. Consultations take place with stakeholders throughout the annual planning process and with program recipients throughout the program delivery process. The new Policy on Transfer Payments provides increased flexibility in program design, amendment and renewal which will accommodate changes to program design and delivery throughout the program term.

WD will continue to engage stakeholders in broader consultation exercises such as in response to specific economic crisis. This type of consultation will also influence design and delivery of the WDP as it is the department’s primary tool used to meet the requirements of the department’s broad economic diversification mandate.

2. The department should improve performance measurement processes to capture linkages between strategic outcomes and program activities.

• Research indicates linkages exist among different project activities as identified in the department’s PAA. Results from one strategic area impact other strategic areas.
• Future design of the program should take into account the development of a logic model that reflects these linkages. The logic model or parts of it can serve as a tool for program officers to use in the due diligence process to capture activity linkages.

Agree

A new logic model will be developed for the WDP as part of the program renewal process. It will be supported by a performance measurement framework that portrays the continuum of linkages ranging from project and program results to strategic outcomes.

3. The department should develop a system to follow-up on projects after WDP funding ends to track long-term benefits.

• Currently, after WDP funding ends, files are closed and long-term results are not tracked. This impacted on the ability of the evaluation to track progress towards the achievement of strategic outcomes.
• An example for such a system is to use co-op students to track long-term results as is being done at the Manitoba regional office.

Agree

The newly established corporate Performance Measurement unit will work closely with WD’s evaluation unit in the development of a new logic model and performance measurement framework for the WDP as part of the program renewal process. This will serve to clarify expectations, roles and requirements of the two units in long-term evaluation and performance measurement activities.

The performance tracking system being developed, as part of WD’s electronic project database, will support improved results reporting.

4. The department should continue to use the WDP to strengthen existing and develop new partnerships.

• Research suggests that the WDP promotes collaboration and that partnerships are strengthened by the involvement of the WDP.
• Recipients were able to elaborate on the wide range of funding partnerships that are developed for their projects.
• Partnerships are often long-term in nature, and funding partners’ work to enhance the projects that they are involved in.

Agree

Partnerships will continue to occur at many levels using the WDP. For example, the third round of Western Economic Partnership Agreements with each of the four western provincial governments are being negotiated and will formalize multi-year partnership arrangements that leverage the benefits of the WDP. WD will continue to develop new partnerships to aDDRess departmental and Government of Canada economic priorities.

As part of its due diligence process, WD assesses all other sources of possible funding and other support available to a project and this ensures that partnership opportunities are considered on a project by project basis.

5. The department should improve the monitoring process to ensure that client reporting demonstrates results achieved against project indicators.

• Progress reporting does not always demonstrate success (or lack of it) on individual projects.
• Progress reports do not specifically and routinely aDDRess the indicators that are outlined in the DDR.
• For some recipients, reporting is often difficult, time-consuming, and requires a significant amount of resources (both staff and financial).

Agree

A new logic model will be developed for the WDP as part of the program renewal process. It will be supported by a performance measurement framework that sets out expectations for program and project contributions to WD’s strategic outcomes, including refined project indicators.

Work is ongoing to enhance WD’s electronic tracking, monitoring and reporting system to guide project officers in assessing project results against project indicators. In 2008-09 a new module was introduced to this system to augment the Results tracking module, to improve the link between client reporting and the expected outcomes of a project.

WD continues to refine procedures and train staff in project monitoring and performance measurement. Included in the training is the expectation that officers take into consideration the reporting burden on clients.

During 2008-09, each WD regional office was provided with a full time staff resource to oversee performance measurement. WD will assess its practice of establishing indicators in the due diligence report to ensure they are relevant, and measurable.

Executive Director, Policy, Planning & Performance Measurement;

Regional Directors General, Operations; and

Regional Directors, Policy, Planning & External Relations

6. The department should improve databases to ensure that all pertinent information is collected and updated.

• The findings suggest that databases do not always have complete and/or accurate contact information for funding recipients, and partner information is sometimes missing or referred to in very general terms.
• Very little data is collected about projects that do not receive funding and why they do not receive that funding.
• Information with regard to in-kind funding is not adequately outlined in the database, and this type of information could be a significant form of leveraging.

Agree

As noted in the report an electronic project development tool was developed mid way through the evaluation period. The importance of updating client contact information and partner information has been added to the officer due diligence training material and increased attention will be given to ensure databases are complete and maintained.

A Funding Request Summary (FRS) Form was implemented in 2008/09 and is required for all new projects. This form supports the capture of consistent client and project information for entry into the data base, whether or not the project is ultimately approved.

The implementation of client service standards in the fall of 2007, will improve tracking and rational for project rejections in a timely manner.

In addition, the database tool will be reviewed for adequacy of calculating and recording in-kind contributions to projects. Officer due-diligence training has been enhanced to provide additional information on in-kind contributions.

Executive Director, Policy, Planning & Performance Measurement;

Regional Directors General, Operations; and

Regional Directors, Policy, Planning & External Relations