2020-25 Strategic Plan Review

The College will measure and report its regulatory performance to the public.

Strategy: Enhance IT systems and data governance to support data collection, analysis, reporting and security.

• Successfully moved to a new online credit card payment processor, which significantly reduced the risk of payment errors.
• Migrated all electronic data to the cloud, which is managed and accessed using multiple layers of security.
• Deployed Office 365 user security hardening and enhanced cybersecurity measures including running monthly vulnerability scans to identify risks, requiring all CDO users to use multi-factor authentication on Office 365, and conducting continuous security monitoring by way of scanning, alerts and manual checks.
• Configured Office 365 with geofiltering and an enhanced IT service to proactively detect and respond to malicious activities and cyber events

Strategy: Convey information about College effectiveness in clear, concise, transparent, and accessible reporting formats.

• Updated Board meeting highlights in a new infographic format.
• Published a CPMF highlights report summarizing our accomplishments and commitments for improvement.
• Updated Board briefing material templates to include sections connecting materials to EDI-B, public interest and strategic plan.
• Published the first, public-facing, EDI-B status report
• Launched a dedicated Discipline Decisions webpage listing all discipline committee decisions.

The College will communicate effectively to support understanding of the College’s mandate, services and resources.

Strategy: Increase our understanding about the public and RDs and use learning to design communication and educational initiatives.

• Conducted a third-party brand awareness survey to establish a benchmark score of the public’s awareness of CDO and its role.
• Conducted a third-party audit of CDO’s communications—including an RD relational survey—establishing a relational benchmark and supporting the launch of a comprehensive relational communications strategy.
• Launched an innovative, two-year public awareness campaign focused on public protection and delivered through digital and medical advertising that doubled website traffic, resulting in more than one million pageviews for the first time in the history of the College.

Strategy: Enhance College consultation, outreach processes, and communication methods in a way that considers equity, diversity and inclusion, and right-touch regulation.

• Launched the CDO Equity and Anti-Racism Survey, which explored how equity and anti-racism may influence CDO’s work. Feedback from the public and registrants was gathered to identify whether individuals had directly or indirectly experienced prejudice or discrimination during their involvement with CDO.
• Launched a dedicated EDI-B section of the website.
• Published an EDI-B Status Report as part of CDO’s commitment to transparency about its EDI-B work and actions.

Strategy: Refresh College branding and use communication methods that are engaging, accessible and meet the evolving needs of the public, members, and other groups we engage with.

• Expanded CDO’s social media strategy, including a new Instagram account and adopting a regular posting schedule for all social media platforms.
• Refreshed CDO branding with a new brand identity, logo, colours and fonts.
• Launched a new website, improving communications and positioning the College for more robust digital deliverables.

The College will make decisions in accordance with a risk (harm reduction) framework.

Strategy: Develop risk-based and right-touch regulation tools and processes for college decision-making.     

• Established the Professional Practice Program by merging the Practice Advisory and Quality Assurance Programs. This initiative aimed to provide comprehensive support to dietitians, ensuring safe, ethical, and competent practice.
• Successfully administered the KCAT and PBA PLAR exams via online remote-proctored processes, expanding access while mitigating risk.
• Developed an ICRC Risk Assessment Framework and Registrar referral risk-framework to ensure consistent, fair and transparent decision making guided by assessment of risk to public.

Strategy: Align standards and resources for Registered Dietitians with risk-based, right-touch and EDI principles.

• Developed the Practising Dietetics Policy to help dietitians reflect on their practice and determine their currency hours given recent changes in dietetics practice, ensuring a right-touch, risk-based approach to currency.
• Expanded KCAT eligibility criteria for applicants without practical training.
• Developed discipline resource for self-represented registrants, which reduces risk to the CDO based on recent legal precedent.
• Developed standards and guidelines designed to assist dietitians in understanding their legal and professional obligations in emerging areas of practice, ensuring they practice safely, ethically, and competently on topics including: advertising and marketing, practicing under a delegation of a controlled act, social media and virtual care.
• A new Code of Ethics was introduced, including guidelines for social media influencers and artificial intelligence, to future-proof the integrity of the dietetics profession.

Strategy: Leverage organizational data and external information to identify and act on areas of risk

• Completed the financial investment and risk tolerance review alongside the revision of the investment policy, resulting in a strengthened investment framework, improved risk assessment measures and enhanced financial oversight to support long-term stability.
• Completed board finance policies on investments, financial management and reserve fund, which ensures CDO considers and mitigates risk in its stewardship of resources, has adequate resources to carry out strategic priorities and mandate and can ensure continuity of operations.
• Enhanced ICRC and professional practice data and information sharing, including ICRC training on new practice standards to ensure they are applied accurately and consistently.

The College will update its governance model in accordance with evidence-based practices.

Strategy: Implement governance initiatives that promote regulatory excellence, accountability and EDI principles.

• A third-party governance expert conducted a review of CDO’s governance structure and processes, paving the way for a Board approved governance modernization action plan.
• Adopted a new governance model to align with best practices and positioning CDO as a leader among Ontario regulators. The new framework includes:
  • Creating a governance committee.
  • A single electoral district.
  • The removal of nominators as a requirement for board elections.
  • A pre-election/appointment orientation and assessment for board election and committee appointment candidates.
  • A board competency and attribute framework with a Governance Committee led screening process.
  • The reduction of Board size from eight elected directors to six and equal representation of elected and public directors.
  • Terminology changes to more commonly understood language to better explain roles and CDO relationship with RDs.
  • The reduction in the Executive Committee’s role and redistribution of responsibilities to other committees.
  • A new board and committee evaluation framework.
  • Regular third-party assessments of board effectiveness.
  • Increased separation between the Board and committees.
  • An updated composition and role of the Finance and Audit Committee.
  • A revised the risk evaluation framework to better inform the Board about risks to CDO.
• Updated the board’s meeting minutes template to provide additional transparency about the Board’s decisions.
• Achieved all eight benchmarks of an excellent regulator as identified in the CPMF.

Strategy: Operationalize EDI in College processes, policies and decision making.

• Worked with an EDI-B expert to develop a robust EDI-B action plan, focusing on capacity building, culture change, policy and public relations.
• Delivered EDI-B workshops and training sessions to all College assessors, focus groups, Board/Committee members and staff.
• Incorporated an informal Equity Impact Assessment process to practice policy consultation, design and development.
• Updated the Board Code of Conduct with an EDI-B lens.
• Board and staff participated in a learning needs assessment to evaluate current EDI-B competencies. The results were used to identify education needs at the Board, committee and staff levels. The College engaged in training on Indigenous Trauma Informed Practices and adopted an ‘EDI-B learning moment’ at the beginning of all Board meetings.
• Adopted an EDI-B Vision and Mission Statement
• EDI-B added as a corporate value.
• Implemented Land Acknowledgement for Board, Committee and Practice Presentations.
• Created an internal EDI-B working group to oversee and monitor the response to and implementation of EDI-B initiatives within CDO.