The case of the Industry Portfolio Science and Technology 

The Canadian federal government’s science and technology (S&T) community is facing much pressure to give taxpayers more information about how well their programs are doing. Moreover, this pressure comes from various groups. Some key groups are the Canadian Parliament, the Auditor General, the Treasury Board, and other government departments. These groups all have their ideas about how to measure program success. 

Moreover, the people in charge of checking the programs are experts in this area. In this article, we will talk about the S&T initiative that the Minister of Industry runs. We will also explain what it does, how it works, and some of the problems it has faced.

Initiatives

The S&T initiatives of the Industry Portfolio are a group of 13 that answer to the Industry Minister. It aims to promote the growth of the S&T industry in Canada. Also, the IPST seeks to drive the development of new products. In turn, these new products can make society a better place. They can also give the economy a big boost. 

Furthermore, this project raised the number of crucial member bodies involved in S&T. It also agreed on using a single approach to measure progress. Given the number, diverse nature, and varying assessment capacities of the bodies, this is a great success. The breadth of duties under the Industry Portfolio includes:

• Maintaining a research institution for communication and facilities for a science lab.
• Also, giving research funds in the domains of nature, society, and engineering.
• Supporting industrial and regional growth.
• Establishing and enforcing marketplace norms.

The performance framework in the Industry Portfolio

This framework measures the potency of the IPST and ensures that it meets its goals. It may include a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that are used to track the progress and success of the IPST. 

These KPIs may consist of metrics such as the number of new products developed, the number of jobs created, and the economic impact of the IPST. Each of the four categories that classify the Portfolio S&T initiatives has its performance structure. They are as follows:

• Innovation with firms,
• Advancement of knowledge,
• Innovation Systems Support,
• and lastly, management.

The goals of the government’s S&T plan closely match this. Also, the government will improve how this project works in response to ideas from senior leaders. It will also serve as the basis for finding issues at the portfolio level.

Early challenges

The members of the smaller committee are very diverse. They also have very different levels of ability and experience. It is no surprise since they come from various regions and cultures. Though it is yet to, the diverse nature of things can lead to future problems.

Organizational framework

A group of deputy heads of all bodies within the Industry portfolio manages policy and program issues. Moreover, they focus on those that affect the whole portfolio. S&T is just one of the things that caught the interest of this group. However, it is the main focus of the management committee. 

This group, led by the vice president of the National Research Council of Canada, includes senior representatives from all portfolio members. Also, they proposed the creation of a smaller committee to focus on stating how the portfolio can keep track of and report its progress.

Context

Government projects may be complex, but they are also an excellent way to shed more light on what works well and does not. As a result, it is essential to make changes to make the best of S&T. There are constant efforts to improve this. All in all, this article has explained the process of evaluating S&T in the Canadian federal government.