SIMPLEX^® Helps Environmental and Economic Decisions in Ottawa

Dr. André Potworowski, based in Ottawa, has been specializing over the years with helping clients involved in innovation, research, and other scientific and environmental activities. Over the last few months, he was involved in facilitating a number of SIMPLEX^® workshops for Environment Canada, Industry Canada, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. These sessions addressed different ways of strengthening federal government programs dealing with cross-cutting environmental challenges and improvements in industrial productivity and competitiveness.

Last November, Environment Canada wanted help to refine the processes for screening and assessing toxic chemicals to determine how best to handle them. The focus of the engagement was to look at the work flow process for examining some 23,000 legacy chemical substances that have been used in industry and products for a number of years, assess their risks to human health and the environment, and determine how government will act to regulate them. The SIMPLEX ^® sessions resulted in a clear direction and allocation of resources to help the Existing Substances group in Environment Canada organize itself. This project was in anticipation of a new $300 million program, the Chemicals Management Plan, which was made public in December 2006 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. See:
http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/communique_e.html

In February, Industry Canada organized a workshop with several CEOs of manufacturing and resource processing industry associations. The purpose was to determine the challenges facing these industry sectors, and to design a consultative process to engage the stakeholders in developing long-term strategies for growth. Part of the consultative processing would use a powerful technique called Foresight. SIMPLEX^® was used in the workshop to develop a graphic map of the key challenges facing the manufacturing and resource processing companies in Canada. This project was carried out for the Norm Willis Group, which specializes in running Foresight exercises for high profile clients.

In March, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans also decided to use the SIMPLEX^® process. The challenge was to explore how their scientists can better collaborate with large horizontal issues such as Biodiversity and Species at Risk that cross a number of scientific disciplines. This is part of the work of the new Ecosystem Science Directorate that coordinates scientific activities and advice across several regions in Canada. The challenge is how to break down scientific and organizational silos, and work in a more horizontal, ecosystem-based approach. The work will culminate in a retreat in Quebec this summer.

For more information contact:

J. André Potworowski PhD, MBA
462 Wentworth Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K2B 5K1
Tel: (613) 721-9090
Email: andre@basadur.com