Book 1, Tab B4 and B5 - Departmental Governance and Recent Organizational Changes

On this page

• Departmental Governance
• Departmental Executive Committee Structure
• Senior Departmental Committees
• Supporting Executive Management Committees
• The Governance Secretariat
• Recent organizational changes
• Continuous improvement as a priority
• Setting our course
• Structural changes

Departmental Governance

Departmental Executive Committee Structure

Senior Departmental Committees

The Departmental Management Committee (DMC) and the Departmental Policy Committee (DPC) are the Department’s two senior direction-setting and decision-making bodies, chaired by the Deputy Minister:

• Departmental Policy Committee (DPC)
  Provides strategic direction and serves as the key decision-making forum for major departmental policy issues. Meets biweekly.
• Departmental Management Committee (DMC)
  Provides strategic direction on resource allocation, financial planning and reporting, human resources, real property, IM/IT, programs and operations. Meets biweekly.

There are three additional Deputy Minister/Associate-chaired senior departmental committees:

• Legal Risk Management Committee (LRMC)
  Senior committee that provides strategic direction on legal issues facing the Department. Meets on an ad-hoc basis.
• Departmental Audit Committee (DAC)
  Provides the Deputy Minister with independent, objective advice and guidance on the adequacy of the Department’s risk management, control, governance processes and audit capacity. Meets on a quarterly basis.
• Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee (PMEC)
  Supports the deputy head in establishing and maintaining robust performance measurement and evaluation functions. Meets on an ad-hoc basis.

Supporting Executive Management Committees

Supporting these senior-level committees and encouraging early program-level discussions are four additional executive management committees:

• Policy Integration Committee (PIC)
  DG-level committee that supports the DPC by ensuring a streamlined, coordinated approach on policy issues and priorities across the Department, and provides advice and recommendations to advance the Department’s policy agenda. Meets biweekly.
• Programs and Operations Committee (POC)
  DG-level committee that supports the DMC on matters related to programs and operations in the department that are not covered under other committees or sectoral/regional management tables. Meets monthly.
• People and Culture Advisory Committee (PCAB)
  ADM-level committee that implements and monitors various workplace culture and people management policies and programs, and facilitates prudent management of departmental resources. Meets every six weeks.
• Financial and Investment Management Committee (FIMC)
  ADM-level committee that promotes sound stewardship of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard’s financial resources and to support financial decision-making. Meets monthly.

And one additional senior-level committee:

• National Digital Advisory Committee (NDAC)
  Provides a forum to discuss, challenge and recommend digitalization and IM/IT projects to the DMC for endorsement. Meets biweekly.

The Governance Secretariat

• DFO's Governance Secretariat provides varying levels of support to the department's committees.
• As part of the Deputy Minister’s Office, the Governance Secretariat serves as a bridge between executive committee Chairs and subject matter experts to facilitate meaningful, timely discussions and departmental decisions.
• This is achieved through strategic agenda planning, meeting logistics, distribution of materials, and development of records of decision.
• The Governance Secretariat strives for client service excellence by providing all the tools necessary for smooth and orderly operation of departmental committees.

Recent organizational changes

Continuous improvement as a priority

• Over the last few years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard have experienced significant growth both in scope and complexity, expanding policy, program and operational capacity.
• New regions have been created, new priorities have emerged and our workforce has increased by almost 50 per cent.
• On April 1, 2022, a suite of organizational changes were implemented across the organization largely focused on our enabling functions to:
• Increase departmental efficiency and effectiveness
• Ensure a people-focused approach to drive and create a culture of change to achieve results
• Ensure we have the tools to set ourselves up for success in a digitally and data-driven world
• These changes are aimed at creating a culture of continuous improvement that will benefit our employees, improve our relationships with external partners and stakeholders and support our ability to deliver results to Canadians.

Setting our course

Our business

Challenge: Our work environment is generally getting more complex; we are hearing from our managers that they experience too much red tape, duplication and other inefficiencies.
Goal: Continuous improvement and business innovation leads to significant, measurable changes in the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization and enhances employee experience.

Our people

Challenge: The Department has grown by 50 per cent since 2015/16 and the competition for talent is at an all time high; increased complexity in human resource management with the need for broader support of significant Government-wide priorities, such as Diversity and Inclusion, psychological and mental health, and safety, accessibility and barrier-free workplaces.
Goal: Developing a capable, confident and high-performing workforce who have the tools they need to maximize effectiveness and productivity.

Our technology

Challenge: Changes are at an unprecedented pace and DFO has fallen behind; demand for data is growing at an exponential rate.

Goal: The Department is positioned to fully participate in and benefit from a digitalized world and make data a strategic asset for the organization.

Structural changes

• Creation of a new Innovation and Business Transformation sector
• Work with sectors and regions to identify areas to improve efficiency and effectiveness and ensure that the best processes and systems are being put in place and implemented to reduce red tape and other barriers
• Create and implement change management strategies and plans
• Foster a culture of innovation in the Department to attract and retain a confident and high-performing workforce that embraces new ways of working and supports the Department’s evolving needs and priorities
• Creation of a new people and culture sector
• Rebranding HR to focus on our people and our culture
• Reshaping HR to support business innovation and ensure efficiency in hiring and retaining the right people to support our mandate
• An ADM-level Chief Digital Officer was also appointed in January 2022 to lead the consolidation of all information, data and digital management functions in this new sector
• This will better position the Department to advance its innovative digital transformation agenda, creating a platform from which to ensure the Department’s work is supported by forward-looking digital and data strategies setting us up to survive and thrive in a digital world