Home Programs Emergency management Emergency preparedness JEPP JEPP manual Terms and conditions

Terms and conditions

1. Authority for the JEPP program

The Emergency Preparedness Act Section 5.1 provides for a legislative requirement for the federal government to provide assistance to the provinces/territories to encourage and support provincial civil preparedness for emergencies and, through provincial governments, local civil preparedness for emergencies, to provide education and training related to civil preparedness for emergencies and to enhance public awareness and understanding of matters related to civil preparedness for emergencies.

The Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) was established in October1980 through RD 418-80RD (c). The initial Program Terms and Conditions were approved as per TB Number 7751116 on January 29, 1981; Section J was amended as per TB Number 784232, and Sections B and C amended as per TB Number 799188, July 31, 1985.

On December 12th 2003, an Order in Council entitled Order Transferring from the Department of National Defence to the Department of the Solicitor General the Control and Supervision of the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (P.C. 2003-2086) was issued under section 3 of the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-34.

2. Program outcomes

Through the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP), the Government of Canada, in consultation and co-operation with provincial and territorial governments, undertakes or contributes to projects that enhance the nation's capacity to address all types of emergencies and to protect critical infrastructures. The ultimate outcome of JEPP is to enhance the national emergency preparedness¹ capability in meeting emergencies of all types. Whether it is through the purchase of emergency preparedness equipment, emergency planning including identification/assessment/assurance of critical infrastructure (referred to as critical infrastructure protection (CIP)) or training, the JEPP investment is a proactive method to reduce injuries or loss of human life as well as property damage costs associated with an emergency.

As per the JEPP Profile included in the Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF) and Risk-based Audit Framework RMAF/RBAF, the planned intermediate outcomes of JEPP are that:

• The provinces and territories, and through them the municipalities, have made a wise investment in emergency preparedness capacity; and,
• Active partnerships between all levels of government and stakeholders exist to ensure significant emergency preparedness response and critical infrastructure protection.

The immediate planned outcomes of JEPP are that:

• Emergency preparedness equipment and personnel are in place to respond to emergencies;
• Emergency plans, partnerships and information available to facilitate emergency response;
• CIP activities involving provincial/territorial/municipal governments together with owners and operators of Canadian infrastructure; and,
• Appropriate public awareness of emergency management and CIP measures.

More detail on program outcomes and how such outcomes will be assessed and reported upon are presented in Annex B.

3. Program objectives

As per the JEPP Profile included in the RMAF/RBAF, the objectives of JEPP are to:

• Make a significant contribution to the achievement of an appropriate increased level of national civil preparedness for emergencies and critical infrastructure protection
• Build capacity for provincial/territorial civil preparedness and, through the provinces/territories, for community civil preparedness in priority areas
• Lever provincial/territorial/municipal government financial support for emergency preparedness and critical infrastructure protection activities that have measurable progress points.

4. Eligible recipients

The recipient class is provincial and territorial governments. A province or territory may submit a proposal in which the ultimate recipient is the provincial/territorial government, its agencies or a municipality. First Nation Reserves are also eligible to apply for JEPP funding through their respective province/territory.

5. Cost-sharing and stacking

Funding share

The maximum percentage of cost-sharing of eligible costs that PSEPC would entertain under JEPP is 75%. However, there is no set formula or ratio for the sharing of projects as cost-sharing ratio is negotiated on a case-by-case basis and depends on nature of the project and funds available. Each project application (which serves as the contribution agreement between the federal government and the provincial/territorial government) will specify the negotiated cost-sharing ratio.

There is no restriction on the participation of secondary stakeholders except that the combined contribution of other federal institutions, like national parks, historic sites, research facilities, military bases, etc., to a provincial/territorial or municipal project must not exceed 25% of the non-JEPP share.

The negotiated cost-sharing ratio must be respected when assistance is provided. In the event that actual PSEPC assistance to a recipient exceeds the negotiated cost-sharing ratio specified in the project application, it will be necessary for PSEPC to adjust its level of assistance (and seek reimbursement, if necessary) so that the cost-sharing ratio is not exceeded.

The program requires all potential recipients to disclose all sources of funding for a proposed project before the start and at the end of a project.

6. Application requirements

Applications from recipients will include:

• Documentation as per Section 7.0 below
• a detailed cost-breakdown summary for the relevant fiscal year;
• a report of shared expenditures for the previous fiscal year, if applicable;
• points by which progress toward completion of the project may be measured; and
• a written commitment by the Provincial/Territorial Minister responsible for emergency management, or a delegated official, to comply with program guidelines and Terms and Conditions of the contribution agreement.

Prospective recipients are required to disclose, as part of their application, the involvement of former public servants who are subject to the post-employment guidelines of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service.

Selection process

JEPP is administered by PSEPC using a formal and well-established review and approval process to fund projects annually. A series of national priorities are established annually through consultation with provincial/territorial officials to help determine the relative merit of individual projects. Each year, these priorities are set out in the Annual Update Instructions (AUIs), along with annual funding arrangements.

Provincial/Territorial JEPP Committees are established to review and evaluate proposals for JEPP funding. The provinces and territories prepare a priorized list of proposals with supporting documentation, which is forwarded to PSEPC regional offices. The PSEPC regions review proposals for their eligibility and forward those recommended for consideration by the PSEPC JEPP Committee. The Committee recommends acceptance, rejection or amendments of the proposals to the ADM responsible for Emergency Management and National Security, or his/her successor, for approval.

7. Eligible projects

To be eligible for JEPP funding, each project shall:

• Have a clear objective aimed at enhancing national civil preparedness for emergencies or critical infrastructure protection;
• Have an articulated statement of expected outcome(s) from the project to demonstrate, in as concrete terms as possible, how national Emergency Preparedness capability is expected to increase as a result of the project (e.g. capability to decontaminate increased from no victim to 500 victims);
• Be based on an agreed, identifiable beginning and end with measurable project points as appropriate (JEPP is intended to encourage new initiatives by providing "seed" money to get started and not to fund projects indefinitely);
• Include a statement on how the federal financial contribution to the project will be recognized;
• Include a provincial/territorial financial commitment to the project; and
• Build on existing emergency preparedness arrangements: thus a provincial/territory or community must already have an existing emergency plan in place in order to apply for funds; proposals which do not meet this requirement will only be considered providing the proposal seeks to develop an emergency plan.

JEPP projects are approved for one-year duration since Program funding is secured by Cabinet on a year-to-year basis. Projects that require more than one year to complete must be re-submitted in each successive year for review and there is no guarantee of continued funding.

8. Eligible project costs

Eligible costs

The following expenses are eligible for JEPP funding:

• Salaries and benefits, as well as in-kind contributions applicable to provincially-sponsored projects up to a limit of $150,000 per year (note: JEPP funds are not intended to pay for salaries or benefits of officials who would normally be expected to provide service called for in the JEPP project);
• Equipment (cost of each invoiced item, transportation, installation charges) and related technical training. There is a cap to the federal contribution for the purchase of generators at $10,000;
• Consultant fees (hourly rate per person and number of hours, product(s) and/or service(s) delivered), printing (cost of supplies and printing), and other out-of-pocket expenses that are directly tied to a deliverable or activity under the proposed JEPP project;
• Cost of training facilities, equipment and supplies, travel, food and accommodation;
• Taxes (GST is applicable to most goods and services and must be charged and paid where applicable. The claim must reflect GST less the municipal rebate. PST is to be charged and claimed in accordance with provincial/territorial regulations).
• Development, coordination and exercising of emergency plans and arrangements including risk, vulnerability or hazard assessments.

Funding for the revision of an emergency plan will be limited to once every five years and the conduct of exercises to once every three years; it is acknowledged that some plan revisions may extend over more than one year.

Ineligible costs

The following specific expenses are not eligible for JEPP funding:

• Functions and equipment which are considered to be the routine responsibility of provincial ministries or first responder agencies such as police, fire, and ambulance;
• Ongoing operating and maintenance costs;
• Hospitality expenses except for meals provided during training exercises:
• Administrative costs which are not directly related to a specific JEPP project. Each ultimate recipient (which may be a provincial/territorial government) is expected to absorb the routine costs of doing business. Examples such as audit costs, office furniture, equipment, office supplies, committee work, administration and supervision of JEPP, are not to be cost-shared. It is recognized that certain proposals incur extraordinary administrative expenses, which are incremental to the routine costs of providing government services; those expenses can be considered for cost-sharing and shall be clearly identified in detail at the proposal stage;
• Inflation allowance; and
• Major capital costs which are considered to be the responsibility of provincial/territorial or community governments (buildings, extensions to buildings, and other complex capital projects).

Provinces and/or territories may impose further restrictions and financial limitations beyond those outlined above.

Exceptions to the above list of ineligible costs may be considered in the case of prototypical projects that explore new technologies with the aim of making the results available to the rest of the country.

9. Maximum amount payable

Subject to the maximum annual total amount of funding approved by Cabinet, the maximum amount payable to any province or territory is $4 million in any given fiscal year. This amount is the total sum of the federal share for all JEPP projects supported in a single province or territory. The maximum amount payable to an ultimate recipient (which could be a provincial/territorial government) for an individual project is $3 million in any given fiscal year.

10. Program management and delivery

PSEPC ensures that effective financial and program controls are in place to manage JEPP, namely that:

• Due diligence is exercised in the selection and approval of projects and in the management and administration of the program;
• The combined RMAF/RBAF provides for appropriate measuring and reporting of results, as related to the purpose of providing resources through transfers, and for adequate risk management and audit requirements;
• A program evaluation was carried out in 2003 and reported to Treasury Board; as well, program evaluations will be carried out every five years thereafter;
• Departmental capacity exists to effectively deliver and administer the program including monitoring, learning and training;
• Adequate systems and procedures exist within PSEPC as well as within the provincial/territorial government recipients to ensure that the program is managed effectively and efficiently and that due diligence requirements are fully met;
• The recipient’s accounting records will be subject to post audit by its provincial/territorial auditors and PSEPC or its agents may undertake a verification of that audit or perform an additional audit as may be desirable;
• PSEPC or its agents may undertake a verification of audits performed, or perform annual federal audits of selected programs, as may be deemed desirable;
• Funding for the program from PSEPC is subject to cancellation or the reduction of transfer payments in the event that PSEPC funding levels are changed by Parliament; and
• Proper program and accounting records and other relevant documents are maintained to provide documentary evidence of decisions made and results achieved and to enable disclosure of the contribution amounts paid to recipients.

11. Delegated financial signing authority

Authority to approve, sign or amend contribution agreements is delegated by the Minister designated for the purposes of the Emergency Preparedness Act to PSEPC’s ADM responsible for Emergency Management and National Security, or his/her successor, and, in his/her absence, to his/her delegate.

Signing authority to approve payments by certifying that these are in accordance with the applicable contribution arrangement is delegated by the Minister designated for the purposes of the Emergency Preparedness Act to the current ADM for Emergency Management and National Security, or his/her successor, and, in his/her absence, to his/her delegate.

The departmental review procedure, prior to deciding that a payment be made, will be carried out by the applicable PSEPC Regional Director. His/her views and recommendations will be reviewed by the Director, Financial Assistance Programs, PSEPC, or his/her successor, and submitted to the ADM, or his/her successor, in support of recommended approval.

12. Method and timing of payment

Payments of JEPP funding will be made in the form of reimbursements based on claims submitted by provinces/territories, complete with an accounting of all costs and supported by an appropriate certification (either by the provincial/territorial auditor for projects with a federal contribution of $50,000 or more, or by a designated provincial/territorial official with appropriate fiscal accountability for projects with a federal contribution of less than $50,000). Where the ultimate recipient is not a province/territory, the ultimate recipient will submit a detailed claim to the applicable province/territory, on the basis of which the province/territory will then submit a claim to PSEPC. Once the claim is paid, the province/territory then pays the ultimate recipient.

Claims for progress payments will be prepared based on financial records maintained by the ultimate recipient in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and practices. Advance payments are not anticipated and progress payments will be made when an agreed, measurable progress point is reached or when a project is complete. A claim for full or partial payment is presented by the provinces/territories to PSEPC. Once satisfied that the claim, supporting documentation, and signatures meet all conditions for payment under the Program Terms and Conditions, the PSEPC Director of Financial Assistance Programs, or his/her successor, recommends payment to the to current ADM, Emergency Management and National Security or his/her successor, and, in his/her absence, to his/her delegate.

All and any of the contributions made under JEPP are not repayable contributions. This is pursuant to the Transfer Payment Policy, Section 7.8.1, which states that payments made to businesses in order to generate profits or to increase the value of businesses are repayable. The recipient class for JEPP is provinces and territories and the ultimate recipients are provinces, territories and municipalities so no payments to businesses in order to generate profits or increase the value of a business are made under JEPP.

13. Duration of Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions will be in effect and payments made from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2009, after which time PSEPC will return to Treasury Board for the approval of the renewal of the terms and conditions, on the basis of evaluation results on the effectiveness of the Program.

14. RMAF/RBAF

A combined Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF) and Risk-based Audit Framework (RBAF) is in place for JEPP (Annex B) and the Director, Financial Assistance Programs, PSEPC is committed: to track and report on program performance as per the strategy defined in the document; to undertake agreed upon evaluation and audit engagements and to share results with Treasury Board; and to manage the identified JEPP-related risks by implementing the agreed-upon mitigating measures and reporting on progress. PSEPC commits to provide the budget required for the 2008 program evaluation.

15. Information sharing

RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK (RMAF)/
RISK-BASED AUDIT FRAMEWORK (RBAF) FOR THE
JOINT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM (JEPP)

Preamble

The Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) is a well-established contribution program, in place since 1980. The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC), as administrator of the program, considers that JEPP represents a low risk in terms of contribution management and therefore is justified for a somewhat simplified and combined form of a results-based management and accountability framework (RMAF) and risk-based audit framework (RBAF). Hence, all five elements of a typical RMAF are covered as well as the basic elements of a RBAF resulting in the following pieces: a profile; a logic model and performance measurement strategy; evaluation and audit strategies, including a risk analysis; and a reporting strategy.

The rationale for PSEPC to deem JEPP a low risk contribution program is as follows: JEPP is not a new but rather a well-established program; it has a total annual budget of approximately $8M, which does not represent a significant financial investment; monies for original JEPP are distributed among over 430 projects annually with an average federal contribution of $10K per project; the recipients of JEPP funds, who supervise the financial commitment to every project, are the provinces and territories, as opposed to end-user recipients; monies are reimbursed, not advanced, and spent on verifiable goods, in fact primarily on capital purchases.

1. Profile

JEPP exists to encourage and support co-operation among the federal and provincial/territorial governments in working toward an enhanced national capacity to meet emergencies of all types. National capacity includes provincial and territorial capacity which in turn is composed of municipal capacities. National emergency preparedness is required to reduce injuries, loss of human life and property damage costs associated with emergencies. Through JEPP, the Government of Canada provides financial contributions to provinces and territories to assist in meeting the costs of projects aimed at enhancing the national emergency response capacity. Through the Emergency Management Offices (EMOs) of the provinces and territories, the federal government reaches the regional and municipal governments and also the native reserves. The JEPP program supports initiatives such as emergency plans, training, equipment, Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) initiatives, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergency preparedness, and Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) equipment and training.

Since the inception of JEPP, the Government of Canada has committed over $100 million of original JEPP funds to the provinces and territories (current level is about $5 million per year). In Federal Budget 2001, an extra $10 million was available for two years to build a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear response capacity, and an extra $20 million was available for six years to develop a Heavy Urban Search and Rescue response capacity. In addition, $0.4 million was provided through the PSAT Initiative starting in 2003/04 for Critical Infrastructure Protection on an ongoing basis.

The objectives of JEPP are to:

• Make a significant contribution to the achievement of an increased level of national civil preparedness for emergencies and critical infrastructure protection;
• Build capacity for provincial/territorial civil preparedness and, through the provinces/territories, for community civil preparedness in priority areas; and
• Lever provincial/territorial/municipal government financial support for emergency preparedness and critical infrastructure protection activities which have measurable progress points.

To ensure that each province/territory has access to the program to help develop a basic emergency preparedness capacity and thereby contribute to the enhancement of a national capacity, a funding formula has been developed as described under Earmarked Funds. A portion of the annual JEPP allocation (currently 75%) is designated as “earmarked” funds and set aside for each province on a per capita basis to fund priority projects as determined by each jurisdiction. These funds are not allocated to the provinces/territories to manage directly, but are set aside or "earmarked" to guide provinces and territories in developing their respective prioritized list of projects. The remaining portion of the JEPP allocation is designated as "e;regular"e; funds for projects assessed on a comparative merit basis against evaluation criteria and established national priorities. Final approval of projects remains with the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) responsible for Emergency Management and National Security.

Chaired by the Director of Financial Assistance Programs, the PSEPC JEPP Committee reviews all proposals submitted for consideration under the JEPP. PSEPC recommends the national priorities for the program which are included in the Annual Update Instructions (AUIs) that take effect the following fiscal year. The AUIs also include funding arrangements and specific program criteria relating to other associated initiatives funded through the JEPP (such as the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) equipment funding, Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) programs identified in Federal Budget 2001, and the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) initiatives).

The PSEPC regional offices review each project proposal for their eligibility and priority, and recommend the list of proposals to the PSEPC JEPP Committee. The Committee recommends acceptance, rejection or acceptance with amendments to the ADM of all proposals being funded from Earmarked Funds. Those proposals competing for the Regular Funds are evaluated by the Committee from a national perspective and ranked. The Committee then recommends acceptance of those proposals to the ADM responsible for Emergency Management and National Security to the extent of the remaining Regular Funds, and maintains a prioritized list of proposals not be funded due to insufficient funds. These proposals can be recommended for acceptance as funds become available during the year. And as some JEPP projects relate to areas of interest to other federal government departments (e.g. Health Canada would be interested in projects related to health, and Industry Canada in communications projects), PSEPC invites other Government department officials to comment on project proposals as appropriate prior to their review by the JEPP committee.

The following chart highlights the key accountabilities for JEPP:

2. Logic model and performance measurement strategy

*Separate allocation for USAR and CIP are forecast at $3 million and $400,000 respectively. Treasury Board Decision 830067 confirmed the allocation of $1 million from Budget 2001 for OCIPEP Grants and Contributions which includes the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) funding under JEPP.

3. Evaluation and Audit Strategies, including Risk Analysis

3.1 Evaluation

JEPP was the subject of an independent program evaluation completed in November 2003. PSEPC proposes subsequent evaluations every five years. As per Treasury Board policy on Program Evaluation (Apr. 2001), each evaluation of JEPP will assess the relevance, success and cost-effectiveness of the Program.

The following are the evaluation questions that were examined in the recent evaluation:

Results and relevance

1. Was the program designed to respond to the original purpose?

2. Is there a clear understanding by all parties of the purpose of JEPP?

3. Are the boundaries of JEPP clear (i.e., what should be included and how flexible JEPP should be in funding EP, CIP, CBRN, HUSAR, etc)?

4. What are the results and reach achieved to date? What have been the secondary impacts? Is the program having a real impact at the local level?

5. Is there a continued need and relevance for JEPP? Does it meet the provincial/territorial needs? How would EP needs be met without JEPP?

6. How does JEPP fit in vis-à-vis Government priorities and also PSEPC priorities and strategies?

7. Is there long-term commitment to JEPP by all parties?

8. Do all parties work well together to achieve the shared results?

Management & accountability

1. Is there a clear and relevant vision, objectives and roles? Is the federal role appropriate to meet the required needs?

2. Are there appropriate management and decision-making structures in place? Are the processes and results well accepted by all parties?

3. Are there appropriate staff and management expertise to meet the objectives?

4. Are planned activities being implemented and having the expected outputs?

5. Is there communication of activities and interim results among partners and to federal government?

6. Is there sufficient information collected and reported to facilitate decision-making? (both at provincial/territorial and federal levels)

7. Is there an effective performance monitoring and reporting system in place? Is it used? What capacity is available to implement such a system?

8. Has there been any assessment and strategic use of lessons learned? Are priorities set and adjusted accordingly? Are these priorities agreed upon by key parties?

9. Has there been effective management of the contribution agreements?

10. Is there appropriate allocation and tracking of funds, including any required adjustments?

11. Is accountability for funds and projects clear and documented?

12. Is there transparent and appropriate use of funds, as required to meet objectives?

13. What are the amounts levered, partnered and other external sources of funds contributing towards objectives?

14. Has there been consideration of options/alternatives to increase cost-effectiveness or efficiency in delivery? Is JEPP the best tool to meet the stated needs?

"there is no doubt in the minds of all of the people interviewed during this evaluation at both the federal and provincial levels of government, as well as through [the evaluators] investigation and analysis of this program, that JEPP is a unique and valuable program – one that enables provinces, territories and municipalities across Canada to enhance their level of emergency preparedness and respond to a wide variety of emergency situations, from fires, floods and power outages to the threat of terrorist attacks."

Nonetheless, it was concluded that JEPP requires strengthening in a number of areas regarding the continued relevance of JEPP and the specific results achieved to date, as well as the ways in which management and accountability functions are being performed. With respect to the continuing relevance of JEPP and program results, evaluation findings related to:

• Perceptions of the relevance of JEPP;
• Clarity and appropriateness of current JEPP priorities; and
• Achievement of program results.

In addition, findings on the overall program management of JEPP relate to:

• General understanding of JEPP;
• Boundaries of funding;
• Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities;
• Program terms and conditions;
• JEPP application form;
• Approval processes;
• Federal visibility and communication;
• Performance measurement and reporting;
• Organizational learning and responsiveness; andoFinancial systems and resources.

Subsequent evaluations will examine:

Relevance:

• Is there a clear and relevant vision and objectives for JEPP?
• Does JEPP continue to be consistent with government-wide priorities relating to Emergency Preparedness?
• Is there a continued need for JEPP?

Success:

• Are planned activities actually being implemented and producing the expected outputs?
• Have the expected results/outcomes and reach been achieved through JEPP?
• Have there been any unexpected outcomes?

Cost-Effectiveness:

• Are there appropriate management and decision-making structures in place to meet the JEPP objectives?
• Has there been an assessment and strategic use of lessons learned?
• Has there been consideration of options/alternatives to increase cost-effectiveness or efficiency in delivery?

The next evaluation is planned for 2008.

3.2 Audit

Some financial controls are inherent to the payment procedure for the JEPP Program. Payments are made strictly as reimbursements and no advance payments are allowed. Claims for eligible project costs, along with complete supporting documentation, are submitted to PSEPC by recipient provinces and territories. To be reimbursed, every claim must be accompanied with an authorized signature either by a certified auditor, for those projects with a federal contribution of $50,000 or more, or a designated provincial official (with appropriate fiscal accountability under provincial financial administration acts) for projects with a federal contribution of less than $50,000. As well, all claims are subject to federal post audit, as specified in the Program Terms and Conditions.

PSEPC commits to continuing a practice of conducting periodic audits of up to approximately 5% of projects annually. Such audits are carried out by Consulting and Audit Canada in accordance with the Treasury Board Internal Audit Policy (April 2001) and Guide for the Audit of Federal Contributions (1982). Considering the low risks associated with JEPP, PSEPC is satisfied with its current audit provision.

3.3 Risk Analysis

The risk analysis identifies and describes potential risks for the JEPP, the probability that risks materialize, the severity of the impacts should the risk materialize, and mitigating measures that PSEPC either has in place or will establish to manage the risks.

4. Reporting Strategy