Basically this comes down to a variety of factors that have prolonged the process and the establishment of recovery strategies, listing decisions, and so on. The longer that timeframe is, the more likely a species will be sent back to COSEWIC for further information or reconsideration, which will prolong things even further.
The degree to which the timeliness of a recovery strategy influences COSEWIC's assessments is a bit difficult to evaluate. The act at present stipulates that COSEWIC must review its classification of each species at least every 10 years, or earlier if it has reason to believe the status of a species has changed significantly. So our timetable for reassessing or reviewing these classifications will not depend on the timeliness of the implementation of recovery strategies, but it might affect status. All else being equal, the sooner recovery strategies are put in place, the more likely and the sooner the status of a species will improve.