PROGRAM GUIDE: Centres of Excellence for Children's Well Being.
Prepared by the Centres' Secretariat
October 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION.
2. MANDATE, VISION AND GOAL
3. FIVE FUNCTIONS
4. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
5. DELIVERABLES
6. OUTCOMES
7. ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORKS
8. PLATFORM MODEL
9. PROGRAM GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
A. The National Expert Advisory Committee (NEAC)
B. Principal Functions of the NEAC
C. Sub-Committees
10. SECRETARIAT
A. Leadership
B. Principal Functions
11. OTHER RELATED INITIATIVES
A. National Children's Agenda (NCA)
B. Early Childhood Development
C. The Canadian Women's Health Network (CWHN) and the Centres of Excellence
for Women's Health
D. Canadian Institutes For Health Research (CIHR)
E. Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE)
F. National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth (NLSCY)
G. Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)
H. Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
I. Aboriginal Head Start (AHS)
APPENDIX A -
BACKGROUND
A. Commitment
B. Project Definition
C. Governance
D. Search for Issues
E. Selection Process - Stage I
F. Selection Process - Stage II
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this Program Guide is to provide the sponsoring organizations,
as well as their key partners, with a clear elaboration of the parameters of
the Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being Program.
The program elements set out in this guide describe the expectations of the
Government of Canada and of the Minister of Health for all Centres of Excellence.
They will form the basis for recommendations for refinements to the five Centres'
proposals and workplans over their five-year mandate and should be reflected
in all aspects of work planning, including the development of accountability
frameworks. These program parameters will underpin regular evaluations of program
effectiveness by the Centres Secretariat and other parties, including the Treasury
Board of Canada.
For More Information
If you have any questions after reviewing the Program Guide, please contact
the Centres' Secretariat, toll-free, at 1-800-815-8979.
MANDATE, VISION AND GOAL
Throughout the development of the Centres of Excellence for Children's
Well-Being initiative, Health Canada has engaged a range of stakeholders from
across the county representing child serving agencies, universities, hospitals,
community and Aboriginal groups, non-governmental organizations, governments
and others in defining the mandate, vision and goals for the Centres program,
the platform model, the governance structure and the issues which the Centres
will be addressing during the five year mandate of the program (see Appendix
A - Background).
The mandate of the Centres of Excellence program is to ensure that advanced
knowledge on key issues of children's health is disseminated effectively
to those who need it most. This includes parents, children and youth, service
providers, community groups, researchers, non-government organizations and federal,
provincial and territorial governments.
The vision of the Centres program is to enhance Canadians' understanding
of, and responsiveness to, the physical and mental health needs of children
and the critical factors for healthy child development.
The goal is to produce concrete and specific outcomes and/or products that
will lead to a wider understanding of issues associated with children's
health and well-being within the five-year lifetime of the program.
FIVE FUNCTIONS
Consistent with the program's mandate, vision and mission, the work and
allocation of resources of the Centres will focus on five functions:
I. Collection and Analysis of Health Information and Data
This may involve literature reviews, surveys and consolidation of existing
health information and data. Pertinent information will be compiled for use
and analysis to provide the context and foundation for more extensive research,
as well as for dissemination activities. Gathering material from other sources
and investigating how the data and information are currently being used by stakeholders
should enable the Centres to target communication products effectively.
II. Conduct Focussed Research Related to the Five Chosen Issues
This may involve applied or pure research on the platform issue areas. The
research may not be limited to scientific studies, and should be collaborative
in orientation.
III. Provision of Policy Advice to Governments and Child-Serving Agencies
This may involve organizing or participating in conferences, symposia and workshops
with other child and health related organizations and government decision-makers.
Federal, provincial and territorial departments and ministries representing
education, health, integrated services, social services, industry and human
resources may be involved
as partners in this and other aspects of the Centres' work. Particular
emphasis will be placed on translating research findings into effective policy
advice to departments and
child-serving agencies.
IV. Generation and Communication of Information to a Wide Range of Audiences
The results of the Centres' collection and analysis of health information
and research will be assembled to produce pamphlets, brochures, reports, studies,
research papers and
other creative communications materials for dissemination to diverse target
audiences. This will include electronic media such as web sites, toll-free numbers,
web conferencing
and fax-back services as well as interactive communication channels such as
symposia and workshops.
V. Establishment of Local, National and International Networks of Individuals
and Groups Involved in Children's Well-Being
Central to the platform model is the creation and maintenance of national partnerships.
The Centres will explore strategic partnerships and work with a diversity of
child-serving organizations while making efforts to ensure that efforts are
not duplicated. This may involve sharing information, collaborating on research
findings, organizing and attending conferences, combining dissemination efforts
and working together to bring the Centres' work on children's issues
to the attention of national and international fora. Networks will be created
and sustained through innovative use of information and communication technologies.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The development, implementation and work of the Centres program will be guided by the following core principles:
- Centres will address the broad spectrum of child and youth determinants
of health and outcomes and not exclusively academic issues.
- Centres will give special consideration to the unique needs of Canada's
Aboriginal children, their families and communities.
- Centres will not duplicate, but rather will complement, existing and emerging
federal, provincial, and territorial initiatives.
- Centres will address issues of national significance, build on existing
expertise, and link community-based and academic sectors.
- Centres, as a federal contribution to the National Children's Agenda
(NCA), will be guided by the NCA themes as a framework for issue selection
and inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
- Centres will work to ensure that important knowledge is broadly disseminated
across all communities so as to effectively place this information in the
hands of Canada's parents, service providers and communities.
- Centres will be supportive of activities to enhance outcome measurement
and to reinforce public accountability within all relevant sectors.
- Centres will promote child and youth participation as well as citizen
participation from a variety of age and population groups.
DELIVERABLES
Each Centre is responsible for a number of concrete deliverables within the
five functions, as follows:
- Each Centre will be a source or centre of knowledge development by generating
and gathering relevant health information and data through focussed research.
- Data will be compiled, analyzed and interpreted to produce materials such
as brochures, pamphlets, reports, studies and instructional material so that
it can be communicated to a wide range of audiences.
- Parents, children and youth, community-based organizations, service providers,
non-government organizations and federal, provincial and territorial governments
will be provided with understandable and useful knowledge regarding children's
health and well-being.
- There will be informed decision-making as policies and program development
will be based on the increased information made available by the Centres.
- This information will be disseminated through such vehicles as conferences,
symposia, Health Canada publications, stakeholders, strategic partners, web
sites and the Centres themselves.
- In order to build upon the already existing knowledge and information
available on children's issues, strategic partnerships will be established
that will create synergies and networks to promote effective cooperation and
inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
- This will facilitate more efficient and effective communication of information
on children's well-being to target audiences.
OUTCOMES
When the Centres' five year mandate draws to a close, it is expected
that:
- There will be a wider understanding of the five platform issues.
- This increased knowledge, through evidence-based, focussed and applied
research, will lead to more informed decision-making on existing and emerging
child and youth-related health policies and programs as it relates to the
five platforms.
- This initiative will help reduce duplication of efforts and facilitate
greater cooperation in the various sectors (government, academic, medical,
social, and community) working on children's issues.
- There will be increased partnerships through greater inter-sectoral and
multi-disciplinary collaboration. This will result in a better application
of knowledge and will lead to a
- greater availability of information for those who need it most.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORKS
As per Treasury Board regulations, each Centre of Excellence will be required
to work with Health Canada on detailed accountability and evaluation frameworks.
These
frameworks will be developed in conjunction with detailed work plans and will
reflect revisions to proposals as set out in the recommendations (see Orientation
Binder, Tab 3).
Work plans must reflect the five functions, with an emphasis on activities
leading to tangible outputs and outcomes. Performance measurement will be conducted
on an annual
basis for each Centre, and funding for subsequent years will be contingent upon
the review of annual reports by the NEAC.
Accountability frameworks will be developed by each Centre in consultation
with the Centres Secretariat immediately following the signing of the first
contribution agreement.
These frameworks should identify immediate, mid-term and long-term outcomes.
Evaluation plans will also be developed for each Centre, using clear and meaningful
indicators
against which the success of the Centre's activities and the Program as
a whole can be assessed. The evaluation plans will outline methodology, quantitative
and qualitative
measurements, target audiences, etc. for purposes of evaluating the overall
progress and achievement of the Centres' main activities. For more details
on accountability, please
see the Financial Management Guide (Tab 6).
PLATFORM MODEL
Pursuant to national consultations in 1997, the Centres of Excellence for Children's
Well-Being will operate based on a ‘platform model'. The platform
model entails linking
expertise together, regardless of where it is situated organizationally or geographically,
to address a statement of work on a specific issue. For the Centres of Excellence,
this
means that a group or consortium, composed of individuals and organizations,
will co-operate or partner to address a key issue regarding children's
well-being.
At the hub of each Centre, the sponsoring organization will serve as the Centre's
administrative leader – a known and established entity that can co-ordinate,
lead and manage
the work and administration of the Centre. According to the platform model,
the Centre will exist within the infrastructure of that sponsoring organization.
It will have no
physical or corporeal existence beyond that and, as such, program funds should
not be used for capital expenditures.
Each Centre will include a small number of key and equal partners, located
across the country which, along with the sponsoring organization, will play
a directive role in the
work of the Centre. Building on the existing infrastructure of the sponsoring
organization, and with the support and guidance of its key partners, each Centre
will link
organizations and individuals with demonstrated expertise from the academic,
non-governmental organization, community, private and government sectors of
the country.
PROGRAM GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The National Expert Advisory Committee (NEAC)
The permanent National Expert Advisory Committee will be responsible to Health
Canada for assessing the performance of the five Centres of Excellence. Specifically,
the
NEAC will be involved with the overview of the Centres' operations, approval
of multi-year work plans and accompanying budgets, and the examination of reports,
audits and
reviews.
Principal Functions of the NEAC
The role of NEAC members is to provide expertise on children's health
and well-being issues, as opposed to representing the views of their home or
other organizations or the
interests of a particular group or region. The principal functions of the Committee
are:
- Stewardship: Contributing to and advising on vision and strategic direction,
providing advice for growth, and ensuring that service commitments are of
a high quality.
- Evaluation and Accountability: Reviewing reports submitted annually by
the Centres in light of pre-agreed accountability frameworks and performance
standards, developed during the start-up phase of the Program; assessing the
Centres' potential to fulfill program requirements based on work plans
and projected spending and providing direction on achieving the five functions
as set out in the Program Guide; and, determining whether cost-effectiveness
and value for money has been achieved over the long term.
- Outreach and Ambassadorial: Scanning and monitoring the environment, soliciting
input, and communicating with constituents; promoting initiatives and contributing
to their credibility; and, facilitating the exchange of perspectives.
- Advice and Guidance: Advising on implementation and maintenance, communications
and dissemination, policy linkages and strategic partnerships.
- Direction: Providing leadership to NEAC Sub-Committees regarding the work
of the Centres.
- Assessment and Reflection: Regularly reviewing the NEAC's functions
and effectiveness, as well as that of the NEAC Sub-Committees.
Sub-Committees
Subject to confirmation by the NEAC, it is envisioned that there will be four
NEAC Sub-Committees:
- A Sub-Committee on Research and Analysis, concerned with the collection
and analysis of health information and data and with the conduct of focussed
research on key issues associated with child and youth health and well-being.
- A Sub-Committee on Policy and Communication, which will focus on issues
pertaining to the generation of information and on the communication of that
information to a wide variety of audiences, including the provision of policy
advice to governments and child-serving agencies.
- A Sub-Committee on Partnerships and Networking, which will focus on the
issues pertaining to forging local, national and international networks of
individuals and groups involved in children's well-being, as well as
networking between the five Centres.
- A Sub-Committee on Finance, Evaluation and Accountability, which will
serve as the body for preliminary review and analysis of Centres' financial
management and accountability measures and program evaluation, with a view
to providing expertise on these issues and supporting plenary discussions
by the NEAC.
The work of the Sub-Committees will be coordinated and communicated by the
Secretariat to the Centres. The NEAC may create further Sub-Committees at its
discretion.
SECRETARIAT
The Secretariat, based within the Childhood and Youth Division of Health Canada's
Centre for Healthy Human Development, is responsible for providing leadership
and
guidance for the development, implementation and operations of the Centres of
Excellence for Children's Well-Being Program.
Leadership
The Secretariat will play a leadership role in establishing the Centres of
Excellence program as a best practice in inter-sectoral collaboration, networking
and integration, citizen
engagement and innovative knowledge development. In addition to serving as the
central connecting point for the Centres as they work to achieve a common mandate,
the
Secretariat will facilitate linkages between the Centres and the NEAC, and identify
opportunities to achieve synergies on a national scale. The Secretariat will
assist the Centres
in their efforts to put information into the hands of those who need it most,
and to contribute to informed policy making, program development, health promotion
and service
delivery choices.
The Secretariat is committed to the pioneering use of communication and information
technology to support the National Expert Advisory Committee, the Centres of
Excellence, and the maintenance and expansion of consortium networks.
The Secretariat's vision is to ensure that the Centres program maximizes
its potential as a unique and innovative mechanism to exert a tangible impact
on the improvement of
children's health in a way that is ground-breaking, fundamentally collaborative
and worthy of emulation, as the basis for networks and activities that are sustainable
beyond the
five-year mandate of the Centres Program.
Principal Functions
Key functions to be carried out by the Centres Secretariat include:
I. Monitoring & Reporting
The Secretariat will manage and coordinate the collection of reporting information
in accordance with Health Canada and Treasury Board guidelines. The Secretariat
will serve
as the liaison between the Centres, the National Expert Advisory Committee and
the Department in establishing, reviewing and reporting on Centres' accountability
frameworks and evaluation plans, and on executing regular Program evaluations.
Key activities include:
- providing advice and assistance regarding the establishment and maintenance
of the Centres' financial and administrative records according to Treasury
Board standards and departmental policies on grants and contributions;
- working with the Centres to establish work plans that reflect approved
program objectives;
- negotiating contribution agreements;
- establishing and monitoring accountability and evaluation frameworks with
the Centres and conducting regular program evaluations; and,
- reporting Centres' progress to the Treasury Board, the Minister
of Health and others as appropriate.
II. Facilitation & Coordination
The Secretariat will fulfill a range of facilitation and coordination needs,
including preparation for meetings and workshops, and extending as well into
areas of information
sharing and exchange of best practices between Centres, with the NEAC, and with
Health Canada. Activities will include:
- coordinating and facilitating conference calls with Centres representatives,
meetings of the National Expert Advisory Committee, and annual workshops;
- facilitating the development of strategic linkages among stakeholders,
within Health Canada and between other government initiatives where appropriate;
- helping to build bridges between the Centres and government policy and
decision makers.
III. Production of Program Materials
While each of the Centres will be producing health promotion materials, the
Centres Secretariat will produce and distribute supporting program materials
for use by the Centres
of Excellence in developing and implementing their proposals, as well as general
Centres materials for public consumption. This includes:
- production and distribution of Centres program materials to assist with
program definition and guidelines for use by Centres (e.g. Program, Communications
and Financial Management Guides); and,
- production and distribution of materials for the general public, which
may include newsletters, web site content, media kits, etc.
IV. Showcasing
The Secretariat will play a key role in showcasing and promoting the Centres
Program, both within and outside the federal government. This includes:
- advancing the program identity nationally through a common branding strategy,
sharing information and best practices, and program promotion;
- playing a leadership role in the development and use of new and effective
communications media;
- serving as the strategic communications porthole for relaying key messages
to stakeholders, the public and the media; and,
- providing leadership and guidance for the Centres' communications
and dissemination plans, and identifying leveraging opportunities.
V. Identification of Strategic Opportunities
The Secretariat is committed to identifying opportunities to maximize the efforts
and/or profile the work of individual Centres in areas such as policy, research,
dissemination,
and communication. Supporting activities will include:
- identifying communication, marketing and media opportunities, as well
as avenues for dissemination of Centres' products;
- attracting expertise to support Centres' activities;
- identifying opportunities to link research and policy development
in a way that is meaningful for both communities;
- identifying upcoming events, meetings, symposia and workshops relevant
to the work of the Centres; and,
- identifying opportunities to support Centres' work and activities
using information and communication technologies.
VI. Environmental Tracking
Given the Secretariat's position within Health Canada's Childhood
and Youth Division, the team
is well-positioned to track local, national and international trends as they
relate to the work of the Centres, and to share this information with the Centres
themselves, as well as
with the NEAC and others, in order to contextualize the program within broader
work on issues affecting the health and well-being of children and youth. Contributions
the
Secretariat will make in this area include:
- tracking local, national and international developments in policy, legislation,
programs, priorities in the area of children's health and well-being;
- capturing local, national and international trends in knowledge development
in the areas of children's health, health promotion, social marketing,
networking and the dissemination of health information;
- following progress, best practices, challenges and developments in other
Centres of Excellence programs (e.g. Women's Centres, Networks of Centres
of Excellence); and,
- surveillance of key information portals for issues affecting children's
health, including traditional publications and web sites.
- The role of the Secretariat will evolve, with input from the Centres of
Excellence, the NEAC and Health Canada, as the program evolves.
OTHER RELEVANT INITIATIVES
While innovative in its field, the Centres of Excellence program includes some
areas of similarity to other knowledge development initiatives and programs
in the area of
children's health. As one of the guiding principles of the Centres initiative
is non-duplication of efforts, it will be important to build on and/or complement
other initiatives where
appropriate. Initiatives for consideration include:
National Children's Agenda (NCA)
The National Children's Agenda is a collaborative initiative of federal-provincial-territorial
governments. The core of the agenda is its vision and values for children, founded
on
the belief that children's well-being is a priority for all Canadians.
The Agenda supports the critical and primary role that parents, families and
communities play in the lives of
their children. The NCA reflects the belief that the enhancement of the well-being
of children is the joint responsibility of governments and all Canadians and
reflects a
commitment among governments, the private sector, community organizations and
other groups and individuals across society to undertake collaborative partnerships
on behalf
of children in Canada.
A report on the outcome of the dialogue process: Public Report: Public Dialogue
on the National Children's Agenda was released by the Federal/Provincial/Territorial
Council on Social Policy Renewal on June 21, 2000. The report illustrates how
the NCA vision is already influencing intersectoral collaboration in the area
of early childhood
development (ECD), adolescent development and in looking at better ways of monitoring
the progress of children and sharing effective approaches. It is expected that
the
cross-sectoral work on ECD agreement implementation could inform the future
work on the NCA. The most relevant areas are sharing effective practices, public
reporting and
establishing child outcomes and promoting public engagement in the NCA.
The Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being has been identified
as part of the federal contribution to the National Children's Agenda.
Early Childhood Development
On September 11, 2000, First Ministers, with the exception of the Premier of
Québec, issued the "First Ministers' Meeting Communiqué
on Early Childhood
Development". The Communiqué makes improving early childhood development
(ECD) a national priority and commits federal, provincial and territorial governments
to work
together to improve services and supports for children up to six years of age.
This initiative represents concrete action on early childhood development,
one of the key policy areas identified in the National Children's Agenda.
In support of the agreement
reached by First Ministers, the Government of Canada will transfer $2.2 Billion
to provinces and territories, via the Canada Health and Social Transfer, over
the next five years.
This contribution, plus additional contributions from provinces and territories,
will be invested in four priority areas to:
- enhance the promotion of healthy pregnancy, birth and infancy;
- improve parenting and family supports;
- strengthen early childhood development, learning and care; and
- strengthen community supports.
The federal government will also identify its contributions to ECD - including
investments that support the priority areas - in research, surveillance and
monitoring, innovative
programming and public education.
The Canadian Women's Health Network (CWHN) and the Centres of Excellence
for Women's Health
Health Canada's Centres of Excellence for Women's Health Program strengthens
policy-focussed research on women's health in Canada by providing unique opportunities
for
collaboration among community-based women's health groups, service providers
and academic researchers. The CWHN works with the Centres of Excellence for
Women's
Health Program to further promote communication, information sharing and interaction
among all interested groups and individuals. The Centres of Excellence for Women's
Health is an important precursor to the Centres of Excellence for Children's
Well-Being, and will be an ongoing point of reference for advice and best practices.
Canadian Institutes For Health Research (CIHR)
The CIHR will be pursuing the integration of the four sectors of health research:
basic biomedical research; clinical research; research in health services and
systems; and
research related to society, culture and the health of populations.
The mandate of the Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being initiative,
on the other hand, is to gather and distribute information regarding children's
issues and to ensure
that important knowledge with regard to understanding children and their healthy
development is broadly distributed among families, community-based organizations,
educators,
health professionals, non-government organizations and governments.
The Centres will complement the future research work of the CIHR, particularly
in the area of dissemination of important research findings, the use of these
findings for
providing policy and program advice to decision-makers, and creating and sustaining
networks.
Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE)
The NCE is an initiative of Industry Canada and three partner granting councils
(Medical Research Council of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of
Canada and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). The goal of the
NCE program is to mobilize Canada's research talent in the academic, private
and public
sectors and apply it to the task of developing the economy and improving the
quality of life of Canadians. NCE research is more closely related to technology,
medical sciences
and industry, including tele-communications, robotics and the study of genetic
diseases than research collection and dissemination.
Until May 1, 2000 the NCE Program was receiving letters of intent for four
new research areas, one of which is Early Child Development and its Impact on
Society. The two
initiatives do share similar approaches, such as working collaboratively to
advance knowledge and the building of partnerships and networking, particularly
in the area of
research. Both programs will work to
ensure information and program developments related to the Early Child Development
platform is shared between these two initiatives.
National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth (NLSCY)
The NLSCY is a long-term study that will follow a sample of Canadian children
into adulthood. The study is being conducted in partnership by Human Resources
Development
Canada and Statistics Canada. The NLSCY enables us, for the first time, to explore
the role that a broad range of factors play in shaping long-term outcomes for
Canadian
children.
Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)
CPNP is a Red Book initiative announced in July 1994. Funded by Health Canada
and co-managed with the provinces and territories, CPNP helps communities develop
or
enhance programs for at-risk pregnant women in order to improve birth outcomes.
CPNP is a comprehensive program and provides resources for community-based projects
to offer food supplementation, nutrition counselling, support, education, referral
and counselling on such lifestyle issues as alcohol abuse, stress and family
violence.
The program is aimed at helping pregnant women who:
- are living in poverty;
- are teenagers;
- drink alcohol or use other drugs;
- are living in an abusive situation;
- are Métis, Inuit and First Nations individuals;
- are refugees;
- are living in isolation or do not have access to services; or
- have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)
CAPC, also delivered through Health Canada regional offices, and managed jointly
by the federal and provincial/territorial governments, provides long term funding
to
community coalitions to establish and deliver services that respond to the health
and development needs of children (0 - 6 years of age) who are living in conditions
of risk. It
recognizes that communities have the capacity to identify and respond to the
needs of their children and places a strong emphasis on coalition/partnership
building. CAPC
projects provide parents with the support, information and skills they need
to raise their children. There are 499 CAPC projects across Canada delivering
a wide range
programs, including established models (e.g. family resource centres, home visiting)
and innovative models (e.g. street level programs for mothers who abuse substances).
Aboriginal Head Start (AHS)
Aboriginal Head Start is an early intervention program for young Aboriginal
children (zero to six years) and their families. In 1998, the program was expanded
to include First
Nations children and families on reserve. Each project is designed in consultation
with local Aboriginal groups. The program provides funding and involves parents
and the
Aboriginal community in the design and implementation of preschool projects
that include the following components:
- culture and language,
- education,
- health promotion,
- nutrition,
- social support programs, and
- parental involvement.
One of the guiding principles for the development and work of the Centres
is that they not duplicate, but rather complement existing and emerging federal-provincial
and territorial initiatives. During the mandate of the Centres Program there
will be ongoing cooperation with other emerging initiatives to ensure efforts
are collaborative, building on
existing work and knowledge. For a more comprehensive listing and description
of other related federal initiatives, please refer to the Guide to Federal
Programs and
Services for Children and Youth.
APPENDIX A: BACKGROUND
Commitment
The Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being is part of the federal
government's contribution to the National Children's Agenda (NCA). Health
Canada has committed
$20 million over 5 years for the Centres Program, with the mandate of ensuring
that advanced knowledge is disseminated more broadly among families, community-based
organizations, service providers, non-government organizations (NGOs) and federal,
provincial and territorial governments to improve our understanding of children
and what
they need to develop in healthy ways.
Development
Following the announcement of the Centres initiative in the 1997 Speech from
the Throne,
Health Canada held discussions with stakeholders across the country. These
stakeholders represented the various sectors involved in child and youth health
and well-being,
including representatives of the Aboriginal community, service providers, parents,
non-government organizations, community groups, researchers and governments.
During this
initial stage of development, a Feasibility Study and an Environmental Scan
were conducted to examine 55 existing models of Centres of Excellence. This
analysis, combined
with input from stakeholders, led to the guiding principles of the Centres Program
and the selection of a ‘platform model' as the design concept for
the Centres.
In the fall of 1998 Health Canada commissioned a provincial-territorial and
Scan of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to identify core national priorities
and to ensure
that the work of the Centres would complement existing efforts.
Governance
In response to stakeholders' recommendation that the Centres program
be supported by the
expertise of a multi-sectoral committee, the Minister of Health announced the
creation of the Interim National Expert Advisory Committee (INEAC) in February
1999. The
mandate of the INEAC was to guide and advise on the development and implementation
of the Centres of Excellence initiative.
Search for Issues
In March and April of 1999, Health Canada conducted a broad search for children's
issues of national significance that the Centres of Excellence could address
within their five
year mandate. This multi-faceted consultation process allowed stakeholders across
the country to participate by contributing their ideas directly through the
Centres web site,
by fax or mail, or by attending one of six regional discussions. Over 400 stakeholders
participated in this process.
The submissions were tabulated and reviewed by the INEAC, leading to the recommendation
of five potential Centres of Excellence platform issues: Early Child Development;
Children and Adolescents with Special Needs; Child and Youth-Centred Communities;
Youth Engagement; and, Effective Parenting.
Selection Process - Stage I
Between November 8, 1999 and January 7, 2000, a solicitation of Letters of
Intent (LOIs) from stakeholders was conducted for the creation of up to five
Centres of
Excellence for Children's Well-Being. In total 72 LOIs were received from
stakeholders across the country, representing national consortia from across
sectors and
disciplines. The review of LOIs was based on a rigorous two-stage process: review
by a 16-member interdepartmental committee and review by the INEAC.
On February 3 and 4, 2000, the INEAC met to review the LOIs based on the suitability
of their goals and plans to form the basis for a Centre of Excellence. Based
on this
review, the INEAC selected ten sponsoring organizations to submit detailed proposals.
These organizations were selected for their strong ideas, the make-up of their
consortia,
the feasibility of completing their work within five years, and the likelihood
of concrete outcomes at the end of five years, as outlined in the LOIs.
Selection Process - Stage II
Invitations to submit full proposals were issued to the ten sponsoring organizations
identified by the INEAC on February 7, 2000. Letters were also sent to the 62
applicants
who were not successful. These organizations were encouraged to express their
interest in participating in one of the ten consortia that were to submit a
proposal by registering
on the Centres' web site or by calling the toll-free number.
As part of the selection process, representatives of all ten sponsoring organizations
or their consortia were invited to appear before the INEAC at a three-day meeting
in March
2000 to present their detailed proposals. Based on an analysis of the presentations
and the proposals themselves, the INEAC identified those submissions that promised
to make the most significant and innovative contributions to the health and well-being
of Canadian children, and held the greatest potential for success. This analysis
formed the basis of recommendations to the Minister of Health.
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