Evaluation of the NRC’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre

Approach

This evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative lines of evidence, including a peer review committee (PRC) of nationally and internationally recognized experts. The peer review was conducted virtually and took a focused approach, addressing the 3 evaluation questions on achieved or expected results, engagement and scientific excellence. Other lines of evidence included data and document reviews, and interviews with internal and external sources. A gender-based and diversity lens was also applied throughout the evaluation.

Concurrent or recent studies

Note that other studies or reviews were conducted around the same time as the evaluation. Findings and direction from these initiatives’ final reports are included throughout this evaluation. These studies, in order of completion, include:

• Ocean Program Expert Panel, including external peer review, (2019-20)
• Positioning OCRE for Growth: Branding Exercise, Consultant, (2020-21)
• Project to Examine Business Model Options, Consultant (2020-21)
• NRC Facilities Review, informed by external peer review (2019-20 to 2020-21)
• Market and Impact Study: Climate Change Adaptation Services, Consultant (2020-21 to 2021-22)

Evaluation questions

• To what extent has the research centre achieved or contributed to its expected results, including government policy solutions, business innovation, and environmental and social impacts?
• To what extent is the research centre a leader in scientific excellence?
• Is the research centre focused in the right areas?
• Has the research centre engaged the most appropriate clients and collaborators in the most effective ways?
• To what extent does the research centre have the resources (capacities, competencies, and facilities) to achieve its objectives and sustain its operations moving forward?
  • To what extent are key performance indicators and targets appropriate given research centre objectives and resources?

Government policy solutions

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

Improved performance

OCRE worked with Canadian and foreign businesses to:

• improve operational safety and performance, including testing marine-based assets and technologies under extreme conditions (e.g., ships, life boats, offshore platforms, and flood barriers),
• use forecast models to support safer decision-making, and
• develop new safety guidelines.

Tracking impact

Although the evaluation identified some evidence of business innovation, going forward OCRE intends to more systematically track its impact in this area.

Per their 2021-22 Management Toolkit, the research centre intends to monitor new KPIs such as health and safety indicators, reported efficiencies, and client success stories.

Competitive advantage

Most industry clients reported that their work with OCRE directly contributed to their competitiveness, for instance having the trusted advice, models and test results that demonstrate their value to their own customers.

Most industry clients reported job creation, either directly from their work with OCRE (e.g., to meet demand for new or improved products) or indirectly (e.g., among other factors that improved their reputation).

The peer review committee (PRC) identified areas of potential for industry and technology transfer (e.g., OCRE’s Canadian Arctic Shipping Risk Assessment Centre [CASRAS] data for navigation). The PRC observed some success in this area but thought the technology transfer process could be better coordinated at a program level.

Mitigating environmental risks

Clients and collaborators noted that OCRE’s work will, or may, contribute to the mitigation of environmental risks (e.g., decreased emissions, reduced likelihood of spills).

A continued and growing focus of OCRE is to predict the expected impacts of climate change, including future ice and wave conditions, storm surges, and water levels.

The PRC commended OCRE for its understanding of the importance of rights-holders as well as stakeholders. OCRE will work to deliver digital information systems to support informed climate change adaptation (CCA) planning by coastal, Northern, and Indigenous communities.

OCRE is expected to further focus its efforts towards climate change solutions, in relation to its capabilities, after receiving the CCA study’s final report in 2021-22.

Enhancing the resiliency of coastal communities

Clients and collaborators, including industry, academia and government (federal and provincial/territorial) identified contributions to the resiliency of coastal communities, infrastructure and waterways due to their work with OCRE. Some indicated that this work would support Indigenous communities in the North and other coastal areas in particular.

The benefits tended to be related to coastal resiliency to flooding, as well as navigating harsh marine environments for rescue or resupply, and marine infrastructure safety (e.g., canals, ice bridges).

OCRE will continue to contribute to benefits for vulnerable communities and populations as, even with the transfer of the ANCP outside of the research centre, it continues HME, coastal and waterways engineering research.

Responding to both government and industry demands

Source(s): Document review, external and internal interviews, facilities reviews, and peer review committee

National assets and strategic capabilities

OCRE's current and future research objectives are aligned with federal objectives (e.g., climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable growth). Its federal clients consider its facilities and expertise national assets and strategic capabilities that complement the activities of OGDs (e.g., forecasting ice conditions, national defence, shipbuilding for Navy and Coast Guard, and developing regulations, guidelines, and codes).

As of 2019, OCRE was contributing to central elements of mandate letters for approximately half of all federal departments. It also supported provincial, territorial, municipal and regional agencies, by providing data and reports to inform local policy (e.g., waterways and infrastructure management, community planning).

There is potential for OCRE to more formally define its role as a knowledge leader in relation to OGDs. The PRC recognized OCRE as well-positioned to promote government policy, and that it is working with OGDs in this regard, but felt its role was not always clear.

Continued and emerging demand

There is continued and emerging demand from industry for OCRE services and facilities. Over the evaluation period, demand decreased from some of its traditional clients, corresponding to the downturn in the oil and gas sector. There is however increasing demand for climate change adaptation (CCA) and modelling to which OCRE could respond (e.g., coastal resiliency, flood mitigation, ice navigation).

While the use of digital modelling is increasing, there remains a need for OCRE’s physical testing capabilities.

Some difficulty balancing NRC’s 3 strategic goals

OCRE has at times prioritized business innovation and government policy solutions over advancement of scientific knowledge, in order to generate revenue.

Recent implementation of some new NRC initiatives has begun to increase OCRE activity in advancing scientific knowledge (i.e., Karluk Collaboration Centre with MUNL, grants and contributions through the Ocean Program to academia and small-to-medium enterprises [SMEs]).

The NRC’s Ocean Program

Source(s): Document review, and external and internal interviews

Grants and contributions to scholars and SMEs support national priorities

In 2020-21, an NRC grants and contributions budget was approved for collaborations with Canadian industry and academia in the Ocean sector. OCRE signed its first agreements with NRC Ocean Program clients in late 2020-21 in areas such as those outlined below. It is too early to assess outcomes.

• Coastal erosion and flood risk management, and hydrokinetic power projects with U of O
• Micro plastics and climate change modelling projects with McGill University
• Emissions profiling of fishing and tour boats with Glas Ocean Electric, a Canadian SME
• Underwater autonomous vehicle, AI bridge simulation, and marine acoustic projects with MUNL

Expert consultation guided program development and alignment with OSC

The Ocean Program, originally the NRC’s Ocean Supercluster Support Program, was first designed to directly support the OSC. OCRE had difficulty aligning its program with the OSC. OCRE faced challenges in aligning its capabilities with the OSC’s broader research focus and orientation towards higher technology readiness levels.

An expert panel convened in 2019-20 guided OCRE on how to better align and calibrate its program objectives and activities. The program was renamed the NRC’s Ocean Program in order to distinguish that it was aligned with the Ocean sector but that it was not a direct support program to the OSC.

The NRC’s Arctic and Northern Challenge Program

Source(s): Document review, external and internal interviews, and facilities reviews

Supporting NRC’s efforts among Arctic and Northern communities

The ANCP was designed with a regional rather than specific research focus, ultimately identifying 4 thematic areas through direct consultations with Arctic and Northern communities and stakeholders. The 4 selected themes – housing, health, food, and water – respond to regional needs, and go beyond OCRE’s research areas and capabilities.

As such, though the ANCP was developed under OCRE’s purview, it was ultimately transferred out of the research centre in 2021-22 due to its broader scope. OCRE will play an ad hoc role supporting ANCP clients and projects, when appropriate (e.g., projects related to HME, marine transport, or coasts).

Shared priorities with Indigenous peoples

As OCRE continues other Arctic strategic research and technical service projects that fall outside of the ANCP, it will need to do more to meet the new standard set by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIP) in 2021-22.

The UNDRIP Act builds on the existing duty to consult, specifying the need for meaningful participation of and free, informed and prior consent from Indigenous peoples in decisions that affect them, their communities, and territories.

Towards this, the Government of Canada has identified shared priorities with Indigenous peoples in the marine sector, such as marine safety, ocean and climate change science, and fleet and shore-based asset maintenance where this standard may be advanced.

Engagement

OCRE works with a suitable mix of clients and collaborators from government, industry and academia. It is well-known within the specific sectors and regions where it has operated but has the potential to collaborate both more broadly throughout the marine sector, and more deeply with existing clients. In recent years OCRE has dedicated significant effort to develop and implement engagement strategies to meet new demands and opportunities. However, it has had difficulty balancing competing priorities to attain revenue targets while also renewing its emphasis on scientific excellence. The research centre is developing or exploring deeper partnerships with key players in government, industry and academia in order to realize its full potential, rather than rely on fee-for-service contracts. This effort was inhibited somewhat by the limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A strong reputation in the marine sector

Source(s): Data review, document review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

Strong reputation among those who know OCRE

OCRE’s clients and collaborators recognize its:

• participation in committees, panels and working groups (see Appendix D for a list of selected bodies)
• participation in international conferences
• reputation, built on its unique facilities in Canada, and a good track record in delivering value

OCRE benefits from its professional networks and sector connections to maintain a steady mix of work (and repeat business) with OGDs, industry, and academia. Among external and internal interviews, there is agreement that OCRE is well-known within the specific sectors or regions where it operates.

Significant participation in international bodies

OCRE is very engaged in international and national committees, panels and working groups. As of 2020-21, OCRE staff participated in 26 international bodies.

The PRC recognized OCRE’s contributions to Canadian positions within international bodies as a strength and recommended further engagement with international organizations, specifically suggesting a stand-alone active presence in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

OCRE staff also participate in 65 Canadian bodies, including those organized by OGDs (49%), the NRC itself (29%), industry (20%), and academia (12%). (Total exceeds 100% as some are co-organized).

The CCA study recommended OCRE strengthen its involvement in Infrastructure Canada’s Infrastructure and Buildings Working Group, to raise its profile and identify new opportunities.

Conference engagement

Source(s): Data review, document review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

Between 2015-16 and 2020-21, OCRE staff presented at or attended at least 148 conferences. Below are recent or prominent conferences.

Note: Actual figures may be higher as record-keeping was inconsistent over the evaluation period.

Canada

Attended at least 74 events from coast to coast to coast including in Yellowknife, NWT, Victoria, BC, and St. John’s, NL. In 2016, OCRE co-hosted CoastLab16 with Baird & Associates and the University of Ottawa.

USA

Attended 21 events across the USA. In 2018, the NRC was honoured for its Arctic research at the Arctic Technology Conference in Houston, Texas.

United Kingdom

Presented at the Coasts, Marine Structures, and Breakwaters Conference in Liverpool (2017), and more recently virtually at the Smart Ship Technology and High Speed Marine Vehicle conferences (2020).

The Netherlands

Presented 6 papers at the 25th International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions (POAC) in Delft (2019).

Norway

Virtually presented 8 papers at the 25th International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research’s (IAHR) International Symposium on Ice (2020).

South Korea

Presented at the 24th International POAC Conference in Busan (2017).

Engagement challenges and opportunities

Source(s): Data review, document review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

OCRE vulnerable without engagement strategy

OCRE lacked robust engagement planning and new business development. Its reliance on existing relationships for major contracts has left it more sensitive to economic cycles.

This sensitivity to external trends, as well as changing priorities of the Government of Canada and the NRC (e.g., greater focus on advancement of science), led to a significant drop in revenues over the past 2 years.

The research centre has recently taken significant action to identify its strengths and opportunities, and develop new engagement strategies (e.g., branding and market studies, hiring of an engagement lead, exploring possible consortia). Though program-level engagement plans were developed previously, an RC engagement plan remains in development.

“OCRE seems to be a ‘hidden gem’ which should be better known both nationally and internationally.”

Room to grow domestically and internationally

There is room to grow OCRE’s brand and engage more broadly (e.g., provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, Western Canada, private defence sector, broader academia). OCRE is not well known beyond its base or specialist peers (e.g., ice or coastal modellers).

For instance, climate change adaptation was identified as a market opportunity for OCRE. The CCA Study found that the most significant barrier to OCRE’s growth was widespread unawareness of its capabilities and relevant experience among key stakeholders in the CCA market.

The PRC recommended that, within Canada, OCRE can do more with both OGDs and with Indigenous rights-holders. They found that OGD engagement relied on “who you know” and more strategic planning is necessary. As for Indigenous engagement, the PRC considered OCRE to be early on the learning curve in rightsholder engagement and needs to develop a formal process that adheres to the new standard set out by the UNDRIP.

Beyond Canada, OCRE should continue to sustain and grow its presence at international events and participation in international bodies. The PRC recommended that OCRE explore with Global Affairs Canada how it could enhance its contributions to Canada’s global polices and reputation.

Revenue targets and achievements

Source(s): Data review, document review, and external and internal interviews

OCRE’s revenue targets were set during a commercially strong period in the mid 2010’s, supported by the oil and gas sector boom and when the NRC prioritized cost-recovery and growth.

OCRE was able to achieve near-target revenues for a time, but then fell short of them in 2019-20 (pre-pandemic). OCRE attributed the earned revenue target gap to a number of factors:

• a shift in focus from revenue generation to strategic research and business innovation
• unanticipated challenges in the oil & gas and shipbuilding sectors
• the re-allocation of resources to develop new programs

Targets were revised in light of internal and external factors for 2021-22, when the annual target was reduced to $7M.

 

Figure 6 – Text version

Stacked column chart depicting total annual revenues from technical services and strategic R&D compared to annual revenue target from 2015-16 to 2020-21.

• 2015-16: $6.2M in technical service revenue and $2.1M in strategic R&D revenue, totalling $8.2M; below the $14M annual target.
• 2016-17: $3.9M in technical service revenue and $2.6M in strategic R&D revenues, totalling $7.6M; below $8M annual target.
• 2017-18: $6.9M in technical service revenues and $2.3M in strategic R&D revenue, totalling $9.1M; below $9.5M annual target.
• 2018-19: $6.6M in technical service revenues and $2.6M in strategic R&D revenue, totalling $9.2M; below 9.5M annual target.
• 2019-20: $3.5M in technical service revenues and $1.5M in strategic R&D revenues, totalling $5M; below 9.5M annual target.
• 2020-21: $3.9M in technical services revenue and $2.2M in strategic R&D, totalling $6.1M; below $9.5M annual target.
• 2021-22: technical services and strategic R&D revenue to be determined; annual target is $7.0M.

Pandemic impacts on engagement

Source(s): Data review, document review, and external and internal interviews

Pandemic impacts impeded engagement plans

Towards the end of the evaluation period, engagement activity and strategy development were inhibited by the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

Regular engagement initiatives such as site tours were cancelled and promotional activities for the Ocean Program were scaled down from in-person promotion at conferences to virtual engagement.

Consultations with Indigenous communities in the North were delayed, which subsequently delayed the development and launch of the ANCP.

Projects strategically chosen to align with goals

While projects requiring significant in-person collaboration were inhibited, OCRE strategically selected and fulfilled client service contracts in 2020-21.

These projects were briefer in duration and did not fit within broader collaborative agreements, but still aligned with OCRE’s broader goals and those of its clients.

Building and renewing partnerships

Source(s): Data review, document review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

Partnerships and strategic engagements

OCRE has begun building and exploring deeper value partnerships with government and industry, including both existing and new clients. It has signed MOUs with major national and international players to identify collaborative opportunities earlier in those organizations' decision-making processes to better coordinate, collaborate and leverage one another's capacities.

Further advancing this approach was a central recommendation of the 2020-21 Business Model Options project conducted for OCRE.

OCRE plans to continue to strategically seek short-term contracts, and balance them with more medium- and long-term engagements. Its intention is that deeper and on-going partnerships will support OCRE’s stability by decreasing its vulnerability to economic cycles.

Re-engaging academia

OCRE re-engaged significantly with academia during the evaluation period, following a period of reduced engagement. For example, OCRE renewed its historical relationship with MUNL launching the Karluk Collaboration Centre to support collaboration and resource-sharing.

There are opportunities for OCRE to replicate engagement efforts with other Canadian universities.

Capabilities

OCRE has had sufficient capacity, competencies, and facilities to meet client needs to date. The research centre’s ensemble of facilities is unique in Canada and some facilities stand out internationally. That said, OCRE may not have the appropriate capabilities needed to meet the emerging needs of Canada and developments in the marine sector. OCRE must decide which of its facilities are critical to achieving its objectives, and develop co-investment partnerships to sustain them. The research centre’s current complement of staff with expertise in data science and numerical modelling is of high calibre but limited in size. Capacity and morale have been strained by competing priorities and challenging performance targets, though OCRE has developed or identified strategies to address these issues. Going forward, deeper collaboration and coordination with federal, industry and academic partners may help to address resource gaps and sustain operations.

Facilities

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

Unique ensemble of facilities in Canada

OCRE's combination of facilities differentiates it from other marine research centres. Though individual facilities have comparators (e.g., a similarly large ice tank in Finland), there is no comparable ensemble in North America or Europe. The NRC Facilities Review found synergistic relationships between the facilities co-housed both in Ottawa and St. John’s.

The PRC identified some individual facilities as both unique to Canada and otherwise unavailable to civilian users in the Western world, including the offshore engineering basin (OEB) and large ice tank in St. John’s, and the large wave current flume in Ottawa.

Physical facilities respond to new demands

Though the use of digital modelling is increasing within the marine sector, there remains demand for OCRE's physical facilities from OGDs, industry and academia. OCRE has begun to coordinate its facility plans with external collaborators in academia and industry to encourage complementarity rather than direct competition.

In response to new demands, OCRE has begun to reorient its facilities towards more climate change adaptation projects. Facilities used primarily for energy sector or other industry projects (e.g., offshore infrastructure) may be reconfigured for climate change solutions (e.g., nature-based solutions for coastal resiliency).

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

New directions identified, significant investments needed

OCRE has identified $45M in investments for its clear water towing tank (CWTT) and OEB in St. John’s to support new opportunities aligned with its and the NRC’s strategic plans. This amount was validated by external facilities reviewers as reasonable based on identified needs.

As it is very unlikely that the NRC would have the ability to fund this through its annual investment planning envelope, the NRC Facilities Review suggested other solutions, such as seeking co-investment or leveraging federal initiatives.

Additionally, some facilities generate less demand than international comparators and OCRE may need to make plans for co-investment or divestment. In some instances, facilities are being reoriented towards CCA projects (e.g., CWB in Ottawa). The cavitation tunnel in St. John’s, which had been inactive for several years, is now central to a collaborative study of underwater noise with MUNL and TC. For other facilities, such as the small ice tank in Ottawa, future opportunities for use are less clear.

The PRC affirmed that the facilities appear to be well-managed but will need significant investment to remain state-of-the-art. The PRC was confident that the NRC and OCRE’s facilities investment plan will address related risks.

Expertise and capacity to deliver on projects

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

Capable resources, growing to meet new demand

OCRE's clients were highly satisfied with the services and products they received. Clients interviewed for this evaluation characterized OCRE as capable, collaborative, flexible and responsive.

OCRE's leadership expressed concern regarding the research centre’s capacity to respond to new directions or new technologies. Specifically, OCRE had few staff with the data science and numerical modelling capacities needed to respond to emerging areas and new opportunities related to the Ocean Program.

This ‘digital capacity’ gap has been addressed in part by accessing support from other research centres, and by expanding its own in-house capacities. This has included retraining, though some OCRE staff expressed concern that not all staff are aligned with OCRE’s new directions and that retraining may be unsuitable given their existing skillsets (e.g., retraining civil engineers and naval architects for AI and other data science work). That said, OCRE staff have increasingly felt they have opportunities for professional development.

 

Figure 7 – Text version

A horizontal line chart comparing average agreement scores of Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) questions related to performance measurement, job fit and development between OCRE staff and NRC overall, for 2017 to 2020.

• 2017: NRC 62%, OCRE 55%
• 2018: NRC 58%, OCRE 46%
• 2019: NRC 65%, OCRE 53%
• 2020: NRC 71%, OCRE 66%

Source(s): Public Service Employee Survey (PSES), average of agreement score for questions related to performance measurement, job fit and development (e.g., “I get the training I need to do my job”).

HR strategy validated

The PRC was confident in OCRE’s HR strategy. They felt OCRE was steadily building its capacity in needed areas, managing resources well, and providing opportunities for advancement and succession.

Moreover, while the PRC concurred OCRE needs to grow its digital capacity, they recognized that investment in recent years had ensured digital modelling capabilities were in the same class as physical modelling.

The PRC recommended more early and mid-career staff be enrolled in professional accreditation schemes to support their career development (e.g., Chartered Marine Technologist or Chartered Marine Scientist).

Student hiring and academic collaboration

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, external and internal interviews, and peer review committee

More students brought aboard, mentored

As part of its re-engagement with academia, and in order to increase its capacity, OCRE more than doubled its annual student hiring over the evaluation period. It hired more co-op students to work at OCRE locations and, with the launch of the Ocean Program, provided grants and contributions to universities who in turn hired more students to work with OCRE on its NRC-funded projects.

By engaging more students, OCRE not only builds its own capacity but that of Canada. OCRE has played an important role in growing the relatively small pool of Canadians trained in research, development, test and evaluation for the marine sector. In addition, a combination of staff with many years of experience and low turnover has enabled OCRE to build extensive specialist knowledge of benefit to students through mentoring.

Formal collaboration with academia

The research centre is also seeking to leverage external support through the Karluk Collaboration Centre. The collaborative centre model may also be desirable with other institutions, as it could mitigate resource and facility needs, such as the need for new students, co-investment opportunities, and access to third-party funds.

 

Figure 8 – Text version

A clustered column chart showing the number of co-op students and research associates and the number of external students supported with Ocean Program grants and contributions from 2015-16 to 2020-21.

• 2015-16: 10 co-op students and research associates.
• 2016-17: 6 co-op students and research associates.
• 2017-18: 0 co-op students and research associates.
• 2018-19: 9 co-op students and research associates
• 2019-20: 22 co-op students and research associates.
• 2020-21: 22 co-op students and research associates, with the addition of 12 external students supported with Ocean Program grants and contributions.

Staff engagement, support and equity

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, and external and internal interviews

Consultations, new initiatives supported staff

OCRE staff reported feeling under-supported in light of competing priorities throughout the evaluation period, though there is evidence of improvement over the last year as the research centre responded to staff needs.

In response to this, OCRE management conducted staff consultations in 2019-20 to identify solutions. In 2020-21 OCRE developed and began implementing strategies to support career and leadership development, and identify and develop high potential personnel. OCRE also hired a dedicated stakeholder engagement lead to support business development.

Near target for women, lagging other targets

Overall, OCRE neared its target for representation of women (23% target, 21% actual in 2020-21). In fact, it exceeded sub-targets for management, administrative and senior clerical roles. OCRE has room to improve among its research and technical officers.

Compared to targets, OCRE lagged for other Employment Equity groups, such as members of visible minorities (25% target, 12% actual).

 

Figure 9 – Text version

A horizontal line chart comparing average agreement scores between OCRE staff and NRC-wide on Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) questions related to engagement, for 2017 to 2020.

• 2017: NRC 77%, OCRE 74%
• 2018: NRC 75%, OCRE 67%
• 2019: NRC 78%, OCRE 65%
• 2020: NRC 83%, OCRE 77%

Source(s): PSES; average of agreement score for questions related to engagement (e.g., “I feel valued at work,” “I am proud of the work I do”)

 

Figure 10 – Text version

A horizontal line chart comparing average agreement scores between OCRE staff and NRC-wide on Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) questions related to support, for 2017 to 2020.

• 2017: NRC 70%, OCRE 62%
• 2018: NRC 66%, OCRE 65%
• 2019: NRC 72%, OCRE 58%
• 2020: NRC 77%, OCRE 73%

Source(s): PSES; average of agreement score for questions related to support (e.g., “I am encouraged to be innovative or take initiative in my work,” “I have support at work to provide a high level of service”)

Challenges sustaining capabilities

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, and external and internal interviews

OCRE required to respond to competing priorities and cost reduction

Over the evaluation period, OCRE did not have access to additional funding to increase capacity to meet revenue and publication targets or capitalize on new demands.

As established in the previous section, revenue targets were not revised when OCRE was also expected to achieve ambitious targets for publishing (discussed further in the Scientific Excellence section).

Targets were revised for 2021-22 to better reflect OCRE’s capacity. However, OCRE, like other research centres, will be challenged by an NRC-wide 10% budget reduction over 3 years, beginning in 2021-22.

The purpose of the NRC-wide reduction is to reallocate resources to real property and major capital. This will support renewing and updating major facilities (such as the CWTT or OEB). Additional strategies to offset resource shortages may be necessary.

Sustainability strategies

OCRE has commissioned or participated in studies on its capabilities to identify strategies to improve its performance and ensure its sustainability.

Common recommendations and themes included deeper partnerships, potentially including co-investment models, and strengthening OCRE’s digital capacity.

Deeper collaboration and coordination with federal, industry and academic partners may help to address resource gaps and sustain operations. This could include co-investment models or coordinated decision-making.

See a summary of recommendations from third-party studies in Appendix E including actions to strengthen, sustain, and better exploit its capabilities.

Recommendations

Recommendations and supporting rationale

Capabilities

Over the past 2 years, OCRE received direction and options from 3 external reviews (business model options project, CCA market and impact study, and PRC), as well as the NRC facilities review.

Key facilities require significant investment. Other lower-demand facilities need to be reoriented or divested. As well, OCRE has struggled to achieve performance targets with existing capabilities.

The marine sector is shifting towards more digital modelling though there remains a need for OCRE’s ensemble of facilities. OCRE needs to balance investments in both its physical facilities and developing its digital capacity.

Engagement

OCRE’s engagement and communications strategy consists of an informal mix of activities and initiatives. These activities have proven effective or demonstrate potential (e.g., conference participation, Collaboration Centre, MOUs), but are not formalized within an overall engagement strategy.

The 2021 UNDRIP Act raised the standard for Indigenous engagement. OCRE is early on the curve in Indigenous rights holder engagement.

OCRE’s expertise, capacity and potential were not widely known, particularly among the wider international community outside of specialist peers. Rather, it has relied heavily on repeat clients.

Performance Measurement

Publications, conference attendance, and committee participation were inconsistently tracked, though this was greatly improved upon by OCRE in order to meet the needs of the evaluation and peer review committee. This issue is not exclusive to OCRE but has been an ongoing challenge across the NRC.

Robust and regular performance measurement would enable OCRE to affirm its successes and improve its ability to benchmark performance in light of budget and capacity. Per the PRC, this may be incorporated into communications materials to demonstrate OCRE’s value to potential new partners, sector stakeholders, and Indigenous rights-holders.

Accurate benchmarking may also be necessary to secure co-investments.

Management Response and Action Plan

Appendices

Appendix B – OCRE Logic Model

Figure Appendix B – Text version

 

Diagram of the Ocean Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre

The lowest level of the logic model shows the RC Inputs which includes the “Business Drivers”:

• NRC Mandate
• Government of Canada Priorities
• NRC & RC Strategic Plan
• RC Programs & Thrusts
• Requests from OGD & Industry Clients
• Academia
• NPO initiatives
• Foresight & Market intelligence
• RC Collaboration

and “Resources”:

• Budget
• Peoples (FTEs, Collaborators) and
• Facilities

The next level of the logic model show Internal Enables which includes

• “Business and Professional Services (CB, DFS, HSE, KITS, NPBS)”
• Corporate Services (ASPM, CSC, FPS, SB)
• Human Resources (HRB)
• Secretary General (CS, IIO, OAE, PSP)
• Shared Services Canada.

The next level of the logic model has seven boxes representing Activities.

• The first box is entitled “Talent attraction” and includes an arrow pointing directly above to
• the second box entitled “Competency development/ Succession Planning”
• The third box is entitled “Facility and equipment management and maintenance”
• The fourth box is entitled “Management and development of technical services and research activities”
• The fifth box is entitled “Research and development”
• The sixth box is entitled “Technical research services (testing, evaluations, validation, etc.)”
• The seventh box is entitled “Ecosystem development and advisory activities (government, academia and industry)”

The next level of the logic model has seven boxes representing Outputs.

• The first box is entitled “Talent”
• The second box is entitled “Maintained & upgraded facilities and equipment” and “New facilities/equipment”
• The third box is entitled “Stakeholder relationships,” “Proposal development,” and “Committee and conference representation”
• The fourth box is entitled “Scientific knowledge and technological insights”
• The fifth box is entitled “Development (product, process, technology)” and “Intellectual property”
• The sixth box is entitled “Advice”
• The seventh box is entitled “Data and analysis”

The next level of the logic model shows the first level of outcomes of the research centre, the immediate outcomes. There are nine boxes of outcomes at this level.

• The first box is entitled “OCRE has engaged & diverse employees to perform leading edge research”
• The second box is entitled “OCRE has facilities and equipment required to perform leading-edge research in a safe manner.”
• The third box is entitled “Research is managed in alignment with planned goals, objectives and regulations.”
• The fourth box is entitled “Collaborative relationships are positive and productive.”
• The fifth box is entitled “National and international stakeholders are informed by OCRE evidence-and science-based research and advice.”
• The sixth box is entitled “Clients and collaborators have access to technology solutions and equipment.”
• The seventh box is entitled “Capabilities of clients and collaborators are enhanced through OCRE research and expertise.”
• The eighth box is entitled “Federal appropriations are leveraged and force multiplied through collaborations.”
• The ninth box is entitled “OCRE research contributes to codes and standards development (e.g. marine transportation infrastructure, etc.)”

The next level of the logic model shows intermediate level outcomes. There are six boxes of outcomes at this level.

• The first box is entitled "OCRE research and technical services are enabled."
• The second box is entitled "Demonstrated research excellence."
• The third box is entitled "OCRE plays a leadership role in the Canadian ocean and freshwater sector (gov. academia & industry)."
• The fourth box is entitled “The operational safety & performance of marine-related industries are improved through OCRE research.”
• The fifth box is entitled “OCRE research is used to increase the resiliency and sustainability of Canadian communities and infrastructure.”
• The sixth box is entitled “Government regulations, mandates and policies are advanced by OCRE expertise.”

The next level of the logic model shows strategic level outcomes. There are four boxes of outcomes at this level.

• The first box is entitled “OCRE has state of the art capabilities relative to Canada’s current and future needs.”
• The second box is entitled “OCRE is a leader for engineering solutions in harsh ocean and freshwater environments.”
• The third box is entitled “Canadian ocean and freshwater industries are safe and sustainable.”
• The fourth box in entitled “Canadian communities and infrastructure are more resilient and prepared for a changing climate.”

The next level of the logic model represents RC Vision which includes “Enable safe and resilient ocean and freshwater infrastructure and environments for Canada.”

The final level of the logic model identifies the NRC Core roles. This level includes three boxes.

• The first is entitled “Advance Scientific and Technological Knowledge.”
• The second box is entitled “Support Business Innovation.”
• The third box is entitled “Provide Science-Based Policy Solutions to Government.”

Appendix C – Number of OCRE staff by role

Source(s): Data review, document review, facilities review, and external and internal interviews

Figure Appendix C – Text version

 

Vertical bar graph depicting the number of research officers, technical officers, administration, management and students and resource associates at OCRE from 2015-16 to 2020-21.

• 2015-16: 48 research officers/ research council officers (RO/RCOs); 32 technical officers (TOs); 7 administration; 3 management; 10 students and research associates; 100 total staff.
• 2016-17: 56 research officers/ research council officers (RO/RCOs); 29 technical officers (TOs); 8 administration; 5 management; 6 students and resource associates; 104 total staff.
• 2017-18: 52 research officers/ research council officers (RO/RCOs); 28 technical officers (TOs); 6 administration; 3 management; 0 students and research associates; 89 total staff
• 2018-19: 51 research officers/ research council officers (RO/RCOs); 29 technical officers (TOs); 7 administration; 3 management; 9 students and research associates; 99 total staff.
• 2019-20: 49 research officers/ research council officers (RO/RCOs); 30 technical officers (TOs); 6 administration; 4 management; 22 students and research associates; 111 total staff
• 2020-21: 53 research officers/ research council officers (RO/RCOs); 32 technical officers (TOs); 7 administration; 5 management; 22 students and research associates; 119 total staff.

* Students and research associates: This includes students directly hired by OCRE. It does not include students hired by academic collaborators who used grants and contributions from the OCRE Ocean Program or other NRC grants and contributions to hire students. In 2020-21, NRC funding supported the external hiring of an additional 11 students who worked with OCRE.