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Management response and action plan for the Evaluation of Food Safety Risk Intelligence

Recommendation 1: The CFIA should create and approve a terms of reference for the Risk Intelligence Working Group that clearly describe the working group's mandate, structure, roles and responsibilities, and meeting schedule. These terms of reference should describe the governance path for the working group to report on the results of its activities, and to provide recommendations to decision makers.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with the recommendation
Action and rationale: Expected completion or implementation date Responsibility for action

The Risk Intelligence Working Group (RIWG) will update, as necessary, and adopt terms of reference that clearly describe:

  1. the RIWG mandate and structure
  2. RIWG roles and responsibilities (in conjunction with Recommendation 2)
  3. meeting schedule
  4. governance path for reporting on results of activities and providing recommendations to decision makers (in conjunction with the actions and deliverables of Recommendations 3 and 5)

Comprehensive terms of reference that incorporate the above elements will support an effective forum for the regular and formal discussion and coordination of food safety risk intelligence and related activities. Furthermore, the terms of reference will clarify roles and responsibilities related to the RIWG in support of the broader Food Program, the inherent roles and responsibilities of different Branches, and alignment with the Program Management Framework. Terms of reference which are adopted by the RIWG will foster the longer term stability of the RIWG and the overall food risk intelligence function. Participants in the RIWG will be accountable to the Mandate of the RIWG and the appropriate governance path, as outlined in the terms of reference, which will help to foster continuity, collaboration, consistency and timeliness of risk intelligence within the Food Business Line.

May 31, 2022

Lead:
Vice President Science Branch

Support:
Operations Branch
Policy and Programs Branch
Digital Services Branch
International Affairs Branch
Communication and Public Affairs Branch

Recommendation 2: The CFIA should clarify, document and communicate the accountability, roles and responsibilities for collecting, managing and reporting on the results of the agency's food safety risk intelligence activities.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with the recommendation
Action and rationale: Expected completion or implementation date Responsibility for action

CFIA will work between branches and within the Risk Intelligence Working Group to:

  1. develop guidance that clarifies the accountability and roles and responsibilities for the collection, management and reporting on the results of the agency's food risk intelligence activities endorsed by those implicated in the generation and delivery of risk intelligence for the Food Business Line
  2. develop and implement a communications plan to raise awareness of the guidance and associated roles and responsibilities
  3. seek Food Business Line Management Board approval on the guidance to achieve the above
  4. implement the guidance

Guidance that clarifies, documents and communicates the roles and responsibilities for the collection, management and reporting on the results of the agency's food safety risk intelligence activities will strengthen the agency's accountability for risk intelligence functionality within the Food Business Line. Comprehensive guidance that clarifies accountability and roles and responsibilities for documenting the results of risk intelligence will also help to support effective performance measurement of the agency's risk intelligence capabilities.

December 31, 2022

Lead:
Vice President Science Branch

Support:
Operations Branch
Policy and Programs Branch
Digital Services Branch
International Affairs Branch
Communication and Public Affairs Branch
Corporate Management Branch

Recommendation 3: The agency should clarify, document and communicate a consistent, integrated approach for internal processes for gathering, storing, analyzing and taking action on food safety risk intelligence.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with the recommendation
Action and rationale: Expected completion or implementation date Responsibility for action

Through the auspices of the Risk Intelligence Working Group, and building on existing and current processes, the CFIA will develop and communicate a consistent approach for processes for gathering, analyzing, and tracking use of food safety risk intelligence by the Food Business Line.

This will include:

  1. leveraging and streamlining existing processes for the provision of risk intelligence to the Program Management Framework
  2. developing processes to document and guide the identification, analysis, tracking and use of signals derived from internal and external information
  3. developing processes and leveraging intra-Branch processes to guide the development, documentation, tracking and provision of risk intelligence
  4. reporting on risk intelligence activities following the guidance and processes developed for Recommendation 2 and Recommendation 4

These actions will enable the agency to document the development and use of risk intelligence and systematically allow the agency to demonstrate the appropriate use of information available. This will further enable the agency to demonstrate the importance of risk intelligence and its use as a foundational element to program design and decisions.

March 31, 2024

Lead:
Vice President Science Branch

Support:
Operations Branch
Policy and Programs Branch
Digital Services Branch
International Affairs Branch
Communication and Public Affairs Branch

Recommendation 4: The CFIA should update its performance measurement framework to include measures that will allow the agency to monitor and report on progress toward food safety risk intelligence program outcomes, and continuously improve performance. The food safety risk intelligence performance measures should align with the agency's broader Food Program performance measurement framework.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with the recommendation
Action and rationale: Expected completion or implementation date Responsibility for action

Working with various branches and with the agency's Risk Intelligence Working Group, the CFIA will:

  1. scan existing performance indicators to assess gaps in FSRI outcomes and indicators; identify new indicators if needed
  2. align identified FSRI Performance Measurement (PM) with agency's Program Performance Framework (that is Performance Information Profiles (PIPs))
  3. update PIPs to include identified FSRI PMs (via formal PIP review process)
  4. establish reporting requirements (for example resources, responsible leads, data collection protocols) and seek endorsement from relevant leads to monitor and report on FSRI program outcomes
  5. complete first PIP reporting and data evaluation cycle (by responsible leads)
  6. determine effectiveness and continued alignment of FSRI performance measurement indicators with food safety outcomes, and make adjustments as necessary (for example as part of regular PIP maintenance)

The agency has a well-established performance measurement framework and reporting process, which is adequately supported by key stakeholders. This framework will be leveraged to monitor and report on progress of the FSRI program outcomes. In order to accomplish this, the FSRI performance indicators (new and existing) will be assessed and aligned to the existing food program PIPs, as necessary. This update and alignment work will be conducted as part of the newly launched agency level PIP review process, that will unfold over the next few years. The effectiveness of this reporting and adjustment approach will be evaluated after several reporting cycles have unfolded and it will be accomplished as part of the agency's regular PIP maintenance process. As such, the completion timelines reflect the evaluation and maintenance cycle.

The process/guideline developed as a part of FSRI Evaluation Recommendation 2 will be leveraged to establish monitoring and reporting linkages as well as to generate awareness about FSRI program outcomes and continuous improvement.

September 30, 2024

Lead:
Vice President
Policy and Programs Branch

Support:
Corporate Management Branch (Horizontal Enterprise Management and Integration (HEMI) (Performance Information Profiles review lead, reporting)

Operations Branch (reporting)

Science Branch (consultation, reporting)

Recommendation 5: The CFIA should clarify, document and communicate the processes to gather food safety risk information from external stakeholders, and share the information gathered with the Risk Intelligence Working Group in a timely manner.

Management response: CFIA management agrees with the recommendation
Action and rationale: Expected completion or implementation date Responsibility for action

The processes and approach developed for gathering, storing, analyzing and taking action on food safety risk intelligence as part of Recommendation 3 will be leveraged. As such risk information and intelligence gathered from external stakeholders will be included. Additionally, CFIA's Risk Intelligence Working Group (RIWG) will be leveraged to communicate risk information and intelligence gathered from external stakeholders. The Policy and Program Branch (PPB) uses an already established tool to clarify and document food safety risk information gathered from external stakeholders. This tool is referred to as: Stakeholder Engagement SharePoint Tool – CICI (Consult; Inform; Collaborate; Involve). Still, communication efforts will be enhanced through the following actions:

  1. ensure documents, owned by PPB and International Affairs Branch (IAB), capturing risk related information (for example. CICI, foreign mission reports, Port of Entry violation reports) from external national and international stakeholders are referenced as sources of information in the RIWG procedural documents
  2. include FSRI gathered via external industry and national and international stakeholders as a standing item on the RIWG agenda and ensure owners of such risk information and intelligence-IAB and PPB- are represented on the RIWG
  3. Science Branch will gather FSRI from academia and either incorporate it into risk intelligence products or bring it to the RIWG

June 30, 2022

Lead:
Vice President
Policy and Programs Branch

Support:
Science Branch
International Affairs Branch
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