Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, who is accountable to the Provincial Legislature.
GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY GOVERNANCE OCWA is committed to implementing governance best practices at all levels of the organization to enhance transparency and accountability to clients, the government and the citizens of Ontario. The Agency is governed by a Board of Directors (“the Board”). Members of OCWA’s Board are appointed by the Lieutenant-Governorin-Council on the recommendation of the Premier. The Board follows best practices in corporate governance, including director orientation and ongoing education, holding regular meetings and strategic planning sessions, as well as adhering to the Agency’s Board Code of Conduct. A Board competency matrix has been established to ensure that the skills of Board members are in alignment with the long-term business strategy of the Agency. OCWA’s Board is comprised of a diverse group of individuals with a range of competencies and backgrounds, enabling the Board to effectively fulfill its stewardship responsibilities. In 2019, 50 percent of the Agency’s Board members were women. Collectively, the Board has expertise in both the private and public sector, as well as in the management of municipal corporations and utilities.
OCWA’s Board has established several standing committees to assist them in fulfilling their corporate governance and oversight responsibilities. Current committees include the Audit and Finance Committee; the Business Transformation and Technology Committee; the Compliance and Operational Risk Management Committee; the First Nations Committee; and the Human Resources, Governance and Nominating Committee. Temporary task forces are also established as deemed necessary by the Board to provide guidance to management and oversee specific Agency priorities and initiatives.
ACCOUNTABILITY OCWA demonstrates accountability to the government and citizens of Ontario in a number of ways, including: • Meeting the requirements of appropriate regulatory authorities (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Ministry of Labour, Medical Officer of Health, etc.) for OCWA-operated facilities; • Providing facility reports to clients for OCWA-operated municipal water treatment facilities; • Generating an Annual Report, submitted for approval to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, for tabling in the Provincial Legislature, publicly available to all Ontarians online at www.ocwa.com;
The Board is responsible for overall Agency affairs, including setting strategic direction, monitoring performance and ensuring appropriate systems and controls are in place for the proper administration of the Agency in accordance with OCWA's governing documents. The Board is accountable to the
• Producing an annual three-year Business Plan, including performance measures, submitted for approval to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
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