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Home / Corporate Reporting / DPR – 2004-2005 – Index / DPR – 2004-2005 – Section 2-2

DPR – 2004-2005 – Section 2-2

2004-2005 - NRTEE Departmental Performance Report Previous - Table of Content - Next

2.2 Performance Evaluation at NRTEE

In the DPR 2003-2004, we reported that the NRTEE had introduced an evaluation function that used a case study approach to evaluate recently concluded programs. In 2004-2005, we conducted formal evaluations of two completed programs: Cleaning up the Past: Building the Future. A National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy for Canada (Brownfield Redevelopment Initiative), and Securing Canada's Natural Capital: A Vision for Nature Conservation in the 21st Century (the Nature program). The actual findings of the evaluations were made available in 2004-2005, although they reflected NRTEE efforts that had ended an active phase in 2003. The NRTEE has now extrapolated from the specific program-related evaluation findings to the overall approach and functioning of the agency. Executive Summaries of the evaluations may be found on the NRTEE website at http://www.nrt-trn.ca/eng/overview/corporate-management-reporting_e.htm. Having learned from the experience of several formal evaluations, the NRTEE now realizes that the approach applied to date, while useful and informative, has certain limitations. The following limitations will therefore be addressed in the future.
  • Although the NRTEE is a unique organization in terms of its goals and approach, its outcomes are typically "soft" and difficult to quantify and assess. This makes benchmarking very difficult.
  • Stakeholders are not always clear about what the NRTEE can reasonably be expected to do. This lack of clarity can at times cloud their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the Round Table.
  • It is a challenge to conduct successful sampling for case study evaluations. The timing of evaluations relative to the period of program activity requires further attention.
The NRTEE is committed to an ongoing evaluation function and will review different approaches to meet the challenges.