Elaine McCoy, QC


A lawyer and former Alberta Cabinet Minister, Ms. McCoy is president of the Macleod Institute at the University of Calgary. She has over 30 years experience in regulation and policy development in the private and public sectors.

Ms. McCoy's professional accomplishments include the following:

• Project leader on an evaluation study of the Western Diversification Program to determine relevance, success and cost-effectiveness. Client and staff surveys were conducted, key informant interviews completed and results analyses is on-going.

• Project leader in conducting an identification of data sources and documents, and a review of literature pertaining to post-secondary education to be used to assist in the data analysis and report writing phase of the Post Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) evaluation for DIAND.

• Project leader in completing an evaluation for DIAND that covers a portion of its Post-Secondary Education Program. Among other tasks, a Graduate Students Survey was designed and developed, and both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed.

• Project leader on a comprehensive evaluation of, and authored the final report for, a strategic review of the Canada Business Service Centres in western Canada for Western Economic Diversification. Research laid the groundwork for a detailed profile of all SMEs in western Canada. The Centres include seven hub and satellite offices and 136 regional access centres throughout the four western provinces, in addition to headquarters personnel, and the National Secretariat which is located in Ottawa. The project included identifying indicators for each of the evaluation questions, identifying data sources, developing data collection instruments, and researching alternative ways to design and deliver the program.

• Acted as Project Manager on an evaluation of the West Kitikmeot / Slave Study (WKSS). An evaluation framework was prepared, followed by collection of data and information, analysis, reporting and recommendations. The WKSS comprises a partnership of 3 federal and territorial governments, together with several First Nations, industry and NGO organizations

• Conducted an in-depth study regarding distributed generation (electricity) for the Government of Alberta, with a particular emphasis on technologies that produce low greenhouse gas emissions (or none at all). Barriers and solutions are examined with a view to improving electricity supply in the province

• Developed and approach for integrating thresholds/indicators and principles of carrying capacity in a cumulative effects assessment and management framework for the Canadian Artic Resources Committee and the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (NWT)

• Prepared a Scoping Report on issues, outstanding concerns and stakeholder expectations in the Bighorn region and designed a collaborative process for resolving user conflicts, adopting indicators and integrating management responses, for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development

• Governance expertise and evaluation services for the Government of the Northwest Territories, for the purpose of developing a broad Third Party Accountability Framework. This framework will provide all parties delivering programs and services on behalf of the GNWT with a consistent approach to accountability

• Conducted a program evaluation for the Interim Resource Management Assistance (IRMA) program for DIAND, and made recommendations for guiding future program development. The evaluation involved preparing an evaluation framework (issues, research questions, indicators, data sources, and data collection methods), document reviews, 16 case studies and 43 interviews covering a wide range of federal, territorial and First Nations agencies in northern Canada, as well as private sector corporations and organizations

• Conducted an independent performance evaluation for the Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency (which was established to oversee BHPs Ekati Mine in the Northwest Territories), and made recommendations for improving the Agency's future compliance. The evaluation was completed to meet tight timelines and included both document reviews and 29 personal interviews in western and northern Canada

• Led the Institute's team in a peer review of Syncrude Canada's environmental impact assessment for a major oil sands development; participated in peer reviews of Suncor Oil Sands and Nova Chemical's petrochemical plant

• Facilitated and wrote the Romanian Petroleum Sector's Environmental Action Plan

  

• Designed and co-authored a workbook, Assessing Regulatory Alternatives, for use by the Colombian government, industry and community representatives involved in the CIDA-Colombia Environment, Hydrocarbons and Mines Project

• For Alberta Environmental Protection (AEP): (i) chief analyst in the preparation of environmental data quality assurance recommendations; (ii) developed a model which predicted the cost of regulatory delay

• Reviewed a selection of environmental impact assessments and regulatory processes to identify current best practices in cumulative effects assessments; developed policy recommendations for AEP

• Co-authored Technology Perspectives on Biotechnology which reviewed the impact of newly developing biotechnology on Canada's future energy sources and consumption for NRCan

• Led a review and analysis of the Yukon's proposed environmental assessment legislation for the Territorial Government's Development Assessment Process Commission

• Completed an independent review of the Town of Cochrane's Environmental Management System

• Pioneered and led the Alberta Government in the use of business plans and implemented the use of Delegated Regulatory Organizations in Alberta

• Practised law as senior legal counsel with the Alberta Public Utilities Board

• Led multidisciplinary rate case teams before regulatory tribunals

Positions of Note:

• Vice-Chair, Climate Change Central

• Member, Alberta Economic Development Authority

• Member, Ministerial Advisory Committee for Environmental Protection

• Governor, Calgary Centre for Innovative Technology

• Director, Alberta Society of Engineering Technologists

• Member, Canadian Evaluation Society

• Member, Alberta Arbitration & Mediation Society