ARCHIVED – National Energy Board – 2018–19 Departmental Plan

Plans at a glance

The people of the NEB do their work so that Canadians can count on them and have confidence in how they deliver on the NEB’s mandate – so that the public is safe and the environment is protected. In support of delivering on its mandate, the NEB is moving forward with a number of key priorities that will help it better serve the public interest.

These key priorities are informed by the NEB’s:

• Review of the trends and issues in its operating environment,
• Evaluation of the performance results identified in its DRF,
• Development of integrated solutions for issues that touch on more than one of the NEB’s core responsibilities.

The Government of Canada’s decisions to approve two new major construction projects (Enbridge Line 3^Footnote 1 and Trans Mountain Expansion^Footnote 2), as well as its policy direction with respect to NEB Modernization will guide and shape our work in the coming years. In addition, recent court decisions have provided further clarity with respect to the NEB’s role and responsibilities related to Indigenous engagement in our regulatory processes. These are evolving areas, and as a result, are shaping our approach to our work in 2018–19.

We also know that pipeline construction activity is increasing. This demands effective and efficient regulatory oversight by the NEB to support the Government’s decision to move ahead with key projects – and it triggers adjudication processes (e.g., detailed route hearings), condition compliance activities, inspections, audits and emergency preparedness reviews, as well as coordinated and enhanced engagement activities with affected communities.

We also know that increased construction increases the risk of pipeline incidents. The NEB’s data in this report highlights that the number of pipeline incidents that harm people or the environment has increased since 2014–15^Footnote 3. As a result, we are taking action to ensure that preventable incidents do not occur – with a particular focus on actions that reduce risk associated with periods of significant or major construction, such as focusing on worker safety and contractors, working with industry on pre-construction audits, and ensuring construction conditions are satisfied before work commences.

With this in mind, the true success of our efforts is not easily measured: it will be the absence of incidents, or the prevention of harm, that best illustrates our impact as an effective regulator. Our greatest asset is the sum of our experience, what we learn from past incidents, the data we gather and maintain – our analysis of the root causes of past incidents – as well as our work with other regulators both in Canada and internationally to know what factors drive a strong safety culture in our regulated industry. How we use that asset makes a difference – including sharing and discussing that knowledge with Indigenous Peoples, communities, and industry, and applying it to continually improve our regulatory framework and requirements.

But it is not just what the NEB knows and does that will make a difference. The NEB believes its effectiveness as a regulator significantly improves when it engages with Canadians on issues relating to regulatory oversight. This includes continuing to invest in ways to better engage Indigenous communities, landowners, stakeholders and Canadians in our shared interest in delivering a system of regulatory oversight that keeps Canadians and the environment safe and protects what is important.

Lastly, the NEB knows that it needs to continue to invest in its management system in order to deliver on its mandate – notably in areas relating to data and information management as well as workforce planning.

With this in mind, the NEB has identified the following key areas of focus for 2018–19:

Major Project Construction: Enhance and Integrate Oversight Processes

The NEB will implement processes that improve the effectiveness and coordination of its regulatory oversight, and enable the NEB to work with stakeholders to address potential issues early and effectively as major pipeline construction activity ramps up. The NEB is guided by its DRF outcomes, which include:

• Regulated companies (build &) operate facilities in compliance with regulatory requirements and project specific conditions throughout the full lifecycle.
• Harm to people and the environment throughout the lifecycle of energy-related activities is prevented.
• Energy adjudication processes are fair, timely and transparent.

Enhance Engagement: Strategic and Integrated Planning and Performance

Engaging with stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples allows the NEB to meaningfully connect, seek feedback, and exchange information on different aspects of the NEB’s regulatory practices and processes. Almost every aspect of work done at the NEB has an engagement element.

In 2018–19, the NEB will focus on capturing the learnings and information it hears through engagement activities and improving its core processes for integrating those learnings into its adjudication, safety and environmental oversight and energy information processes. The NEB will also increase the technical capacity of its offices in Vancouver and Montreal to better serve Canadians in those regions.

The NEB is committed to delivering a systematic approach to the IAMCs that have been established for the Enbridge Line 3 and Trans Mountain Expansion pipelines. Plans and procedures to enable IAMC Indigenous Monitors to directly participate in the NEB’s field inspection and monitoring activities have been developed and will be piloted. The NEB will also continue to formalize ways for Indigenous Peoples to participate directly in the NEB’s regulatory processes in a sustainable manner. The interests of Indigenous Peoples will be a key driver for improvements to the NEB’s approach to lifecycle oversight.

Transform Data and Information Management

The work of the NEB must be data driven through performance measurement, evidence and feedback from Canadians. Achieving excellence in data and information management requires an integrated approach, working from an enterprise-wide perspective. 

The NEB possesses data and information that no other organization holds. The NEB needs to better invest in that data and transform its systems to ensure effective data analysis and trends (current and predicted) are optimized and become more transparent to enable Canadians to better access that information. The NEB is also investing in a leading edge information project which focuses on the interactive visualization of pipeline safety and energy information.

In 2018–19, the NEB will: move further towards digital program and service delivery; develop an integrated data strategy aligned to the NEB’s priorities/outcomes; offer a consistent view of data across the organization to better inform its work; and continue to find innovative approaches for how the NEB uses and shares its data. The NEB is charting its path forward; building the foundation required to deliver results.

Invest in People & Management Systems

The NEB continues to dedicate significant time and effort to implementing its new management system in support of the organization’s focus on regulatory and management excellence. Through the management system, the NEB continues to measure and report on performance, and invest in organization-wide improvements to ensure the effective delivery of our mandate and priorities.

The NEB is focused on reflecting the diversity of Canada and it will work to ensure its workforce better reflects the country’s diversity. A key component of the work will be the development of a focused Indigenous hiring strategy in 2018–19. This will be part of a strategic workforce plan to align the organization’s talent with the needs of its programs to ensure the NEB has the right people, in the right place, at the right time – and remain an employer of choice.

Date modified:

2023-11-27