Evaluation of Indian Moneys, Estates and Treaty Annuities - Follow-up Report Status Update as of December 31, 2014

Status: Completed – Closed

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/03/2014:

• Policy drafted.
• Once approvals are provided, AANDC will be inviting First Nations to comment on the proposed policy through the Departmental website in Q1 of 2014-15 fiscal year.
• Implementation of the policy is targeted for 2014-15.

AES: Sufficient progress made. Recommend to close. Closed.

Status: Completed – Closed

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/03/2014:

• The draft policy includes reporting requirements to membership.
• Once approvals are provided, AANDC will be inviting First Nations to comment on the proposed policy through the Departmental website in Q1 of the 2014-15 fiscal year.
• This online engagement approach aligns with the Government of Canada's commitment to increase transparency.

The input gathered during the online engagement period will be used to finalize the new policy.

AES: Sufficient progress made. Recommend to close. Closed.

Status: Completed – Closed

Update/Rationale:
As of 30/06/2014:

• The Manual for the Administration of Band Moneys (MABM) has been updated and approved for translation.
• Upon completion of translation, MABM will be posted on AANDC website as per Departmental web-content policy and procedures.

AES: Sufficient Progress made-recommend to close. Closed.

December 2013

The new 64(1)(k) policy will include requirements that trust arrangements include provisions regarding accountability and reporting to the membership for moneys expended out of the trust.

Status: Completed – Closed

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/03/2014:

• Draft policy includes accountability and reporting requirements.

The Manual for the Administration of Property Pursuant to Section 51 of the Indian Act was updated and circulated in August 2012. The new edition clarifies how to determine and confirm AANDC jurisdiction.

Status: Request to close

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• The working group meets on a monthly basis to discuss recommendations from this evaluation and review current practice and review policies and procedures to address identified challenges in service delivery as needed.
• A GCpedia Estates Community of Practice hub has been created and is currently being used to facilitate quick and effective communication and collaboration between RO and RIA.
• Training has been provided to Regional officers on how to best use these resources
• IMETA has created a central email system in order to better track and address questions from Regions
• Questions that require more clarification, or are frequently asked, will be made available on GCPedia. This will strengthen best practices across regions
• In order to address the lack of national level information surrounding living estates, the joint RIA-RO working group recommends a two phased approach: first, that a discussion paper be developed to obtain the pertinent information regarding living estates' challenges and practices nationally; second, that the discussion paper inform the review and enhancement of improved tools and manuals that focus on solutions for estates officers.

AES: Revised completion date.

March 2014

Revised completion date: September 2015

Status: Request to close

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• The joint RO-RIA working group meets on a monthly basis to discuss recommendations from this evaluation and review current practices to develop new policies and procedures to better address identified challenges in service delivery. Clear guidelines related to "the administrator of last resort" policy for living estates are being developed, and alternative service delivery models are being explored.
• In order to address the lack of national level information surrounding living estates, the joint RIA-RO working group recommends a two phased approach: first, that a discussion paper be developed to obtain the pertinent information regarding living estates challenges and practices nationally; second, that the discussion paper inform the review and enhancement of improved tools and manuals that focus on solutions for estates officers.

AES: Sufficient Progress made. Recommend to close.

Status: Completed – Closed

Update/Rationale:
As of 30/06/2014:

• National training sessions for all RO and RIA employees engaged with estates business have been held monthly since April 2014 (2 hours). Training is held by teleconference and the use of Adobe Connect meeting software which has enabled improved collaboration and communication. This allows training sessions to achieve multiple-goals simultaneously, including: i) training on the administration of estates; ii) review of training and policy materials; and iii) the sharing of best practices among regions.

AES: Sufficient Progress made. Recommend to Close. Closed.

Status: Request to close

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• Regional practices and operations are being reviewed and compared nationally by the joint RIA-RO working group.
• A GCpedia Estates Community of Practice hub has been created and is currently being used to facilitate quick and effective communication and collaboration between RO and RIA.
• Training sessions also involve the review of training materials, and the sharing of best practices and for RO to provide annotation / commentary on all of the areas of estates work as the relevant sections come up for training.
• Regional tools are being adapted by IMETA HQ and are being shared nationally
• RIA continues to adapt the training sessions to regional needs.
• Creation of national IMETA support email that will provide consistency of responses and will allow best practices from Regions to be brought forward.

AES: Sufficient Progress made. Recommend to close.

Status: Ongoing

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• IMETA is working with the Indian Registration System team on the IRS (re-development) to ensure a smooth integration of ERS into the new Indian Registration System.
• IMETA has identified regional participants to discuss the new program with developers.

AES: Revised completion date.

March 2014

Revised completion date: September 2015

March 2014

Revised completion date: September 2015

Status: Underway

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• The joint RIA-RO working group has approved a schedule of issues to review prioritizing areas highlighted by this evaluation report uploaded and updated on GCpedia.
• Development of strategies to mitigate the risks related to delays of notification of death and other impediments to securing assets will be a focus of the joint RIA-RO working group in the 2015/16 fiscal year.
• Development of the new IRS will also help to mitigate these risks.

AES: Revised completion date.

December 2013

Revised completion date: September 2015

Status: Status: Underway

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• The joint RIA-RO working group has approved a schedule of issues to review priority areas highlighted by this evaluation report (updated on GCpedia as needed).
• The working group recommended that RIA conduct a review of regional statistics and data collection. The results of interviews with directors and estates managers across all regions found a variety of documents, as well as ERS, being used. The working group recommended a review of the various proprietary data collection documents in the regions and the ERS data fields to produce a new list of operationally relevant indicators and measures to be implemented into the new IRS system to standardize and improve the quality of estates data.
• RIA is developing guidelines to improve access and uptake of grants and contributions funding in order to better support estates management capacity building within First Nations.

AES: Revised completion date.

March 2014

Revised completion date: September 2015

Status: Underway

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

RIA is working closely with LED on the joint RIA-RO working group goals and targets and is developing tools to support regions in assessing and applying the "administrator of last resort" policy in light of regional experiences and practices.

• Clear guidelines related to "the administrator of last resort" policy for decedent estates are being developed, and alternative service delivery models are being explored. To this end, the creation of new policies / directives is being discussed, including one which would address and provide clear guidance on how to determine jurisdiction in difficult cases.
• IMETA and LED are providing training to regional officers regarding the transfer of land in an estate.
• RIA is working with LED on creating a tool for AANDC officials to ensure the proper legal distribution of assets of an estate.

AES: Revised completion date.

Status: Request to close

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• Regional practices and operations are being reviewed and compared nationally by the joint RIA-RO working group.
• Sharing of specific procedures used by different regions is highly encouraged and space is provided for this during monthly national training sessions and online at the Estates Community GCpedia pages. Some regions have begun sharing their procedures with the group.
• Provided training to regions in January 2015 on how to access and use the tools created for the communities of practice.

AES: Sufficient Progress made. Recommend to close.

Since they are better placed to recruit individuals to meet their needs, regional offices will be responsible for managing the Treaty Annuity Payment Experience. A letter to the Regional Directors General was sent on October 19, 2012 to advise the regions that RIA will no longer be involved in the TAPE.

A workshop with regions and other sectors was held in January 2012 to identify current issues with respect to the effective delivery of treaty annuities to First Nations individuals.

The joint RIA-RO working group will establish a treaty annuity payment community of practice that will review and confirm key issues identified and recommend sustainable solutions as well as explore alternatives to the current service delivery model.

March 2014

Revised completion date: September 2015

Status: Underway

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• A GCpedia Treaty Annuities Community of Practice hub has been created and is currently being used to facilitate quick and effective communication and collaboration between regions and RIA.
• A joint RIA-RO meeting for Treaty Annuities is scheduled for late in the 2014/15 fiscal year
• Working with regions and security to discuss alternative service delivery models.

AES: Revised completion date.

Status: Underway

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• IMETA is working with the Indian Registration System team on the IRS (re-development) to ensure a smooth integration of TPS into the new Indian Registration System.
• IMETA has identified regional staff to provide comments to developers.

AES: Revised completion date.

March 2014

Revised completion date: September 2015

Status: Underway
Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• Development of guidelines for using the TPS effectively to better support service delivery in the regions will be addressed by the joint RIA-RO working group in late 2014-15 fiscal year.

AES: Revised completion date.

The joint RIA-RO working group will recommend approaches to improve the communications between IMETA and the regions. The community of practice on treaty annuity payments will be mandated to foster and maintain sustainable, timely and consistent communications. It will also promote the sharing of best practices with a view to developing standardized approaches to the administration of treaty annuity payments.

Status: Request to close

Update/Rationale:
As of 31/12/2014:

• Development of improved communications between IMETA and the regions will be the addressed by the working group throughout its mandate.
• Development of a Community of Practice is underway. The online presence of the Treaty Annuities community will allow officers to better communicate and establish best practices. These practices or tools will be shared nationally.
• The success of the working group in relation to estates-related recommendations and the monthly national estates training, as well as the deployment of the estates community hub on GCpedia, will be reviewed and considered as a model for Indian Moneys and Treaty Annuities.
• A national call late in the 2014/15 fiscal year is planned for Indian Moneys.

AES: Sufficient Progress made. Recommend to close.