VICTORIA – The Province is launching an independent review and public consultation on government’s operational response to the COVID-19 pandemic to better inform preparations and responses to future emergencies and ensure British Columbians are protected.

The goal is to learn about how government agencies worked together to address the effects of COVID-19 that affected everyone, changed rapidly and continues to cause a high level of uncertainty.

The review will include what aspects of preparedness, engagement, communications and implementation worked well, what changes were made to improve operational effectiveness as the pandemic evolved, and what improvements can be made to better prepare for pandemics and emergencies.

Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, has appointed an independent project team to conduct a review of the B.C. public sector’s response to COVID-19 since March 2020. The project team includes three long-time, former senior leaders of the BC Public Service: Bob de Faye; Dan Perrin; and Chris Trumpy. Together, they will bring extensive expertise in large-scale public-sector governance and operations.

The project team will engage extensively with government agencies, First Nations, Indigenous organizations, stakeholders, partners and independent regulators that have been involved in responding to the pandemic on behalf of British Columbians.

Until April 20, people in British Columbia can provide written feedback about how they, or their business or organization, has been affected by government’s operational measures and communication throughout the pandemic.

A report with a comprehensive summary of the findings is expected by fall.

By learning from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, the B.C. government will be in a better position to build B.C. back stronger than ever and be ready for future emergencies.

Quick Facts:

• The review will focus on operational responses to the pandemic by the B.C. government from January 2020 into 2022.
• The scope of the review does not include an assessment of the public policy decisions made by government to deal with the consequences of the pandemic and decisions made by the provincial health officer. Decisions made about economic recovery, such as supports for small businesses and families will not be part of the review. This review will, however, look at how these decisions were made.
• In October 2021, the Office of the Seniors Advocate completed a review of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care and assisted-living sites.

Learn More:

To view the terms of reference for the review, visit:
https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/121/2022/03/COVID-19LessonsLearnedTOR-FINAL09MAR22.pdf

To participate in the public engagement until 4 p.m. (Pacific time) on April 20, 2022, visit:
https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultation/covid-19-lessons-learned-review/

A backgrounder follows.

Biographies of the project team leading the operational review of the B.C. government’s response to COVID-19 follow.

Bob de Faye

Bob de Faye has enjoyed a 32-year career in the British Columbia public service, including nine years as a deputy minister for the following: the former Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation; the former Ministry of Small Business and Revenue; the former Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services; and the Public Sector Employer’s Council. He was associate deputy minister and chief administrative officer at the Ministry of Health and served for two years as chair of the BC Medical Services Commission.

For the past 10 years, he has been a strategic adviser and executive consultant in public policy analysis and development. He has worked for First Nations, local governments, the resource industry and for the B.C. government on governance and operations reviews.

Daniel Perrin

Daniel (Dan) Perrin is a public policy professional, active in providing public policy advice in British Columbia since 1981 through a wide range of activities. As founding principal of Perrin, Thorau and Associates Ltd., established in 1994, he has undertaken hundreds of assignments for all manner of provincial public-sector entities, ranging from ministries to Crown corporations and authorities, to local governments and First Nations. These assignments relate to issues across the spectrum of provincial and local government responsibility and share a common thread of financial and economic considerations.

During this time, he has facilitated numerous independent, expert reviews charged with addressing, among other things, improvements to the budget process and financial administration for the Province of B.C., real estate regulatory reform, money laundering in real estate, tax competitiveness, replacing the revenues associated with eliminating MSP premiums, reforming disability assistance and the Expert Panel on Basic Income.

Prior to founding Perrin, Thorau and Associates, he held a series of increasingly senior positions in the B.C. public service, including in the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Premier and the former Ministry of Social Services.

Chris Trumpy

Chris Trumpy retired from the BC Public Service in 2009 after 30 years of service, including time as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance, the former Ministry of Environment, the former Ministry of Provincial Revenue and the former Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management. Since then, he has been involved in several projects, including industrial electricity policy, forest contractor sustainability, public school funding formula review, BC Transit governance and ICBC investment management. He has also served on not-for-profit and for-profit boards since retirement.