FedNor's new director general wants to re-connect with northerners for guidance on what direction the regional economic development agency needs to go.
Aime Dimatteo told a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce audience he wants to hear their advice and opinions on the “good, bad and the ugly” of FedNor's current programming.
It's part of a comprehensive top-to-bottom organizational review that's now underway.
“I come from the perspective that our programs can only be as good, as strong, and as representative of the constitutiencies that we both serve,” said the former executive director of Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, at a Sept. 9 luncheon.
Dimatteo said he wants to bring a results-oriented approach to community investment and re-establish FedNor as major development partner.
“It should be, it better be, I want it to be, the eyes, ears and voice” for northern Ontario communities and the business sector, he said.
Industry Canada tapped Dimatteo in June to replace Louise Paquette, who resigned last January to take the position of chief executive officer for the North East Local Health Integration Network.
Dimatteo said a steering committee made up of representatives from municipalities, the private sector, chambers, academia is in place to guide the review.
There will also be upcoming one-on-one interviews with selected stakeholders.
The native of Coniston worked for 32 years with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, beginning in 1978 as a senior financial officer with the former Ministry of Northern Affairs.
Many business leaders in northern Ontario said they hope Dimatteo will address mounting frustrations with the agency over delays in advancing money to stalled community projects, many of which are tied to matching provincial dollars.
Afterwards, in an interview, Dimatteo wouldn't put a timeline on the length of the review before its findings are presented to federal Industry Minister Tony Clement.
“I can't shorten and I won't shorten due diligence. Whatever time it takes, it's going to take.”
Dimatteo said part of the review will examine how to streamline the funding application and approvals process to meet the needs of clients.
He wouldn't say if any major or minor organizational changes are in store, but said he will have considerable say, given his previous NOHFC affiliation.
One major issue Dimatteo must tackle is the uncertain future of FedNor's international trade strategy, following the disbandment of its regional trade and export advisory program, Trade Northern Ontario.
Four trade advisers in Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay were laid off this past summer when funding for the trade network ran dry in mid-August. It's the third time in four years funding was allowed to lapse.
All trade inquiries are now being channelled through FedNor's International Business Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.
The trade program has chronically operated in stops and starts since 2006. Its administration has been shuffled off to a number of community organizations, the last being Northwestern Ontario Development Network based in Dryden.
The trade advisers, who were private contractors, acted as the public outreach arm of FedNor's trade strategy, dealing one-on-one with small and medium-sized companies in getting them interested in exporting.
Disbanding the trade program ran contrary to the findings made in a 2008 consultants report prepared for FedNor. One of the report's objectives was to find out if FedNor was getting fair value and results for its $1.5 million investment.
The review, prepared by Performance Management Network Inc., criticized FedNor for launching the Export Development Initiative program “with a minimum level of direction” in guidelines, objectives, expectations, methods of gathering information and reporting requirements.
The consultants attributed much of the program's success to the work and relationships formed between the trade advisers and their client companies.
One of the recommendations was: “FedNor should continue to fund an initiative that delivers one-on-one trade-related services directly to SME's (small and medium-sized enterprises.”
The consultants conducted a telephone survey of 150 clients along with 54 in-depth telephone interviews with a range of stakeholders.
Three months into his new job, DiMatteo said he had yet to fully digest the report.
“I've got the report, but it's part of a hell of a lot of other reports and analysis. It's not my job to pour through that. I said to my staff, let do the full review, give me a full analysis, let's look at the options, then I'll get into it.
“As I'm being told, over the years, there have a been a number of different concepts...we keep going from one to the other. So let's step back and do a full review.”
Northern Ontario exports was a $12 billion business in 2007, mostly from the manufacturing sector. There is a strong showing in exports to non-U.S. areas such as Asia, the European Union and South America, much of it attributed to a very active Sudbury mining supply sector, said Dimatteo.
“We going to need to do (more of) that and I think FedNor has a role to play in that.”
Article by Northern Ontario Business reporter Ian Ross. Northern Ontario Business is Northern Life's sister publication.
