I want to do what may look like we're belabouring something, which is exactly what we are doing. On the issue about data, about data being provided, about its being properly analyzed, we said some months ago, at the urging or guidance of the Auditor General, that this was going to be a priority for this committee, and that going forward we were going to spend a focused amount of time on this. It just happens that the issue in front of us is about all that. I am going to make the case, because we need to underscore it, but I am going to preface it by saying that I am somewhat encouraged by what I'm hearing. But we'll come to that in a minute.
The first remark in the Auditor General's report on page 5, paragraph 1.15, was:
Overall, we found that departments and agencies had not developed performance indicators to assess how initiatives have enhanced security and accelerated the legitimate flow of trade and travel.
And then we go on, and the case gets made very strongly on page 14, paragraph 1.55:
We found that the Agency had not developed performance indicators to measure how the Single Window initiative helps traders.
On page 6, paragraph 1.24, we find this:
However, we found that despite having completed most of the Action Plan commitments related to security, departments and agencies did not have reliable performance indicators in place to measure security benefits for 17 of the 19 initiatives.
On page 8, paragraph 1.30:
However, we found that while the Department had developed performance indicators for information sharing, it had not reported results to show that information sharing had improved immigration and border decision making.
I could go on and on. I'm not going to. I think the point is well made. I do however want to come back to the quote of paragraph 1.55. Again, you'll recall, it started with:
We found that the Agency....
—meaning the Canada Border Services Agency—
...had not developed performance indicators to measure how the Single Window initiative helps traders. Instead, it was measuring and reporting on project deliverables, such as the number of departmental programs that were using the Single Window and the number of forms that have been converted into electronic format. Because it was not measuring traders’ use of Single Window, the Agency could not show that this initiative was achieving the expected outcomes....
Now to your comments today, representatives, CBSA, Mr. Ossowski, I liked what you said, namely:
We agree and are already taking action.
We hear that a lot.
Last June, we launched a review of key performance indicators supporting the 10 initiatives that we led. This includes examining their outcomes and impacts, as well as reviewing, revising and developing indicators....
What I really liked was when you said:
This includes indicators to measure the impact our NEXUS program has on expediting travel for its members, which is, of course, one of the key objectives of the program.
Bang on. We had an in camera session with the Auditor General, going through another detailed report about some of our macro approaches. One of the big issues was that things were being measured in terms of being counted, but was that making a difference at the end of the day? So I was pleased with what you had to say. That's very good.
Public safety, that would be Deputy Minister Brown, I was very encouraged by what you said, sir. I think you got it. I particularly liked that you said you see a further engagement with this committee. We do a lot of reports in your area of responsibility, and the fact that you understand that things are shifting a bit and we need to look at things, and that this is going to be an improvement for all of us—that was something I really liked. I hope that...well, I know you meant it, and we'll get the opportunity to see that.
Lastly, as to the RCMP, same thing, I enjoyed the report.
However, here's the thing—and I've probably used up most of my time talking, as I sometimes do, but I get another turn, and you'll get another couple of minutes to jump in and respond—I want to hear from each of you just a little further on how much of a change you think this really is. I liked what Mr. Brown had to say, who can go last so they can't crib his notes, because I think he got it all in one go. I'm not yet convinced that everybody else who's come before us has. But drip, drip, drip, we do this often enough, hard enough, and seriously enough that there will be changes.
On that issue about the amount of shift you see, about doing different indicator reporting and performance analysis, all those kind of things, tell me how you see a brave new world upon us, because we're all going to do things differently.