CFIA’s Transformation Agenda
Fisheries Council of Canada
Neil Bouwer, Senior VP Agency Transformation
October 8, 2014
RDIMS#: 5940066
© 2007 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada
(Canadian Food Inspection Agency), all rights reserved. Use without permission is prohibited.
Case for Change
• Globalization and industry consolidation
• Shifting consumer landscape – aging population and
•
•
•
•
•
increasing expectations
Evolving production and processing technologies
Emerging pathogens and diseases
Increased knowledge of risk and systems-based
approaches
Advances in science and technology
Modernization initiatives of trading partners
2
What is Agency Transformation?
•
•
A modernization process that strengthens our legislative
foundation, regulatory programs and inspection delivery
Focussed on:
o Stronger safety rules;
o More effective inspection;
o Commitment to service; and
o More information for consumers
•
Includes a series of interrelated and complementary initiatives
under two broad themes:
o
legislative and regulatory modernization
o
business transformation
3
Objectives of Agency transformation
Based on science and risk, aligned with international
standards
Supported through regulatory authority and enabled
through information management and technology
Centred around common activities and standard business
processes, yet flexible enough to accommodate
operational complexity and size
4
Legislative and regulatory modernization
•
Enables science and risk-based approach to focus on
prevention and control of potential hazards while being
robust and responsive to emerging issues
•
Regulations will include:
o common requirements across all food commodities to enable
horizontal risk management
o commodity-specific food safety requirements (where necessary)
and consumer protection provisions
o complementary regulations regarding disclosure of information,
administrative monetary penalties, appeals and redress
o Key elements: licensing, trade, PCPs and requirements related
to the preparation of food and traceability
5
Legislative and regulatory modernization (cont’d)
•
Food labelling modernization reviewing CFIA food labelling
frameworks and regulatory, program design and delivery systems
o CFIA will work closely with HC and other departments on food labelling
activities that fall under their mandates
•
Agency currently consulting on a draft Compliance Promotion
Strategy to encourage and facilitate compliance by:
o Clearly communicating legislative requirements to regulated parties
o Collaborating on tools and training
o Fostering continual improvement by tracking, sharing and leveraging
outcomes of compliance activities
6
Agency transformation: moving towards iAIM
1. Risk assessment: standard consistent
approach to identify risk across
commodities to inform Program
Mgmt
2. Program mgmt.: program re-design
with risk based activities, surveillance
programs, compliance promotion,
enforcement strategies all in guidance
docs
3. Licensing: automated single licensing
function for all importers, exporters
(as required) and domestic producers
7
Agency transformation: moving towards iAIM
4. Field Operations: risk based
compliance verification including
conducting assessment of preventive
control plans, emergency response
and surveys
5. Exports: A single automated process
for the processing and issuance of
export certificates across all business
lines
6. Imports: single point of contact in
place between regulated parties and
government, using automated system
to exchange information and provide
permissions. Imports authorized
based on licensee’s performance and
risk rating.
8
Agency transformation: moving towards iAIM
7. Control and Compliance: consistent
management of regulatory
activities based on risk assessment
including investigating noncompliance and verification of
corrective actions
8. Enforcement: activities guided by a
consistent approach to noncompliance
9. Redress of Complaints and Appeals:
single window to register
compliments, comments and
complaints and appeals (regulatory
or related to service delivery)
9
Public/Private Partnerships
• The CFIA, industry and third parties (e.g., academia
and non-government organizations) all play a role in
assisting regulated parties achieve compliance.
• Areas for potential collaboration include:
o Compliance Promotion
o Training
o Private Certification
10
Compliance Promotion
•
Compliance Promotion will enable better management of risks, improve
communications/information sharing, and clarify requirements
•
Stakeholders will have a clear and common understanding of regulatory
requirements and their role in managing risk
o Particular attention to needs of small-medium sized enterprises and newly regulated parties
o Availability of guidance documents in plain language and interactive tools / assistance
•
Compliance promotion is a collaborative effort
o Stakeholder collaboration is key to improving awareness, tools, training and compliance
monitoring
•
Opportunities for leadership and partnership from industry and third
parties:
•
•
•
validate tools and approaches (ie. Plain language, interactive tools, etc.)
Share best practices and tools that respond to industry needs
Ongoing engagement and consultation on the draft Compliance
Promotion Strategy
o Supports the Agency’s Transformation Agenda
o Feedback strongly encouraged; comment period ends October 31, 2014
11
Training
•
CFIA is collaborating with industry and stakeholders to establish a
national curriculum framework based on competencies for food
protection, animal health and plant protection, building on the work of
the Global Food Protection Institute (GFPI).
Safe Food Canada - The Learning Partnership (SFC-TLP), a non profit
entity since August 2014, serves as a Canadian version of the GFPI’s
International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI).
o CFIA will also have representation on SFC-TLP’s Advisory Committee.
o
•
With Safe Food for Canadians Act (2012) passed in November 2012
and associated regulations expected to come into force in 2015,
CFIA is undergoing a vital Agency Transformation including
improved learning and training.
o
CFIA is currently developing training architectures based on
competencies for various professional communities from Inspectorate,
Program Officer, and Science Laboratory Specialist to Science Specialist.
12
Training (cont’d)
•
Because there is significant overlap in the competencies needed
in all areas of food protection, the Framework could potentially
support the organization of professional development for federal,
provincial, local food regulators in Canada and all employees
(current or prospective) working in the food industry.
o It should contribute to establishing Canadian standards for
competencies associated with food protection, and eventually, other
elements of CFIA’s mandate.
•
SFC-TLP has the potential to significantly influence secondary
and post- secondary institution programs leading to:
o An increase in the number and quality of food safety courses;
o Experienced graduates entering the workforce; and
o An increased interest in food safety and protection as a profession.
13
Private Certification
•
Developed a discussion paper entitled “Private Certification to Inform
Regulatory Risk-Based Oversight”
•
External consultation recently closed (May 29 – August 29)
•
Outlines a concept to enable improved risk-based resource allocation and better planning
Provides a framework to acknowledge private certification in the system of regulatory oversight
•
•
•
Key design characteristics:
•
No regulatory requirement, and no intent to replace regulatory oversight or outsource CFIA
inspection work
•
Transparent, non-binary and continuous
In 2014, the CFIA, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Global
Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) agreed to conduct a pilot study to:
1.
Determine the degree of alignment between GFSI Benchmark Criteria and Safe Food for
Canadians Act and draft Regulations - preventive control plan requirements; and USFDA Food
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) draft Preventive Controls Rule requirements
2.
Assess the whether private certification may be useful to inform regulatory risk-based oversight
•
Launch Date: May 21, 2014; End Date: Fall 2014
•
Includes paper analysis and establishment(s) walk-through(s) to validate
•
Discussion paper comments (internal and external), pilot study findings as well
as other commentary received will inform a CFIA Policy on Private Certification
(Winter 2015)
14
Feedback and additional information
By e-mail:
CFIA-Modernisation-ACIA@inspection.gc.ca
By mail:
Strategic Partnerships Division
1400 Merivale Road, Tower 1
Floor 6, suite 218
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0Y9
By Fax: 613-773-5606
15