Management Response and Action Plan—Interim Evaluation of the Southern Ontario Prosperity Program

December 15, 2017

Management Response and Action Plan—Interim Evaluation of the Southern Ontario Prosperity Program
Recommendation Management Response and Action Plan
State "Agreed"/ "Disagreed" and describe course of action
Management Accountability
Identify responsible Office/Executive
Action Completion Date
1. Develop a formal plan for addressing the issues related to the five-year funding profile.

Agreed:

FedDev Ontario will continue to develop a strengthened policy and business case for longer-term funding prior to March 31, 2019 (the end of its current five-year funding cycle) based on the strong results it has achieved for southern Ontario. The policy and business case will be aligned with the government's Innovation and Skills Plan (ISP) priorities and the Investing in Regional Innovation and Development (IRID) framework.

VP, PPPM and VP, BICD March 31, 2019
2. Maintain the same fundamental program structure for the next mandate, while exploring opportunities to refine and consolidate programs to address the current challenges and needs of the region.

Agreed:

For the next mandate, FedDev Ontario will bring forward possible amendments to its programs that will be informed by its experience, feedback from stakeholders and policy direction that aligns with the Government of Canada's broader agenda including the Innovation and Skills Plan, the Investing in Regional Innovation and Development Framework and the Innovation Review.

VPs, BICD and PPPM By March 31, 2019
3. Offer potential applicants a single point of entry and regularly update publicly available information related to funding availability and timelines.

Agreed:

FedDev Ontario will review its current website to ensure it continues to meet the needs of its clients.

DG, Communications
Vice President, BICD
November 2018
In addition to the availability of information on its website, FedDev Ontario anticipates that the establishment of a client portal through the Grants and Contribution Program Management (GCPM) system, currently under development, will improve communication and networking between FedDev Ontario and its applicants in the longer term. Vice President, BICD
Chief Financial Officer, CSB
December 2019
4. Support the continued development of project officers.

Agreed:

FedDev Ontario will continue to strengthen its support to officers in developing their skills and competencies through the implementation of the Professional Practice strategy:

  • Business, Innovation and Community Development (BICD)'s Professional Practice strategy to move from pilot to full implementation. Continue to leverage opportunities through Learning Champion and events, the Accelerated Growth Service, as well as with other enagement opportunities (e.g., conferences, industry roundtables, etc).
DG, HR and VP, BICD Ongoing
5. The project reporting system should be reviewed and revised, both in terms of reporting process and the indicators on which proponents report.

Agreed:

FedDev Ontario committed to the development of a common base grant and contribution management solution in 2016 with the five other regional development agencies. This solution will provide a client-centric, single data entry tool to assess, administer, and monitor projects. The base solution is scheduled to be implemented in 2019–20. In addition, business intelligence software will need to be procured to facilitate reporting from the solution.

Vice President, BICD
Chief Financial Officer, CSB
December 2019 (Full deployment of new solution)
The Agency will review the indicators to ensure they align with the Innovation and Skills Plan, the Investing in Regional Innovation and Development Framework and the Departmental Results Framework. VP, BICD, Chief Financial Officer, CSB and VP, PPPM Ongoing