The KIP Implementation Story

In 2009, against a backdrop of an unprecedented, worldwide economic downturn that was affecting the Canadian economy, the Government of Canada launched its Economic Action Plan (EAP), a comprehensive $12 billion investment in infrastructure, to provide a critical boost that could accelerate Canada’s economic recovery.

Industry Canada took on the responsibility to design and implement an element of that plan - The Knowledge Infrastructure Program - that would invest $2 billion in key repair, maintenance and construction projects at universities and colleges across the country.

The challenge presented was significant: deliver a large infrastructure program quickly, effectively, fairly and transparently within two fiscal years.

With the bar set high, departmental officials responded to the challenge by launching KIP on March 9, 2009, and set the due date for proposals a mere three weeks later. Universities and colleges across Canada proved they were more than up to the task, submitting 944 quality proposals. The demand from the institutions was significant. While the budget for KIP was $2 billion, the proposals submitted were seeking more than $5 billion in federal support towards projects costing $12 billion. Clearly tough choices had to be made, and made quickly.

Proposals were assessed according to their ability to quickly and effectively generate economic activity/job creation as well as meet the criteria of the program in terms of longer-term benefits.

The federal government worked closely with provincial and territorial governments to confirm their financial support for projects, and to identify their funding priorities. Their lists of priorities were absolutely crucial in order to finalize funding decisions.

The review and selection of projects was unprecedented in its scope and speed. As noted by the Office of the Auditor General in its Fall 2010 report, “the total time (Industry Canada) needed to design, review, and approve programs was reduced from the approximately six months normally required to two months,” and was an “example of speedy implementation” (Chapter 1, section 1.26 of Auditor General of Canada’s Fall 2010 report).

By June 2009, just three months after the program was launched, KIP funding of nearly $1.8 billion (90% of the program budget) had been announced for projects covering every province across Canada. By October the entire $2 billion fund had been allocated toward 536 projects.

In addition to the positive comments from Canada’s Auditor General, KIP was also lauded by Globe and Mail columnist Jeffery Simpson who said “…it was said no government department could adequately handle the $2-billion being spent on university infrastructure. In fact, the Industry Department did it expeditiously.”

The accomplishment of rolling out and implementing KIP so quickly was an achievement made possible not only by the federal government but also by the work done in partnership with provinces and territories, and the colleges and universities that participated in the process. KIP stands out as a tremendous example of what can be done when all parties work towards a common goal.

With the program successfully deployed, KIP officials’ focus quickly shifted to carefully tracking and monitoring projects to ensure the work was being executed as planned. Again, this was a collaborative effort that required a strong, ongoing dialogue among all KIP players.

The timely reporting by institutions and provinces/territories allowed Industry Canada to assess whether projects were progressing on schedule and to take corrective action if projects were falling behind schedule.

Given the lingering economic malaise that was affecting most of the globe, in December 2010, Prime Minister Harper announced that the government had “extended the deadline for completion of Economic Action Plan infrastructure projects by one full construction season, to October 31, 2011”.

While the majority of infrastructure projects were completed within the original two-year deadline (March 31, 2011) a significant number of institutions opted for the extension.

The one-time extension allowed sufficient time for virtually all the remaining projects to be completed, at no additional cost to the federal government.

The investments made under KIP continued to create jobs for Canadians while improving infrastructure at campuses across the country.

The Government of Canada’s support not only made a difference in the short term but has set the foundation for future prosperity in a knowledge economy.

The Knowledge Infrastructure Program is helping maintain Canada’s Science and Technology (S&T) advantages as set out in Canada’s S&T strategy. The government continues to work toward ensuring that Canada attracts and retains premier talent, supports research excellence, brings discoveries and innovation to the marketplace, and develops world-class S&T infrastructure.