Overview of the Ministry’s Information Resource Management Plan

The Ministry of Environment’s 2005/06 – 2007/08 Information Resource Management Plan outlines how information management (IM) and information technology (IT) activities continue to enable the ministry to carry out its mandate: protecting and enhancing the quality of British Columbia’s water, land and air in a way that contributes to healthy communities, recreational opportunities, a sustainable environment, and a strong and vibrant provincial economy.

The ministry’s IM/IT direction, as reflected in its three-year strategic plan, is focused on aligning technology to key business processes that support key ministry business functions and initiatives. These include: the authorization and issuance of permits and licences; compliance and enforcement; and environmental monitoring and reporting.

The ministry is focusing on providing services, information and products to citizens and businesses via the Internet. Examples include: providing online access for permit applications; enabling clients and partners to submit information to the ministry electronically; and enabling the automatic collection of revenue and the streamlining of incident reporting and tracking.

Support of the Government’s IM/IT Goals

The ministry is committed to electronic service delivery and continues to provide leadership for projects and initiatives aimed at enabling citizens and businesses to access government electronic services.

Major Projects

The ministry is currently working on a variety of projects focused on streamlining business processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness and make information and data more available to clients, citizens and businesses. Major projects include:

implementation of a case management solution for licensing and permitting;
upgrading of systems such as the Air Data Management System and implementation of the Water Resource Atlas to increase public access to information over the web and improve usability;
implementation of a web-based Conservation Officer Online Reporting System to assist with enforcement activities;
enhancement of the Protected Areas System Overview application to provide timely, accurate and web-accessible information to assist strategic planning, decision making and reporting across the province;
development and implementation of an integrated parks solution to assist in managing park-related activity;
development of common processes and tools for client use (e.g., submission of electronic information/data, licence/permit issuance and revenue collection).

Key Shared Initiatives and Partnerships

The delivery of ministry IM/IT services is achieved through a collaborative approach with central and regional programs. The ministry receives IT infrastructure service from the Central Services Division (CSD). The ministry receives data and GIS services from the Integrated Land Management Bureau.

Desktop services are delivered to the ministry through the Common Information Technology Solutions (CITS).

The ministry is currently involved in a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands in its development of business requirements and a solution for permitting and licensing.