Stakeholder Consultation and Risk Communication in Canada

1
Stakeholder Consultation and Risk Communication
in Canada

• Michael WoodNational Manager, Horticulture
  SectionPlant Health DivisionCanadian Food
  Inspection Agency

2
Stakeholder Consultation and Risk Communication

• Why consult?
• Stakeholders
• How are they identified?
• Who are they?
• Engagement How do we engage them, what tools do
  we use?

3
Stakeholder Consultation and Risk Management

• Decision Making- Who has the final say?
• Follow-Up- How do we ensure ongoing
  communication?
• Other Challenges
• Final Point

4
Why?

• Stakeholders bring a diversity of opinions,
  expertise and viewpoints
• Stakeholders know the most about the affected
  industry, environment or commodity
• Impossible for government to fully understand all
  facets and impacts of policy
• Ultimately stakeholders often bear the brunt of
  Canadian policy

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Why?

• Ensures that the view of all parties is taken
  into consideration when making decisions
• If all the information is shared, government and
  stakeholders will often reach the same
  conclusions
• Harmonization internationally
• Development of a better final product.

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Who are the Stakeholders? Identify stakeholders
cast a broad net

• National, provincial and local industry
  associations
• Other National Plant Protection Organizations
• Aboriginal groups
• - Provinces
• - Researchers
• - Environmental groups

• - Rate-payer associations
• - Cities/municipalities
• Other government agencies
• Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
• - Canadian Forest Service
• - Environment Canada
• Industry Canada
• International Trade Canada

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How Are They Identified

• The Usual Suspects
• such as the Canadian Nursery Landscape
  Association, Flowers Canada, Canadian Seed
  Growers, Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation
  Board
• Self-Identifiers
• Seek-out issue specific groups.
• better to take time at the start rather than
  repeat the consultation process or part of the
  process near the end of the development phase.

8
How do we engage them? Communication Tools

• Active and Passive Tools for Engagement
• Passive
• Websites
• Posters
• Flyers
• Pamphlets
• List servers
• Draft policy documents

9
How do we engage them?

• Interactive
• Conference calls
• Face-to-Face Meetings
• Polls
• Task Forces
• Working Groups

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Policy Directives

• Circulate documents by e-mail to a standing list
  of stakeholders/list-serve subscribers
• Ask these stakeholders to distribute further
• Post on internet for general public
• Notify frequent contributors in policy
  contribution via heads-up conference calls.

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Policy Directives

• Search out stakeholders who may have a specific
  interest in a file but whom may not be included
  in list of frequent contacts
• Varying time frames for feedback is dependant on
  
• The urgency of the policy changes
• The amount of previous communication
• Impact of policy change.

12
Working Groups

• Working Groups are led by CFIA
• Used for smaller, less complicated files
• Swede Midge, Contarinia nasturtii
• Much of the information collected through
  personal communication
• Weekly or twice weekly calls with stakeholders in
  early stages
• On-going dialogue through-out the process

13
Task Forces

• Task Forces are chaired by non-CFIA
• Could be a researcher, an industry
  representative, or a provincial or federal
  colleague (CFS, AAFC, BCMAFF, etc.)
• Often composed of specific components of the
  policy decision process (regulations, biology of
  pest, surveillance, etc.) targets expertise

14
Task Forces

• Engages all stakeholders in decision making
  process
• Shares responsibility for decision making among
  stakeholders
• Helps to avoid making policy decisions based on
  unbalanced input from vocal, or powerful
  stakeholders

15
Task Forces

• Forum to hear opinions and comments from
  stakeholders
• Provides recommendations to CFIA on best course
  of action.
• Used for larger, more complicated and politically
  hot issues
• Plum Pox Virus
• Phytophthora ramorum (SOD)

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Decision Making- Who has the final say?

• CFIA, as the agency responsible, must make the
  final decision
• Task Force may make recommendations that CFIA
  must refuse or modify
• CFIA tries to take into consideration all
  viewpoints when making decisions.
• CFIA Mandate

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Other Challenges

• Who represents the common citizen?
• CFIA is made up of common citizens
• Stakeholders often are the common citizens
• NGOs often add balance to discussions
• Government must try to balance the good for all
  with the harm caused to one person or one
  industry sector
• Very difficult balancing act.

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Other Challenges

• Which values are worth more?
• Economic
• Sometimes difficult to give all stakeholders the
  opportunity to contribute.

• Environmental

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Other Challenges

• Must not only give parties opportunity to
  contribute, but ensure that their contribution
  was valued and integrated into the policy where
  possible.
• It may be that if no party is completely
  satisfied with a particular decision, you have
  done your job correctly.

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Final Point

• Consultation takes more time and more effort and
  it is often more stressful
• BUT IT ALWAYS PRODUCES A BETTER PRODUCT!