WD's Business Goals

WD has a broad economic development and diversification mandate that derives from the Western Economic Diversification Act (1988). The strategic outcomes for the department, as identified in its Program Activity Architecture and reported in the 2008–2009 Report on Plans and Priorities are:

1. Entrepreneurship and Innovation (a competitive and expanded business sector in Western Canada and a strengthened western Canadian innovation system);
2. Community Economic Development (economically viable communities in Western Canada with a high quality of life); and
3. Policy, Advocacy and Coordination (policies and programs that support the development of Western Canada).

During 2006–2007, WD undertook a visioning exercise that involved extensive community and stakeholder consultations. The exercise was aimed at reducing and focusing the lines of business that WD undertakes and, by extension, identifying those that are no longer a priority for short and medium-term planning purposes. As a result of this process, WD has moved away from social economic programming to a focus on the economic and industrial aspects of its mandate and not on socio-economic programming.

This focus has implications for Human Resources planning: broadly speaking we have a small number of core business goals that all employees need to understand. The change for WD from visioning has been fairly substantial. It may therefore impact our recruiting priorities and influence individual and group learning – particularly for staff who may have backgrounds and experience more closely associated with pre-visioning business lines.

For 2008–2009, and as described in more detail in WD’s Corporate Business Plan and the department’s 2008–2009 Report on Plans and Priorities, WD has identified five priorities, including four program priorities and one management priority. These are specific areas WD has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. The four program priorities are:

1. Technology Commercialization – In order to facilitate the translation of knowledge and technology into commercial opportunities, WD will make strategic investments in technology commercialization and adoption projects leading to an increase in the number of technologies developed in research institutions that have commercialization potential, and an increase in technologies adopted by existing firms.
   
2. Trade and Investment – WD recognizes that the region’s interests are best served as part of a coordinated national trade agenda, with many trade and investment partners working together on improving international competitiveness and strengthening trade and economic corridors of importance to the West. WD will focus its efforts on enhancing SME participation in international business development; enhancing investment attraction and branding; and enhancing trade corridors between the US, Asia–Pacific and Western Canada.
   
3. Business Productivity and Competitiveness – To support the growth and competitiveness of western Canadian small business, WD will focus on:
   • Improving access to risk capital and business services to SMEs through programs and services offered in conjunction with other business services organizations and associations, in order to improve general availability, and the coordination and collaboration on investments and service delivery.
   • Working with western Canadian business, industry and research organizations to undertake systemic initiatives to enhance business productivity and competitiveness. Activities supported by WD in this area may include promoting awareness and adoption of new management and business practices (i.e. lean manufacturing), access to supply chains, creation of business networks and access to skilled labour.
   
   
4. Rural Diversification – WD will promote rural diversification by supporting projects that will increase the capacity in rural communities to undertake applied R&D and value-added processing and encourage new opportunities for skilled employment. In addition, the department will undertake research to identify opportunities to further diversify the rural western Canadian economy.

The fifth priority is management excellence and commits WD to strive towards a level of excellence in the management of resources at its disposal in pursuing its strategic outcomes. The department has a Change Management Plan in place that is designed to provide context, direction and the basis to evaluate WD’s key change initiatives. The plan engages staff at all levels across the department in change initiatives. WD's management excellence agenda is based on the Change Management Plan as well as the federal government's Management Accountability Framework. It includes action on all ten elements of the MAF: Public Service Values; Governance and Strategic Directions; Policy and Programs; Results and Performance; Learning, Innovation and Change Management; Risk Management; People; Stewardship; Citizen-focused Service; and Accountability. Within this overall framework, WD selects management priorities using a risk-based approach. WD's Executive Committee approved a comprehensive Corporate Risk Profile in December 2006. The following elements of WD’s fifth priority, Management Excellence, flow from the CRP and comprise a key part of WD's strategy to mitigate these risks:

5. Management Excellence – during this fiscal year, WD will focus on:

• Implementation of the Government of Canada's Management Results Reporting Structure (MRRS) to improve performance planning, measurement and reporting.
• Strengthening Internal Audit and Evaluation.
• Strengthening accountability, transparency and performance reporting for members of the Western Canada Business Service Network (WCBSN) and improved coordination among WCBSN members and other economic development organizations.
• Public Service Renewal to sustain the necessary complement of qualified, motivated and knowledgeable staff.
• Reviewing, updating and more fully integrating risk-based decision making into all elements of management.

Note:  WD's 2008–2009 budget allocation exercise has confirmed the priority being given by the department to Trade and Investment, Procurement, and MRRS. During the coming year steps will be taken to establish business units and assign human resources to these two important activities.