Program Development

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Objective(s)

The objective of this Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) project is to continue to develop the Canadian Biomass Innovation Network's (CBIN) website and solicit strategic input from CBIN's External Advisory Panel (EAP).

Description

CBIN coordinates and manages activities within two federal government energy Research and Development (R&D) initiatives namely, the Program of Energy Research and Development (PERD) Bio-Based Energy Systems and Technologies (BEST) Program and the Technology and Innovation Research and Development (T&I R&D) Initiative's Biotechnology Program. This project consists of developing the CBIN website as a communication portal, collecting and incorporating EAP feedback on the strategic plan, and consulting/communicating with the EAP to provide members with program updates and to solicit their input related to on-going activities and program development. CBIN has two websites; a public and a private one. The CBIN private community website (Community Zero or CZ, English-Only website) is a password protected but non-confidential workspace for members to interact. It facilitates collaboration across government, industry, and academic stakeholders supporting activities related to the emerging bio-based economy. CZ is a communication portal for CBIN members that can easily be accessed through the following link on the public CBIN website: www.cbin-rcib.gc.ca. A further project initiative includes storage site development on the CBIN public website to house CBIN documents.

An external to the federal government advisory panel provides independent advice on strategy and project portfolio. It has representatives from industry, universities, provincial organizations, and the US Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Program. Members contribute to CBIN and promote bioenergy, bioproducts, and industrial bioprocesses in Canada. Through their daily work, EAP members have significantly increased CBIN awareness to a broader audience (industry and provinces). Face-to-face meetings were held with EAP members. These meetings provided opportunities for EAP members to receive program updates and provide feedback. Several of their suggestions for improvement have been acted on including developing a more transparent project selection process, hiring a consultant to start work on the estimation of the program's GreenHouse Gas (GHG) impacts story, holding a strategic thinking meeting to develop a broader strategic plan for CBIN as a whole, and writing CBIN project descriptions.

Significant Outcomes

The CBIN website and the public and password-protected communication portal (CZ) are important vehicles for communicating information on the program and facilitating exchange between people (internal and external to the government) working in the areas of bioenergy, bioproducts, and industrial bioprocesses. Website development and EAP activities are mediums that enable dissemination and outreach. The public CBIN website has created a front door for CBIN that describes basic information, lists program contacts, and allows users to easily communicate using CZ.

The EAP work carried out through this project enabled CBIN to broaden its network and receive important external critique of the program's activities. Additionally, the EAP helped to communicate the federal government's interest in developing bioenergy, bioproducts, and industrial bioprocesses in Canada to a broader audience.

CBIN's Private Community Website - Community Zero
or CZ (English-Only Website)