From Strategy to Results

Case Study on Integrated Planning from Ontario Ministry of the Environment

Operations Division

National Environmental Partnership SummitNatasha BartlettMay 20th, 2008

1

• About Us

• What Did We Do?

• How Does It Work?

• What are We Achieving?

• What are We Learning?

2

Overview

About Us

• Operations Division is the delivery arm:– Delivers programs to protect air quality and

water quality/quantity; manage the disposal of wastes; and control pesticides use

– Ensures compliance with environmental laws and initiates legal action against polluters

– Administers approvals, environmental assessments, and licensing programs

• Provides front-line program delivery to the public, other levels of government, businesses & industries across the province

• Approx 1000 staff across a province-wide network of branch, region & district offices

3

The Ministry of the Environment works with all Ontarians and engages partnerships with businesses and governments to restore and protect the

environment, prevent pollution, and enhance public health and economic vitality.

Context in Ontario

Approximately 300 000 Regulated Entities Growing at 2 to 3% annually

7 pieces of legislation governing actions of the regulated entities and growing

Current compliance capacity allows for approx.4-5000 planned district & sector inspections annually

Ministry receives approximately 6000 submissionsfor environmental approvals annually

Ministry has capacity to process a fraction of theseapplications resulting in excessive wait times

4

Tomorrow’s Environmental Stewardship and Protection

Enhanced Compliance

Enhanced Behaviour

Enhanced Public Trust

Increased focus on impact & performance based inspections, approvals & enforcement

Responsive/flexible legislation/regulations

Enhanced clarity & understanding of rules & responsibilities (education & outreach)

Greater overall coverage of regulated community

Increased movement toward place-based compliance approaches

Areas of

Focus

Outcomes Enhanced use of incentives to reduce emissions & streamline oversight

Improved emitter accountability (self reporting/declaration)

Greater percentage of the regulated community making environmental sustainable decisions

Increased number and scope of partnerships with regulated community

Greater adoption of green technology

Greater understanding of ministry initiatives by the public

Enhanced public access to environmental performance information

Greater community involvement in environmental decision-making

Ontario positioned as a leader in Environmental Protection and Stewardship

5

Need for A New Approach External Drivers

• Growth of regulated community (2-3% per year)

• Heightened public & political expectations

• Increased public demand for accountability and transparency regarding government decisions • Complexity & impact of environmental challenges

Internal Drivers

• Limited capacity to meet growing mandate and deliver day-to-day business

• Greater collaboration with partners to develop new programs

• Need for clear direction on where to focus efforts

• Opportunity to build on past successes with project management

What Did We Do?• Strengthen role of executive committee as “board of directors” for

decision-making around priorities & resources

• Establish an integrated planning and reporting system to:– Establish clear priorities that balance government commitments and core

environmental protection outcomes

– Align efforts and resources with priorities

– Provide collaborative decision-making to proactively address opportunities & respond to emerging challenges

– Strengthen communication of goals & achievements – everyone sees themselves and how their work contributes

• Adopt a project management approach to deliver on priorities

• Create a dedicated unit to sustain this new approach

7

Build Framework to Translate Strategies into Results

8

Ministry of Environment Strategic Direction

Operations Division Priority Setting

Program Development

External Drivers

Results Delivered

Internal Drivers

Mo

nit

ori

ng

& R

epo

rtin

g

Program Management

Program Delivery and Compliance

Local Work Plans – planned activities across all functions

Tw

o-w

ay in

form

atio

n f

low

Business Management

Outcomes across All Core Divisional Functions

· Legislative Requirements· Program and Compliance Analysis · Investigations Intelligence

· Stakeholder expectations· Public Audits · Emerging issues & trends· Jurisdictional Scans

Identify Annual Planning Cycle• Assess – Identify emerging internal &

external factors/long-term trends that may impact our priorities and business delivery

• Strategize – Define priorities & associated measures of success

• Plan – Create action plans and targets at the program, region/branch & local levels; translate into individual commitments

• Implement – Undertake specific actions & projects to meet targets

• Report – Periodically report on progress in meeting targets

• Evaluate – Review successes, issues & risks in meeting targets; ID adjustments

9

Monitor, assess & report on Program performance and Implement improvements

Administer environmental assessments and issue approvals and permits

Conduct compliance, abatement, and enforcement activities

Protect Ontario’s environment by ensuring programs, guidelines & operational policies are developed based on the latest trends, current science & available technology

Timely, accurate identification of trends & gaps to determine the quality, relevance & effectiveness of programs; proactive anticipation of vulnerabilities & opportunities to identify improvements

Ensure risks to the environment and human health associated with municipal, industrial and commercial activities are minimized

Verification that environmental rules are being implemented and facilities are operating in a manner that doesn’t cause risk to the environment; effective deterrents for non-compliant behaviour

10

Define What Business We’re InWhat do we do? What are we trying to achieve?

Develop program regulations, operational policies and guidelines

Establish Priorities Strategic Alignment

(e.g. Premier/Minister Commitments, Regulatory Requirements, External Audit Recommendations, Partnership Commitment)

Pro

ject

A

Pro

ject

B

Pro

ject

C

High

Low

Benefit

(e.g. Benefits to Environment, Public Health, Organizational Effectiveness; Public Engagement; Breadth of impact)

Pro

ject

A

Pro

ject

B

Pro

ject

C

High

Low

Feasibility

(e.g. Resource capacity, Schedule, Funding Availability,IT/IM Complexity, Precedent)

Pro

ject

A

Pro

ject

B

Pro

ject

C

High

Low

Pro

ject

A

Pro

ject

B

Pro

ject

C

High

Low

11

Map Priorities to Work

12

Str

ateg

y / A

ppro

ach

Strategy: coordinate and communicate the implementation of sediment clean-up activities

Region A – provide technical support to guide clean-up activities

Region B – manage environmental clean-up contracts

Branch A – consultation with First Nations in impacted areas

Strategy: collaborate with Policy Division to develop policy framework and supporting regulations

Region C – stakeholder liaison and support to legislative development

Region D – stakeholder liaison and support to legislative development

Branch A – consultation with First Nations in impacted areas

Strategy: lead development of program IT infrastructure and provide timely expert input into regulation development

Region A – develop operational procedures

Region C – Provide technical input into the development of a risk based submission assessment process

Branch B – develop approvals criteria and processes to support submissions

Ou t

com

es

Obj

ecti v

es Provision of technical and complianceexpertise to support the creation of the

Act and resultant regulations

-De-listing of identified areas of concern

Provision of technical and complianceexpertise to support the creation of

regulations associated program

Di v

i sio

n al

Pri

ori ti

es

Priorities in Support of Government/Ministry Commitments

Great Lakes Areas of Concern Contaminated Sediment Clean- UpLake Simcoe Protection Act Brownfields Regulation and Program

Development

/ M

ini s

try

Co

mm

i t men

ts

Protection of Lake Simcoe Cleaning up Ontario’sGreat Lakes

Remediation and redevelopment ofOntario’s contaminated sites

4 PYs 8 PYs 3 PYs

Right Projects

• Project requirements scoped and prioritized

• Project teams assigned based on priority, skills, expertise & availability

Done Right • Use of standard project management tools to strengthen collaboration & decision-making

• Clear guidelines on roles & responsibilities

Results Achieved • Consistent & timely reporting on project status

• Achievements and lessons learned monitored and communicated across division

Establish Projects to Deliver on Priorities

13

14

Define Compliance Targets In Line With Priorities and Risks

Compliance Direction

Local Considerations

Past Performance

FacilityRisk

Ranking

Planned Inspections

Compliance Promotion

?Vulnerabilities

Commitments

Risks

Analysis Strategy Planning Delivery

Known High Risk

Emerging or Unknown

Good Performers

Use Results to Drive Decisions

Emerging Environmental

Trends

Emerging Environmental

Trends

GovernmentPriorities

GovernmentPriorities

Program LevelAnalysis

Program LevelAnalysis

DivisionalPrioritiesDivisionalPriorities

Risk/PerformanceBased Planning

Risk/PerformanceBased Planning

Compliance Planning

Compliance Planning

ProgramDevelopment

Planning

ProgramDevelopment

Planning

- Inspection Activities- Compliance Promotion Activities- Program Development Activities

- Inspection Activities- Compliance Promotion Activities- Program Development Activities

Compliance RatesFacility PerformanceCompliance Rates

Facility Performance

Program DevelopmentAchievements

Program DevelopmentAchievements

Reporting

Reporting

Better Organizational Alignment & Capacity

Driving Behaviour

15

What Are We Achieving?• A common set of priorities that clearly link to government

objectives and our environmental outcomes• Everyone can see how their work connects to outcomes• Better understanding of workload across the organization • Ability to bring the right people together at the right time • Greater flexibility to make shifts, manage issues and adapt to

change as it occurs • Stronger collaboration with partners on critical priorities• Ability to document and communicate achievements and

progress throughout the year

16

Critical Success Factors• Strong leadership commitment throughout the planning cycle• Collaborative decision-making and front-end involvement by staff creates real

“ownership” in the process• “Big picture” focus allows us to set targets and track progress over multiple years• Clear prioritization criteria and process guides direction-setting• Regular status reporting focuses on critical decisions, issues and changes as they

emerge• Built flexibility for adjustments into the annual cycle to be responsive to emerging

needs and trends• Analysis of results better informs priority-setting for next year• Ongoing communications and engagement

17

What’s Next?

• Build organization’s performance measurement maturity

• Adoption of automated system for project planning and reporting

• Better integration of all internal reporting systems

18