Industry Governance Review: The Road to Recommendations

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Industry Governance ReviewThe Road to
Recommendations

• February 12, 2008
• Doris Ludlage and Freda Molenkamp-Oudman

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What is the Industry Governance Review?

• Began as the review of the Marketing of
  Agricultural Products Act (last reviewed in 1987)
• The agricultural industry is a complex system
• Solutions are found collectively in policy,
  legislation, cultural shifts, clarity of roles,
  organizational structures, processes, and
  leadership

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Outcomes of the Industry Governance Review

• Increase meaningful dialogue, coordination and
  integration of efforts between industry, Boards
  and Commissions, other organizations, government
  and other stakeholders
• Co-create Recommendations for an enabling
  legislative and regulatory framework, and for
  effective governance practices and policies
• Translate Recommendations into clear strategies
  with concrete action plans
• Enable industry and governments ability to
  think, manage and act strategicallytogether

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Overview of Process

• March 2, 2006
• Kick off Meeting
• Introduced as MAPA Review
• November 16, 2006
• Broad Industry Workshop
• Minister introduced it as the Industry Governance
  Review
• January June, 2007
• Consultations with 20 Agricultural Boards and
  Commissions
• Consultations with 21 industry organizations
• May 2007
• Study tour of Manitoba-based and national
  industry organizations

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Overview of Process

• July/August, 2007
• Summer Regional Meetings (clarify and confirm)
• Cross-commodity discussions (shared learnings and
  solutions)
• Evaluated governance practices and models from
  other jurisdictions and industries
• October 2007
• Study tour of Ontario, Quebec and national
  industry organizations
• November 23, 2007
• Industry Working Session with agricultural
  leaders
• Creating solutions and directing the pace of
  implementation
• December 2007 March 2008
• Co-create Recommendations for Ministers
  consideration and approval

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Overview of Process

• April May, 2008
• Finalize Recommendations
• Effective Governance Practices and Policies
• Enabling Regulatory Framework
• May 2008 April 2009
• Draft, consult and finalize required regulatory
  and/or legislative changes
• May 2008 ongoing
• Implement effective governance practices and
  policies in partnership with stakeholders

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What made this process effective?

• Respect and attitude
• No pre-determined solutions
• Industry-driven
• Active and meaningful engagement

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What made this process effective?

• Engaged non-traditional participants
• silent majority
• Youth
• Other value-chain players
• Other jurisdictions and industries
• Facilitated cross-commodity discussions
• Engaged industry on their turf

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What made this process effective?

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Variety of mediums
• Frequent and regular
• Consistent limited key messages
• Welcome diverse opinions
• Building trust
• Co-create ideas, solutions, implementation
  strategies, etc

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What made this process effective?

• Involved Councils producer members
• Utilized AF staff throughout the process
• Forward-looking solutions-focused
• Continually confirmed/verified messages and
  learnings

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Personal Perspectives

• Transition from defensive status quo to exploring
  new solutions
• Meaningful engagement robust solutions
• Fearless self-evaluation drives us to
  continuously improve
• Building trust enables us to overcome
  long-standing issues

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Key Learnings -Boards and Commissions

• Depth and breadth of leadership
• Disillusionment fosters disengagement
• Limited vision and implementation strategies
• Reactive vs. proactive
• Commodity-focused
• Competing priorities
• Confused roles and responsibilities
• Duplication and inefficiencies

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Key Learnings Marketing Council

• Responsibility to lead and model the way
• Timely responses required
• Mentor and encourage
• Fishing pole vs. fish
• Lead by example effective governance practices,
  models, policies, processes, attitudes
• Engage cross- industry dialogue
• Co-create solutions

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Key Learnings Government

• Industry and government visions need to be
  aligned and shared
• Enable and support industry
• Important role to play but this role is evolving
• Pre-determined solutions dont work
• Respect and trust all players in the industry
• Less telling more listening
• Courage to do the right thing

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Solutions for Moving Forward

• Co-create visions for agricultural industry
• Meaningful and respectful engagement between
  industry and government
• Agree on roles and responsibilities
• Enabling legislation and SMART regulations
• Skill development and mentoring
• Utilize results from producer survey
• Be accountable
• Support agriculture as a business

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1. Co-create visions for agricultural industry

• Build synergies between the skills and resources
  that both industry and government bring
• Identify measures that both industry and
  government can contribute to

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2. Meaningful and respectful engagement
between industry and government

• Listening
• Meaningful Engagement
• Regular forums to identify and discuss key issues
• Utilize input and engagement in decision-making
  processes

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3. Agree on roles and responsibilities

• Identify key players and their areas of focus
• Clarify perceptions and expectations about
  roles/responsibilities
• Identify skill sets/mandates/abilities required
  for roles/responsibilities
• Agree and implement

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4. Enabling legislation and SMART regulations

• Allow those who want to run today run and those
  who would rather walk, walkand DONT penalize
  the walkersthe runners will be rewarded for
  their ability to run
• Flexibility
• one size does not fit all
• Differing industry size and maturity
• Enabling legislative/regulatory framework that
  encourages self-regulation where appropriate
• we are competent people and need to be trusted
  to make the right decisions provide us with the
  framework in which we can operate and we will
  sort the rest out

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5. Skill Development and Mentoring

• Learning Opportunities
• Effective board governance practices
• Policy development
• Strategic planning
• Leadership (age 6)
• Effective communication
• Industry Engagement
• A needs assessment (producer survey)

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6. Utilize results from producer survey

• Understand producers needs and expectations
• Practice change, vision shift, attitude
  adjustment
• Adjust programs and services to meet the
  identified needs
• Establish benchmark for on-going improvements and
  alignment with industrys needs

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7. Accountability

• Agree who is accountable, to whom and how impact
  will be measured
• Results-oriented vs. activity-based
• Opportunity for 360 Feedback

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8. Support agriculture as a business

• Policy Review
• Taxes
• Benefits/Incentives/Programs
• New entrants, succession planning
• Practices
• Definitions
• Planning (business, risk, financial, succession)
• Language/Communication
• Public perception
• Farming is a profession
• Paradigm shift from farmer to agri-business owner

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Next Steps

• Industry Governance Review Recommendations
• Industry feedback
• Council approval
• Minister approval of regulatory framework
• Minister endorsement of effective governance
  practices and policies
• Cabinet Policy Committee
• 2-pronged Implementation
• Enabling regulatory framework
• Effective governance practices and policies

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Questions

• http//www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/department/deptdocs.n
  sf/all/apmc11475