United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

As management and staff of the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (CSCHAH), we are excited and honoured to be nominated for an award of this stature. Performing vital services that are integral to the health of Canadians in a world-class facility is a point of pride for each of us here at the CSCHAH. To be recognized on the international stage for these efforts, and for our ongoing pursuit of improved service to Canadians, only adds to the distinction.

By co-locating laboratories from two separate government departments and continually seeking new ways to integrate research and work closely together, we have been able to give our researchers consultation and collaboration opportunities that do not exist anywhere else in the world. This unique differentiator, coupled with the efficiencies of our joint services and governance, helps us not only to respond to and proactively address health issues faced by Canadians but also to significantly reduce our operational costs, thereby saving Canadian taxpayers money.

The laboratories at the CSCHAH offer services in two key areas: diagnostics and research. Our diagnostic services have a direct impact on the health of Canadians and the health of the Canadian economy through the trade of disease free animals; any improvement in these services causes subsequent improvements in health and economy. Both laboratories also provide service to Canadians by helping provincial and local authorities to prevent and control disease through mechanisms like training and by equipping them to provide accurate front-line service.

Both service areas have also been instrumental in establishing national and international networks for monitoring disease and improving global outbreak response. The CSCHAH regularly sends teams into the field for on-site diagnostics in Canada and around the world. Our research is leading to improved diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that may be used anywhere. Working together, the National Microbiology Laboratory and the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease have vastly improved the level of service they provide to Canadians and the world community.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
Integrating human health research and animal health research is of profound global importance. Experts estimate that 75% of all new infectious human diseases result from a human-to-animal species leap, and this rate seems to be increasing over time. Today, more than ever before, the human and animal health sciences must establish new models of partnership and new means of interacting with the public in order to understand and address worldwide health issues quickly and effectively. The Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (CSCHAH) was the first facility in the world to combine laboratories for human and animal disease research at the highest level of biocontainment. Its integrated research approach is positioning Canada to successfully address crises, mitigate risk, and build capacity for improving human and animal health at home and around the world. The CSCHAH is recognized as a leading facility in an elite group of 15 centres around the world, equipped with laboratories ranging from biosafety level 2 to level 4, designed to accommodate the most basic to the most deadly infectious organisms. What makes the Centre’s approach particularly novel from a service delivery perspective is that it not only enables joint research, but offers a whole new model for inter-Agency partnership through shared governance, joint community and citizen engagement, and united international relationship-building. Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the CSCHAH is operated by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and houses the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) and the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML). More than 120 scientists and researchers work at the facility, and there are approximately 200 to 250 projects underway at any given time. About the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) The Public Health Agency of Canada works closely with the Canadian provinces and territories to keep Canadians healthy and help reduce pressures on the health care system. Its focuses primarily on promoting more effective efforts to prevent chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, preventing injuries, and responding to public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks. About the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency safeguards Canada’s food supply and the plants and animals upon which safe and high-quality food depends through the delivery of inspection programs related to food, plants, and animals in 18 regions across Canada. About the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) As part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease provides state-of-the-art scientific expertise and technologies for the prevention, detection, control, and reporting of foreign animal disease. About the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) As Canada’s leading public health infectious disease laboratory, the National Microbiology Laboratory is responsible for identifying, controlling, and preventing infectious diseases. Its activities include reference microbiology, support to epidemiology programs, surveillance, emergency response, applied and discovery research, and management of intellectual assets.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
October 1988 – Government of Canada announces that the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease and the National Microbiology Laboratory will be built together in one facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 1992 – Construction of the CSCHAH begins. 1997 - The CSCHAH opens in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada—the first facility in the world designed to accommodate high-containment laboratories for both human and animal research. September 1997 – First staff members begin moving into the facility. Spring 1998 – First laboratories begin operating. January 2000 – After working closely with local citizens and media, the CSCHAH establishes the Community Liaison Committee. The arms-length Committee meets regularly to respond to community queries, ensure the smooth flow of accurate information between the facility and the public, and address public concerns about the facility. 2001 – New management at both the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease and the National Microbiology Laboratory decides to further integrate operations, governance, and research in order to further improve the CSCHAH’s services to the public. July 2002 – NCFAD achieves ISO 17025 accreditation. October 2005 – NML achieves ISO 17025 accreditation. July 2006 – The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease is recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health as a reference centre for Avian Influenza and for BSE, expanding on its existing reference centre status for Classical Swine Fever.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Seizing the Opportunity for Greater Scientific Integration In 2001, the CSCHAH experienced changes in leadership at both the NCFAD and NML laboratories that significantly altered the way its researchers work together. Prior to this change, the labs operated much more independently. As a matter of general practice in Canada and around the world, scientific partnerships at the CSCHAH’s present level of integration were virtually unheard of at the time. However, the new leadership recognized an important opportunity to pioneer highly correlative programs and share the costs and administration associated with managing a fully integrated human and animal health sciences research centre. Since that time, the CSCHAH has continually nurtured an environment where animal health and human health researchers can work interdependently in response to outbreaks and build common areas of expertise on an ongoing basis

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Working Together to Solve Present and Future Health Issues At the CSCHAH, researchers share a common purpose: to assist each other in times of crisis, and to continually learn from each other. Their shared objective is to nurture the Centre’s environment of multidisciplinary collegiality, because it is this spirit of partnership that promotes and accelerates effective research.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
An Unprecedented Approach to Shared Governance The NML and NCFAD labs share capacity, equipment, people and research. Their collaboration also extends to operations, and they have built a world-class centre for joint communications and incident response. Across the organization, researchers are encouraged to work together, spawning innovations in several areas: Crisis Response Both the CFIA and PHAC have taken turns being on the front lines of disease outbreaks in Canada; in each instance, they have benefited from the move to greater integration in 2001. The outcomes of their crisis response partnership are detailed in the Results achieved to date section below. Research The NML-NCFAD collaboration is contributing directly to global understanding of the origins of disease and our capacity to resolve crises and improve health over time. Current joint projects between the two labs include: - Improving disease-free animal care and husbandry - Addressing the unique requirements of the biocontainment level 4 labs - Building capacity for bioterrorist response - Continuing to build tools to fight Avian Influenza - Understanding and addressing Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies - Developing a comprehensive, cooperative approach to genetics and pathobiology of Prion Disease - Developing recombinant vaccines for diseases caused by Nipah virus, Ebola virus and Marburg virus Governance and Management The Directors of both labs share management and decision-making authority. Regular Directors’ meetings are designed to ensure that the facility can maximize research capacity on an ongoing basis. The two organizations also work together on various committees and projects, and in ad hoc partnerships like the NCFAD lab’s recent work in assisting the NML with getting ISO certification. Community Relations The Centre’s relationship with the local community offers a model of transparency that has been noted by research centres around the world. The CSCHAH Community Liaison Committee (CLC) was established to address public concerns among Winnipeg residents about safety and containment procedures, and to maintain an atmosphere of public trust and confidence. The Committee meets regularly gather direct public input and promote better public understanding of the Centre and its work. The CLC remains independent from the CSCHAH and all levels of government. International Relations The CSCHAH is also a locus for building important international relationships. Scientists, researchers, governments, and facilities managers from around the world contact the CSCHAH regularly to collaborate on research and benefit from the facility’s capabilities and the resulting staff expertise. These international relationships directly benefit Canadian trade and international disease control capacity.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Improved Response Capacity, Ongoing Efficiencies In one sense, one of the most significant achievements of the Centre can only be measured in negative terms: the innumerable disease outbreaks that have not occurred—a number which can never be tallied—is a direct result of our deeper understanding of disease and ability to proactively control disease. Without the CSCHAH’s emphasis on joint governance, the outcomes of recent disease outbreaks in Canada would have been costlier, more time-consuming, and perhaps more deadly. The cross-fertilization of expertise in areas where, under typical circumstances, the two sciences wouldn’t mix, has had a number of positive results: Emergency Response West Nile Virus During recent West Nile Virus outbreaks across Canada, PHAC was responsible for surveillance of the disease among the human population. The CSCHAH labs partnered to determine which tests to use, identify which birds to survey, and test for the disease among the equine population. CFIA scientists developed the diagnostic reagents and positive tissues used in the test protocols, and these were transferred as the responsibility for diagnosis moved from CFIA to PHAC. SARS During the 2003 Canadian SARS outbreak, scientists at the CSCHAH collaborated to find the cause of the disease within the human population, the virus’s host range, and appropriate therapies. The NML drew on the NCFAD lab’s expertise with the host range of the virus in domestic animals. As the NML lab developed human vaccines, the NCFAD lab was able to test them using its existing diagnostic tools. A range of domestic animals were tested as potential reservoirs of SARS virus, and an animal model developed that could be used for vaccine experiments. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) BSE-positive cattle discovered in Alberta put the CFIA on the frontlines of an international crisis. The NML lab was able to provide invaluable assistance with genome sequencing for the cows in question. Avian Influenza (AI) During the Canadian AI outbreaks in British Columbia, scientists at the CSCHAH drew on each other’s knowledge to identify testing procedures to help deal with the outbreak. The NML’s genetics work has helped the CFIA better understand the disease. The NCFAD is working with the NML to test the pathogenicity of avian related strains of influenza virus in other species, and the two labs are working together to identify the strains present in the wild bird population. Best Practices in Governance and Management As the Government of Canada promotes greater integration in science research, the CSCHAH is putting the concept into practice. The innovative practice of governing the CSCHAH by joint committee is a unique example of inter-Agency partnership. As new requirements arise daily, from technical and equipment-related upgrades to staffing, the two organizations work together to find money for capital upgrades, to ensure that the facility has the most stringent biosafety standards available, and to operate as one when it comes to dealing with the local community and the Canadian public. Cost Savings Both organizations benefit significantly from economies of scale because they do not need to expend time and resources duplicating capacity and expertise. They are also able to share common services such as security, facility maintenance, library, and canteen. Attracting World-Leading Talent The capacity for research offered by the facility has been a beacon to international researchers. This has created a robust community of some of the best scientists in the world. As a result, the quality of the science is unique on the global stage.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Partnering for Ongoing Results Bioterrorism, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and vaccine development are local, national and global issues that will continue to be priorities for both the NML and the NCFAD. The CSCHAH envisions an even closer working relationship in the future. The organization’s focus on the human-animal interface will deepen, enabling Canada to deal with current concerns and identify trends in order to prevent, control and treat future health emergencies. The Centre anticipates that Canadian capacity for health emergency response will be foremost in the world. Potential implications for other organizations The joint work of the CSCHAH laboratories is impacting the lives of people affected by disease outbreaks around the world. The work is also having a notable impact on research being conducted in affected areas. Both the CFIA and PHAC are working together alongside researchers and governments in Vietnam, Angola, China and Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Mexico, and Cuba. As a method for managing policy and regulation, the CSCHAH’s governance approach provides a model for other organizations in maximizing shared mandates, making the best use of experts and expertise, cutting the time and expense of implementing policies and practices that impact the well-being of citizens, and improving the level of cooperation among related government bodies.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
Addressing community concerns It is not unusual for facilities containing Level 4 laboratories, where pathogens such as Ebola can be worked with safely, to be challenged by the concerns of local residents. While the CSCHAH now has a renowned community relations program that is being emulated by laboratory facilities in Canada and elsewhere, the program was initially developed to address community concerns regarding the safety of the facility. In retrospect, this committee should have been established well before construction began, rather than after the official opening. Today, the Community Liaison Committee is a vital forum for communicating with the public, hearing their concerns, and ensuring transparency at all levels of government. There is tremendous value in having the two laboratories work together on issues of public concern, not least of which is the fact that the public does not distinguish between the two labs, but judges the facility as a single unit. Overcoming the concerns of the community and instilling a sense of pride among residents has allowed researchers to continue their work, focus on their programs, and improve their delivery of services. Overcoming barriers to collaboration Initially, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada each developed its own independent plan for a high-containment laboratory and approached the central government for funding separately. The government’s final decision to build the laboratories together in one facility was an economic one: the government recognized that there would be significant cost savings in constructing and operating a single facility. Thus, the CSCHAH was initially a “marriage of convenience.” CSCHAH management soon began to see the scientific and research advantages of this union, however, and ultimately developed a much deeper relationship than anyone had originally anticipated. In the beginning, the CSCHAH faced the cultural and bureaucratic barriers to collaboration inherent in integrating two separate government departments—and two distinct scientific disciplines. Their systems, procedures, cultures, and priorities were entirely different. In 2001, however, new management took over operation of both labs, bringing with it a vision that foresaw the incredible benefits of working together and the potential that this collaboration had to improve the services offered by both laboratories. By encouraging collaboration and the development of joint programs and support services, management has helped to build an award-winning and world-leading integrated research centre whose culture, processes, and governance truly transcends bureaucratic borders to create a new model for public service delivery.


Institution Name:		The Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health
Institution Type:		Government Agency
Contact Person:		Judith Bossé
Title:		Vice-President
Telephone/ Fax:		(613) 221-4505
Institution's / Project's Website:		(613) 228-6680
E-mail:		bossej@inspection.gc.ca
Address:		59 Camelot Drive
Postal Code:		K1A 0Y9
City:		Ottawa
State/Province:		Ontario
Country:		Canada

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information