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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework?
The Framework is the product of 34 federal organizations coming together to capture a government-wide view of Aboriginal-direct programming and spending. It arranges a total of 360 federal programs and services under seven thematic headings:
. Health
. Life Long Learning
. Housing
. Safe & Sustainable Communities
. Economic Opportunities
. Lands & Resources
. Governance & Relationships
It also identifies strategic outcomes the federal government is trying to achieve in each thematic area and the associated spending for 2004-05.
Against this framework, we have also captured information on each program including:
. the program's objective;
. 2004-05 actual spending;
. target group eligible for program;
. program delivery mechanism; and
. funding mechanism.
In some cases, key activities and program outputs have also been captured.
The Aboriginal Horizontal Framework does not capture the Aboriginal share of programs of general application, which are available to all Canadians, such as the benefits of employment insurance. Nor does it cover general application program spending in regions where First Nation, Inuit and Métis citizens comprise a proportionately high percentage of the population, for instance, north of the 60th parallel. In addition, the Government of Canada is not alone in providing programming to Aboriginal people. Provincial and Territorial governments also offer an array of programs and services. Given the complexity of the situation these limitations underline that further work is needed to refine the data, to complete the spending picture, and to refine the Framework to be a useful management tool. The Framework is not meant to be static; it will evolve to reflect new directions in federal policies and programs that emerge from the engagement of Aboriginal peoples with governments. The goal is to keep the Framework up to date so that it retains its usefulness for governments and Aboriginal people.
2. What is the purpose of the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework? Who will use it?
The Aboriginal Horizontal Framework was developed to help achieve better socio-economic outcomes for Aboriginal people by:
. increasing federal transparency;
. improving horizontal coordination and accountability across the federal government; and
. building a shared knowledge of programs, expenditures and achievements among federal departments and agencies, Aboriginal communities, and other levels of government.
Specific examples of how the framework could be employed include use as:
. a communications tool that draws linkages between resources and results;
. a management and analytical instrument for program development and evaluation; and
. a baseline or starting point for evaluating trends and outcomes of the federal suite of Aboriginal-direct programs.
3. How do I use the Framework to find expenditures?
The Framework has been loaded onto a website that allows users to search in a number of ways. For example:
. by department. The public can access the information by looking at what the specific departments spend in each of the themes and sub-themes, right down to the specific program.
. by thematic area. The public can access information and financials by thematic area, drilling down to the specific program level.
. by target group. The user will be able to ascertain the expenditures for programs targeted to Métis, First Nations, or Inuit peoples.
The website will have the capabilities to roll up expenditures at the sub-theme, theme, and departmental levels.
To view this website visit: www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/aaps-aapd
4. What is in the Aboriginal Peoples chapter of Canada's Performance?
Like other chapters in Canada's Performance, the Aboriginal Peoples chapter provides an overview of the federal government's contributions to Canada's performance as a nation. What is unique and exciting about the Aboriginal Peoples chapter is that it presents a consolidated view of federal spending across 34 federal organizations involved in providing programs or services to Aboriginal people.
In the chapter you will find a 'high-level' view of 2004-05 program spending in seven thematic areas of federal engagement - health; life-long learning; safe and sustainable communities; lands and resources; governance and relationships; housing; and economic opportunity. In addition, the chapter provides electronic links to the Aboriginal Affairs: Programs and Spending website which contains detailed information on all of the Government of Canada's Aboriginal-direct programs and thematic areas.
5. How are the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework and Canada's Performance linked?
This is the second time that Canada's Performance includes a specific chapter on Aboriginal people. This year's chapter focuses on the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework, a tool for taking stock of the programs Canada provides to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, and which discloses in detail all targeted federal spending in 2004-2005 committed to Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal Peoples chapter contains figures on federal spending rolled up for all programs within the seven thematic headings of the Framework, as well as provides a context to view the Government of Canada's investments in Aboriginal people.
The electronic version of Canada's Performance links to the Framework, and from each thematic area the reader can hyperlink to detailed program and spending information.
In 2005, the President of the Treasury Board committed to disclose details of federal spending on targeted Aboriginal programming in this year's Canada's Performance. The Aboriginal Horizontal Framework is the tool through which his commitment is honoured.
6. Is the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework a joint effort across levels of government?
At the moment, the Framework focuses only on federal programs and activities. The goal is to keep the Framework up to date so that it retains its usefulness for governments and Aboriginal people. The Framework is being shared with non-federal partners as a means of facilitating transparency in decision-making, and informing other levels of government on the relationship between federal and provincial/territorial initiatives and programs.
7. Why are these particular themes used in Canada's Performance and the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework?
All federal programs and services directed specifically to Aboriginal people have been aligned under seven thematic headings. The themes were initiated through discussion and dialogue at the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable and subsequently broadened and developed to encompass the entire suite of federal programs for First Nations, Inuit, Métis and all Aboriginal people.
More information on the Canada- Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable can be found on the jointly developed website: www.aboriginalroundtable.ca
8. These themes don't reflect what I see as important. What about: the environment, the status of women?
Through the Aboriginal Peoples chapter in Canada's Performance and the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework, the federal government is committed to enabling informed, evidence-based dialogue on Aboriginal Canadians views and issues on federal programs. Our goal is to move beyond a mere portrayal of what the federal government is doing and spending (i.e. activities) to how the real challenges can be resolved and how an improved quality of life can be achieved (results).
Although the chapter draws upon seven thematic areas that are intended to capture the relevant quality of life factors for Aboriginal peoples, these seven thematic areas have been produced through the prism of the federal government lens and within a federal government context. As a result, there may be some Aboriginal perspectives that are not comprehensively represented within this chapter alone. For instance, the way in which gender inequalities may be impacted by various issues is not explored within this chapter.
Therefore, it is important to view these seven themes as a starting point in a process to which the government is committed for the long-term.
9. How do the Aboriginal Peoples chapter and the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework fulfill the government's commitment to provide greater transparency?
The Aboriginal Peoples chapter is a first step in meeting this commitment, and contains figures on federal spending rolled up for all targeted programs within each thematic area.
The Aboriginal Horizontal Framework enables the Government of Canada to work better internally and to begin working with Aboriginal communities and organizations to develop meaningful indicators for evaluating its performance and determining whether key commitments and goals are being met. It provides a detailed picture of direct federal program spending in 2004-05 targeted to Aboriginal people.
The Government of Canada is making public an internal management tool, which will allow Canadians to understand the investments made by the government, as well as promote a healthy dialogue between the stakeholders and the federal government.
10. What is the future for the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework?
Our intention is to develop this framework into a management tool and source of solid information for informed discussion. Through the innovative use of technology, the government will maintain and build upon the Framework, which will be accessible to all Canadians, and which in turn will assist in the management of programs. The Framework is not meant to be static; it will evolve to reflect new directions in federal policies and programs that emerge from the engagement of Aboriginal peoples with governments. The goal is to keep the Framework up to date so that it retains its usefulness for governments and Aboriginal people.
11. What is the connection between government spending and outcomes?
The Government of Canada recognizes that it is only one of many entities that shape our society and that improvement or deterioration in quality of life depends on many factors. For this reason, the government partners with other levels of government, the private and voluntary sectors, Aboriginal organizations, non-governmental organizations and individuals to achieve the best possible social, economic and environmental outcomes.
Establishing what the linkages are between federal government spending and outcomes is one of the goals of the Framework.
12. Why does the federal government have 360 targeted Aboriginal programs being delivered by 34 departments?
The federal suite of Aboriginal programming has been growing over many years. In order to assess the success of it programs, Budget 2004 directed the Treasury Board to conduct a horizontal review of federal spending. As a result of that review the government now has a complete picture of the targeted Aboriginal programming across government. Because of the development of the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework, decision-makers can readily see other related programming in all federal departments and begin the task of better organizing these programs.
13. How much of the spending can be attributed to overhead (corporate bureaucracy)?
At this point in time we have not captured the corporate overhead aspect of federal government spending. Currently we are trying to establish the scope and the associated expenditures of the program and service delivery environment. Departmental overhead will be examined in future phases of work on the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework. Currently there are cost breakdowns for each program represented by the Framework found in the Aboriginal Affairs: Programs and Spending website (www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/aaps-aapd).
14. How much money has been spent in the North on programs for Aboriginal peoples?
The federal government spends money in the North through a number of different mechanisms. The main mechanism for spending north of 60 is the transfer payments that are made to the territories totaling $508 million for the Yukon, $736 million for the Northwest Territories and $796 million for Nunavut (2004-05).
The majority of spending derived from these transfer payments is money of general application however, due to the large percentage of aboriginal people in the population (23 per cent in the Yukon, 50 per cent in the Northwest Territories, and 85 per cent in Nunavut), its impact on the lives of Aboriginal peoples is great.
In addition, there are pan-Canadian programs available to Aboriginal people who live north of 60 (not funded through transfer payments), though these are not captured in this exercise.
The Aboriginal Horizontal Framework does not reflect spending on Aboriginal programming by geographic region at this time.
15. I don't have a computer/access to the Internet but would like to view the information available in the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework. How can I get it?
Printed copies of the Canada's Performance 2005, which contain roll-ups of expenditures by theme, are available. A CD-ROM version of Canada's Performance, which includes a snapshot presentation of the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework, is also available for people that have a computer, but that don't have access to the Internet. Copies in either format can be requested in writing, by e-mail or by telephone:
Results-Based Management Division
300 Laurier Avenue West
9th Floor, West Tower
Ottawa ON K1A 0R5
Telephone: 1-800-OCANADA
E-mail: rma-mrr@tbs-sct.gc.ca
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