Archived - Evaluation of the Indian Government Support Programs - Follow-up Report Status Update as of March 31, 2011
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Action Plan Implementation Status Update Report to the Evaluation, Performance Measurement and Review Committee - As of March 31, 2011
Regional Operations
Evaluation of the Indian Government Support Programs (1570-7/08044)
AEC Approval Date: 24/09/2009
| Project Recommendations | Action Plan | Expected Completion Date | Program Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. IGS [Indian Government Support] funding should be continued. The evidence strongly suggests that this is the backbone of First Nation government, and that, without this support, many of the administrations would encounter seriously difficulty. INAC should seek ways to consolidate its delivery of Indian Government Support to create administrative efficiencies both within the Department and for First Nation management. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agrees.
INAC will propose to renew the IGS program while maintaining its focus on supporting First Nation governments. The proposed new program authorities would aim to improve administrative efficiencies for both the department and First Nations. |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Status: Close
Update/Rationale: Comment on entire follow up: **** The following technical and administrative improvements are being made to the Indian Government Support programs: the reduction of administrative and reporting burdens through the consolidation of reports; the modernization of the Indian Government Support System to eliminate duplicate data collection, and the implementation of a governance capacity planning tool to improve capacity development. **** AES: Close- Fully Implemented |
| (a) INAC, in consultation with First Nations and tribal councils, should revisit IGS [Indian Government Support] component program policies to update program objectives, expectations and anticipated outcomes and ensure that these are clearly stated. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agrees. To this end, INAC engaged stakeholders between February and June 2009. INAC will propose a new policy authority by March 2010 which will establish a basis to update the objectives, expectations and anticipated outcomes of the Indian Government Support programs. |
31/03/2010 |
Status: Close
Update/Rationale: As of 30/09/2010: AES: Close - No longer Relevant. New policy authorities not sought due to unavailability of new funds – SADM committed to FN that program would not change until fiscal situation improved. |
| (b) INAC should simplify and modernize BSF [Band Support Funding] and TCF [Tribal Council Funding] program formulae so that they are clearly reflective of program policies and are transparent to First Nation and tribal council administrations. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agree.
By March 2010 INAC will propose a policy authority to establish the basis for simpler, modern and transparent funding formulae. |
31/03/2010 |
Status: Close
Update/Rationale: AES: Close- No longer Relevant. New policy authorities not sought due to unavailability of new funds – SADM committed to FN that program would not change until fiscal situation improved. |
| (c) BAS [Band Advisory Services] funding should be blended with the BSF [Band Support Funding]grant. The program policy should state clearly the rationale for only funding large, independent First Nations. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agrees that Band Advisory Services should be integrated into Band Support Funding as part of the proposed renewed program design.
Providing advisory services to small individual First Nations is not cost effective without the benefit of aggregation. Smaller First Nations continue to have the option of forming tribal councils to access the same advisory services at the aggregate level. First Nations unaffiliated with tribal councils and with populations less than 2000 continue to have access to advisory services through INAC regional offices. INAC will consider seeking a revised authority to integrate Band Advisory Services into Band Support Funding as part of the Indian Government Support program renewal. INAC will also consider continuing to support the Tribal Council Funding program as the most cost effective method of providing advisory services to smaller First Nations. If approved, INAC's proposed revised policy for advisory services in large First Nations will explicitly note the cost effectiveness of funding organizations which serve larger populations. |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Status: Recommend to close
Update/Rationale: ** Comment for entire Follow Up. (In addition to #1)** The following technical and administrative improvements have been completed with the Indian Government Support programs: the reduction of administrative and reporting burdens through the consolidation of reports; and the implementation of a governance capacity tool to enhance capacity development. The Indian Government Support System is being modernized to further eliminate duplicate data collection. AES: Recommend to Close all |
| (d) The composition of advisory services under TCF [Tribal Council Funding] and BAS [Band Advisory Services] funding should be updated to reflect modern administration needs. Consideration might be given to aligning these to the ten functions of government to be consistent with the P&ID program. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agree.
INAC will propose a new policy authority by March 2010 which will establish a basis to update the list of eligible advisory services under the Tribal Council Funding program. INAC will work with the national working group on the renewal of the Tribal Council Funding program to determine what could be included in this list. |
31/03/2010 |
Status: Close
Update/Rationale: AES: Close- No longer Relevant. New policy authorities not sought due to unavailability of new funds – SADM committed to FN that program would not change until fiscal situation improved. |
| (e) INAC should continue the process of integrating funding for the BEB [Band Employee Benefits] with its salaried programs, following the Health Canada model. Sufficient time should be given for the conversion process to allow the Minister to seek Cabinet approval for INAC salaried programs to build this into their funding bases. As well, management will have to consider provisions required to "grandfather" funding for the defined benefit plan managed by the RBA in Quebec. |
At its meetings with First Nation administrators in June, INAC proposed integrating Band Employee Benefits funding with funding for INAC programs which fund salaries, following the Health Canada model. This proposal was not widely supported by participants. The participants' main concern was that integrating pension and benefits dollars into salaried programs would obscure the size of the shortfall in the Band Employee Benefits program budget and would not significantly reduce the administrative burden.
INAC will consider seeking policy and program authorities to continue funding employee benefits packages. |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Status: Close
Update/Rationale: AES: Close- No longer Relevant. Not supported by FN administrators/ program would not change until fiscal situation improved. |
| 2. INAC, in consultation with funding recipients, should seek to streamline reporting requirements with the goal of freeing up administrative resources within First Nation and tribal council administrations and the INAC regions. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agree and under the new Policy on Transfer Payments will develop new reporting requirements.
As the new Policy on Transfer Payments will be implemented by March 2011, discussion with First Nations will occur to develop new reporting requirements. |
31/03/2011 | |
| (a) If tribal council advisory services are not specified under a renewed IGS [Indian Government Support] program, consideration should be given to limiting tribal council reporting to the annual audit. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agree that the administrative burden can be reduced. However, the Policy on Transfer Payments requires that contribution-based funding be justified through reports.
With input from a national working group on the renewal of the Tribal Council Funding program, INAC will consider new reporting requirements which would aim to gather relevant outcomes-based data while minimizing the administrative burden |
DD/MM/YYYY | |
| 3. INAC should establish a performance measurement regime for the IGS [Indian Government Support] suite of programs. |
INAC agrees that all new or renewed programs have performance management regimes.
INAC will propose a performance measurement strategy for the new program authority. |
DD/MM/YYYY | |
| (a) In the area of performance monitoring and reporting, INAC should begin to identify sources for outcome-related measurement and establish a system of performance measurement to support regularized collection and assessment of data on impacts and outcomes. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada agrees. In June 2009, officials held discussion sessions with over 450 First Nation administrators on how to improve performance measurement under a renewed program.
INAC will take into consideration discussions held with First Nation administrators when establishing a performance measurement strategy to monitor the impacts and outcomes of a renewed program. |
DD/MM/YYYY | |
| 4. Future IGS [Indian Government Support] program design and delivery should support efforts to increase First Nation governance capacity. |
INAC agrees.
INAC will consider seeking program authorities for a renewed program which increases First Nation capacity. |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Status: Close
Update/Rationale: AES: Closed- No Longer Relevant |
| 5. As the only departmental program targeted specifically to strengthening governance capacity, P&ID should be given a longer-term dimension to enable funding support for more complex multi-year projects. |
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada appreciate the benefits of multi-year funding for capacity development projects.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada will consider using the new Policy on Transfer Payments to offer multi-year funding for governance capacity development projects based on recipient governance capacity development plans. |
DD/MM/YYYY |