Topics
	Financial Planning & Reporting
	Human Resources
	Information Sharing
	Managing Health Programs
	Planning, Evaluation & Reporting
	Using Technology

Contribution Agreements Resource Centre

Information Sharing

Managing communications and sharing information are important to a First Nations or Inuit community that is promoting their services.

Health Canada offers these links to help you with capacity assessment, development initiatives and the means to publicize your efforts:

• General Resources - Fact sheets, toolkits, guidelines, handbooks, policy and reports that relate to publicity and capacity development; and

• Training Resources - Courses and workshops about publicity, writing, report development and administrative correspondence.

General Resources

• Access to Information Act Web Site gives you a detailed overview of the contents of the act - exemptions, complaints, investigations and reports to Parliament, for example.
  
  
• Building Capacity for Sound Public Works in First Nations Communities: A Planning Handbook (PDF Version) was written for one or a group of First Nation communities whose goals are to achieve significant improvements in their capacity to govern and manage public works within their own communities. This handbook covers:
  • Road maintenance;
  • Water supply management;
  • Sewage management;
  • Solid waste disposal; and
  • A workable planning system.
  
  
• "Capacity Assessment and Development in a Systems and Strategic Management Context " Technical Advisory Paper (PDF version) can help you and other development professionals better manage capacity assessment and development initiatives. You will be able to take the tools, techniques and approaches found in the paper and adapt them for your own situations.
  
  
• Capacity Building: Aboriginal Strategies for the Transition to Self-Government chapter of the final report issued by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP). This chapter details the capacities and strategies that are required to effect a future in which Aboriginal governments are fully functional. You will find recommendations to help rebuild Aboriginal nations and reclaim nationhood, such as:
  • Set up of Aboriginal governments;
  • Negotiation of new relationships and intergovernmental arrangements with the other two orders of government;
  • Application of Aboriginal governmental powers over the longer term; and
  • Encouragement and support the building of all these capacities.
    
• Capacity Development Action Plan from Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) works to strengthening the management and administration skills of people who deal with FNIHB contribution agreements. This plan is based on the needs and challenges associated with First Nations, Inuit communities and FNIHB staff members. It builds on the FNIHB Accountability Framework, Capacity Development Strategy and Gap Analysis.
  
  
• Capacity Development Gap Analysis from Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch) can help you in the effective and efficient management and administration of health funding agreements. Several major areas regarding contribution agreement management and administration are identified including:
  • Administration of the contribution agreement;
  • Technology;
  • Planning and evaluation;
  • Human resources;
  • Financial planning and reporting;
  • Program reporting; and
  • Communication.
    
    
• Capacity Development Strategy from Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch works to make sure that the implementation of accountability mechanisms is sustainable and effective. It will help you and your community develop the necessary skills required for reporting and accountability. Key objectives of this strategy are:
  • To guide FNIHB in enhancing capacity in order to demonstrate results on investments in management and administration of funding agreements;
  • To ensure that regions and First Nations and Inuit communities have sufficient capacity to comply with federal reporting requirements; and
  • To promote a better understanding of FNIHB accountability mechanisms and components related to management and administration of funding agreements.
    
    
• Easy Ways to Gain Free Publicity For Your Business or Organization Web Site is an online resource that gives you ideas on how to promote your organization by capturing the attention of the news media via press releases, news conferences, talk shows and news tie-ins.
  
  
• "Getting More Publicity for Fundraising Activities" article shows you how to write effective news releases for fundraising. The article describes the steps involved in conducting a publicity campaign geared towards helping you and your organization improve their success with the media.
  
  
• Learn How to Write Web site is a resource list of how to write almost anything, from autobiographies to wills, along with some tips for better writing.
  
  
• Learning at Large: An E-Learning Guide for Managers (PDF version) can help you understand some key concepts for e-learning.
  
  
• Newsletters - Design and Production fact sheet from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs gives you an overview of how to create a newsletter.
  
  
• Publicity Tips You Can Use is a quick list of handy tips for generating publicity for your community organization.
  
  
• "So You've Been Asked To Speak" fact sheet from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs gives you tips and tricks for preparing and delivering a speech. It also tells you how to receive and thank a guest speaker.
  
  
• Synthesis Report on Community Capacity provides findings and recommendations on community capacity.

Training Resources

• "Being Learning Partners: Strengthening the Conversation" two-day workshop from the Canada School of Public Service focuses on relationship building and the development of effective conversation leadership skills. You attend the course with a learning partner in order to practice coaching conversations, strengthen your relationships and work on commitment action plans made either prior to or during the workshop.
  
  
• "Evaluating Communications Programs and Services" two-day workshop from the Canada School of Public Service teaches you techniques, methods and professional standards used to evaluate communications products, programs and services.
  
  
• "Interpersonal Communication Skills" two-day workshop from the Canada School of Public Service course helps you to improve your communication skills. You will learn how to get your messages across clearly and concisely and whether your message has been understood. You will learn about:
  • The active communication process;
  • Non-verbal communication;
  • Verbal skills; and
  • Communication and feelings.
    
    
• "Preparing Agendas and Minutes" one-day course from the Canada School of Pubic Service teaches you how to develop clearer agendas and more helpful minutes which take into consideration the different communication purposes of meetings.
  
  
• "Understanding and Applying Strategic Communications" two-day course offered by the Canada School of Public Service teaches you the models and tools used for strategic communications management. You will study the following:
  • Communications strategy;
  • Crisis management;
  • Communications plan;
  • Communications operational plan;
  • Communications strategy for a memorandum to cabinet; and
  • Packaging a Government of Canada communications strategy.
    
    
• "Writing E-mails and Letters" a two-day course from the Canada School of Public Service teaches you how to write clear, concise and effective letters and e-mails following a step-by-step process.
  
  
• "Writing Effective Reports" three-day course from the Canada School of Public Service shows you how to:
  • Determine what kinds of information need to be included in reports;
  • Write with clarity and conciseness to ensure reader comprehension; and
  • Evaluate reports written by others at your request.
    
    
• "Writing Executive Summaries" one-day workshop from the Canada School of Public Service teaches you how to develop and fine-tune your summary writing skills.
  
  
• "Writing for Results" three-day course from the Canada School of Public Service shows you how to improve your administrative writing skills.
  
  
• "Writing in Plain Language" one-day course from the Canada School of Public Service teaches you how to write more clearly and dynamically and how to apply the elements of plain language to your documents.