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Archived - Evaluation of Daily Shift Inspection Presence

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Evaluation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) Evaluation Directorate is responsible for evaluating the relevance and performance of Agency programs, policies and initiatives. This effort supports informed decision-making and enhances performance and accountability.

The Evaluation Directorate is accountable to the CFIA's Evaluation Committee, chaired by the President. All evaluations must be reported to the Evaluation Committee and must be conducted in accordance with the Treasury Board's Policy on Evaluation. Evaluation projects are selected based on higher risk or significance during an annual Agency planning process, and then reflected in the Agency's Evaluation Plan, which is approved by the Evaluation Committee.

Overview

In 2009, the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service conducted an audit that found the frequency of inspections in Canada's federally registered meat processing plants was not equivalent to the frequency of inspections in American plants. In response to these findings, Canada adopted a daily shift inspection presence in plants exporting meat products to the US in order to meet their standards and maintain access to the US market.

The Treasury Board Secretariat requested an evaluation of the Daily Shift Inspection Presence (DSIP) to inform the potential renewal of this program and funding. The evaluation focused on the issues of relevance and performance.

Key Findings

The report notes there are sufficient resources for this activity. It also validates that the DSIP is an important component of the CFIA's inspection program, as it meets US standards for the import of processed meat products and aligns with federal trade priorities and regulatory responsibilities. As such, it continues to remain relevant to the CFIA's mandate.

The report's one recommendation proposes that the CFIA identify and track performance measurement indicators to demonstrate that the necessary number of inspections are undertaken each year.

Complete report:

Date modified: