Industry Canada Business Plan 2009–2010

Message from the deputy ministers

The Industry Canada Business Plan 2009-2010 communicates the Department's corporate strategy and management's expectations for the coming fiscal year. This year's plan includes comprehensive information on the human resources side of planning efforts at Industry Canada.

The business plan outlines the links between Industry Canada's key strategies and outcomes and governmental priorities. Our work affects a diverse range of sectors, including the automotive and aerospace industries, telecommunications, shipbuilding, textiles, competition policy, intellectual property, consumer affairs, and small business.

During this unprecedented economic slowdown, the government's Budget 2009 — Canada's Economic Action Plan places our Department at the heart of the government's efforts to maintain the wealth of Canadians and a Canadian advantage.

By fulfilling our mandate to help Canadians become more productive in the knowledge-based economy, we are building an entrepreneurial advantage, a knowledge advantage and a people advantage.

These advantages are reached as the Department works to deliver its three key strategies:

• advancing the marketplace
• supporting business
• fostering the knowledge-based economy

For each key strategy, the 2009-2010 business plan sets out corresponding program activities, business objectives and expected results — providing a framework to achieve the Department's goals across the corporation.

For example, to advance the marketplace, Industry Canada is responding to Compete to Win, a Competition Policy Review Panel report reviewing Canada's competition and foreign investment policies. By doing so, we maintain our dedication to developing and administering economic frameworks that stimulate competition and innovation.

Our priorities remain aligned with Advantage Canada, the Government of Canada's long-term economic plan. We are committed to legislative frameworks, policy levers and partnerships with industry, and to the administration of programs that foster innovation and ultimately make Canadian industry more productive and competitive in the global economy.

In supporting business, Industry Canada needs to bring knowledge of business to government decision making. We need to maintain a balance between the immediate needs of industry sectors and the medium- to long-term objectives and desired outcomes of the Department and the government when making investment decisions.

We are working with Canadian companies in a variety of strategic ways: we are expanding support for manufacturing industries, providing further assistance for infrastructure, and working closely with small and medium-sized enterprises — all key drivers of economic growth.

In our efforts to foster the knowledge-based economy, Industry Canada has achieved tremendous success through the government's Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy — Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage. In the year to come, it will be important to reflect on measures of success for our S&T agenda and focus on results that are achievable with the resources available — transforming research and development into viable commercial products.

Industry Canada has developed a proactive and iterative approach to improve specific areas in management, ensuring that sound practices are established throughout the Department. Treasury Board Secretariat has recognized the Department for its strong management frameworks for information technology, financial control, security and business continuity. Over the last year, efforts have been focused on strengthening frameworks for performance measurement and reporting, risk management, information management, asset management, and project management.

At a time of intense international competition for knowledge workers, government support is helping attract the world's best and brightest to Canadian institutions. We need to recruit and retain the best possible talent; provide them with the required tools to do their work; and assign clear, appropriate accountabilities for the results set out in this report. Industry Canada's People Management Strategy for Renewal and Results, tailored to the Department's business needs, addresses the priorities of public service renewal.

Canadians are looking to their government to help them meet the challenges ahead. The Department relies on the people who work at Industry Canada to meet these challenges — and we are confident that, through their professionalism, dedication and hard work, we are equal to the task ahead.