Evaluation Summary of the Space Utilization Program's Observation Systems, Planning and Preparatory Activities (OSPPA) of the Canadian Space Agency

Program Description

The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Space Utilization Program ensures that Canada takes full advantage of the potential offered by space for the benefit of its citizens.

It ensures that the Canadian public sector, industry and academia have access to space data and space-enabled information and services, to inform policy and decision making, connect Canada and Canadians, and understand Earth.

About the Evaluation

Evaluation Strategy

First evaluation covering all Program's business lines, the OSPPA evaluation aims to provide a neutral assessment, based on solid evidence, to support continuous improvement and decision making of the Program.

Evaluation Scope

Relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the Program's activities related to planning, preparation and development of satellite missions, between April 2017 and March 2022.

Data Collection Methods

Document review, internal and external interviews, internal data, consultations, observation, case studies, literature review and benchmarking study.

Evaluation Key Findings

Program Relevance

• The Program is aligned with federal government's priorities and essential responsibilities, and is of strategic importance to the CSA's mandate and that of many other federal departments.
• Proper identification of targeted populations' needs over the years.
• Supports and designs missions which meet the majority of needs identified.

Program Effectiveness

• Targets of expected outputs and results are mostly achieved and surpassed.
• Significant increase in number of images downloaded from Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites between 2019 and 2022, due to the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) and the efforts undertaken by the Program to maximize the availability of the data collected.
• Access to data more complicated than expected because of a large number of acquisition requests, sensitivity of some images captured, and important needs related to National Defence.

Program Efficiency

• The Program demonstrated its ability to work effectively with various stakeholders, using an interdepartmental and international approach.
• OSPPA-related activities are harmonized within the Program, the CSA, the Canadian space ecosystem, as well as with international partners.
• Difficulties encountered with prioritizing Program activities during the period covered by the evaluation, except for RCM and the mission that is going to succeed it.
• Difficulties encountered with detailed cost estimates requirements which are necessary to obtain internal governance approval for official involvement in a mission.
• Opportunities for improvement in clarifying, documenting and centralizing some elements within the Program, in order to optimize the decision-making process and to reduce staff workload.

Recommendations

1. Clarify the operational vision, roles and responsibilities, and develop a management framework that reflects the Program's direction.
2. Centralize, compile and organize information related to the needs of target groups.
3. Ensure centralized and holistic planning, management and monitoring of the Program's human resources related to observation systems, for each phase of all satellite missions undertaken by the Program.