Evaluation of the Radio Advisory Board of Canada Grant Program

The report is organized into four sections: Section 1 provides an overview of the RABC grant program; Section 2 presents the evaluation methodology; Section 3 presents the findings pertaining to the evaluation issues of performance and relevance; and Section 4 summarizes the study’s conclusions and provides recommendations. [...] Given the low materiality of the grant expenditure, the evaluation focused on the usefulness of the grant to Industry Canada. [...] This information contributed to assessing the program’s effectiveness and the likely impact of the two alternative scenarios that could be employed in the absence of the RABC. [...] For example, according to program management, the equivalent of roughly an additional two or three full-time staff would likely be needed to undertake the research now done by RABC members that informs the technical standards, manage the process via the Canada Gazette (or organize and chair stakeholder consultations), and analyze and consolidate all of the input from either process. [...] According to some interviewees, the process would be more litigious if Industry Canada undertook the work done by the RABC, and according to one, public consultation is not a suitable option given the technical nature of the issues.