Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Service Standards Annual Report: Fiscal Year 2018-2019

October 2019

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s commitment to serve you better

At Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), we take pride in what we do. We are an organization that is dedicated to serving the community. AAFC is committed to developing and delivering client-focused, results based programs and services. We are continuously working to provide high quality service because we understand the importance of agriculture to our economy, communities, environment and health.

AAFC publishes service standards to highlight its commitment to transparent management, accountability for results, and citizen-centered service delivery. The department continues to strive to ensure that published information is meaningful and relevant to clients.

Service standards are a statement to the level of performance that Canadians can expect from AAFC. These service standards include turnaround times for telephone calls and email responses, making funding decisions, processing recipient claims, and providing sector analysis reports. AAFC is committed to achieving its service standards a minimum of 80% of the time under normal circumstances for 28 of its 31 programs. (The three exceptions are Access to Information and Privacy, for which the target is 100%; AgriInvest, 85%; and AgriStability, 75%.) The service standards for each program and service is published on its web page. Performance data is collected quarterly through each fiscal year and reported publicly in our Service Standards Annual Report.

Continuous improvement

AAFC met or exceeded targets for 74 out of 96 service standards, covering 31 programs and services. In an effort to improve the service standards, AAFC is dedicated to continuously strengthening service objectives by using client input to improve service delivery and program design.

In 2018–2019, the Department implemented a coordinated approach to gathering client satisfaction through surveys at various client interaction points, such as in program websites and applications. Client feedback is also gained through client journey mapping, innovation labs, and regular interactions from AAFC program officers. This feedback from these various sources is used to identify areas of departmental improvement and enhancements to service delivery in an effort to build better client experiences.

For fiscal year 2019–2020, AAFC is seeking client feedback on the relevance of service standards and solicit suggestions on how to make them more applicable to a client’s business decisions. As part of its Service Modernization Strategy, the Department continues to embrace methods to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its service delivery.

Your Feedback

Please share your comments, suggestions or complaints to AAFC’s Service and Program Excellence Directorate at:

aafc.standard-normes.aac@agr.gc.ca

Service and Program Excellence Directorate
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
1341 Baseline Road, Tower 7, Floor 7, Room 150
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Programs and Services with Service Standards

AAFC is committed to achieving its service standards a minimum of 80% of the time under normal operational circumstances.

Access to Information and Privacy

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Access: Response is provided within 30 days following receipt of request, 100% of the time 122 122 100
Privacy: Response is provided within 30 days following receipt of request, 100% of the time 28 28 100

AgriAssurance Program: National Industry Association Component

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 52 45 87
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 35 35 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 21 16 76
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 30 22 73

AgriAssurance Program: Small and Medium-sized Enterprise

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 15 9 60
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 16 16 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 75 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 9 9 100
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 0 0 N/A

AgriCompetitiveness

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 34 26 76
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 11 11 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 7 6 86
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 6 6 100

AgriDiversity

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 38 28 74
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 13 13 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 11 9 82
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 2 2 100

AgriInnovate

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 356 336 94
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 36 32 89
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 16 8 50
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 5 5 100

AgriInvest

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Percentage of applications processed to issuance of the deposit notice in 45 days or less, 85% of the time 106,342 105,238 99

AgriMarketing: National Industry Association Component

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 89 65 73
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 86 86 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 44 27 61
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 63 47 75

AgriMarketing: Small and Medium-sized Enterprise

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 103 49 48
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 180 180 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 98 58 59
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 54 43 80

AgriRisk Initiatives

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 60 53 88
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 36 36 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 36 2 6
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 57 42 74

AgriScience Program: Projects

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 307 272 89
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 87 83 95
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 71 55 77
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 2 2 100

AgriStability

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Percentage of completed applications processed within 75 days of receipt, 75% of the time 5,767 4,830 84

Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 0 0 N/A
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 0 0 N/A
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 0 0 N/A
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 44 38 86

Agricultural Youth Green Jobs Initiative

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 773 771 100
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 30 30 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 23 23 100
Send you a draft proposal agreement within 30 business days of issuing an approval notification letter 23 23 100
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 342 339 99

Canada Brand

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 45 34 76
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 44 30 68
Send you a final approval or rejection notification within 10 business days following receipt of a fully documented claim 33 19 58

Canada Pavilion Program

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 70 69 99
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 243 243 100
Send you a final approval or rejection notification within 48 hours of receiving a fully complete applicant package 243 240 99

Canadian Agricultural Adoption Program (2014 – 2019)

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 123 108 88
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 9 6 67
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 9 9 100
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 42 42 100

Canadian Soil Information System

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Provide an estimated delivery date for information products within 3 business days 106 101 95

Career Focus Program

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 351 351 100
Assess your application send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 50 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 289 289 100
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 78 78 100

Dairy Farm Investment Program

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 1,153 1,029 89
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 272 272 100
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 0 0 N/A
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 955 955 100

Dairy Processing Investment Fund

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 73 71 97
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 30 28 93
Send you an approval or a rejection notification letter within 100 business days of receiving a fully complete applicant package 50 31 62
Send you a payment within 30 business days of receipt of a duly completed and a documented claim 36 35 97

Domestic Statistics and Market Information – Horticulture

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Reports: Daily update frequency 554 542 98
Reports: Weekly update frequency 336 226 67
Reports: Monthly update frequency 42 34 81
Reports: Annual update frequency 1 1 100

Domestic Statistics and Market Information – Poultry and Egg

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Reports: Daily update frequency 611 543 89
Reports: Weekly update frequency 1,774 1,703 96
Reports: Monthly update frequency 49 42 86
Reports: Annual update frequency 1 1 100

Domestic Statistics and Market Information – Red Meat and Livestock

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Reports: Daily update frequency 507 464 92
Reports: Weekly update frequency 1,605 1,567 98
Reports: Monthly update frequency 47 38 81
Reports: Annual update frequency 18 14 78

Farm Debt Mediation Service

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 9,352 9,274 99
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 308 305 99
Have all necessary documentation sent to creditors and producers 7 business days prior to the mediation meeting 199 184 92
Schedule the first mediation meeting within 70 calendar days after acceptance of your application 210 168 80

Geospatial Products

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Provide an estimated delivery date for information products within 3 business days 124 109 88

Global Analysis

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 241 239 99
Provide an estimated delivery date for information products within 3 business days 241 239 99

Market Access Services

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
A receipt of acknowledgement will be sent the same business day 429 415 97
Response to inquiry will follow within 5 business days 429 384 90

National Agro Climate Information Services (Drought Watch)

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 144 130 90
Provide an estimated delivery date for information products within 3 business days 72 68 94

Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 36 36 100
Issue a draft Corporate Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) for review 20 days following receipt of all required documentation (work plan, budget, Science Director recommendation, completed risk assessment) 55 53 96
Respond to a clients enquiry regarding posted licensing opportunities within 5 business days 44 44 100
Notify successful proponents 20 business days after the close of the request for proposals (reported annually in Q4) 13 13 100

Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre’s Industrial Program

Service standard Transactions Completed transactions Results (%)
Respond to general inquiries made to our phone number and email address before the end of the next business day 127 108 85
Acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 business day 43 43 100
Assess your application and send you an approval or rejection notification within 10 business days 43 43 100