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| Location: Home - Publications | 2006-12-15 | ||
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Collaboration Accord Between Canadian Heritage and the Community Sector of the Acadian and Francophone Community of
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Accord — Text of the Collaboration Accord Appendix A — Official Languages Support Programs - Expected Outcomes and Program Components Appendix B — 2005-2006 Cooperation with the Community Sector Budget Envelope for Newfoundland-and-Labrador |
The Government of Canada and Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community sector have a long history of working together for the common good of French-speaking Canadians living in Newfoundland-and-Labrador. We share a commitment to improving the quality of life of our fellow citizens and to fostering the development of vibrant, healthy communities. The presence of official-language minority communities contributes to the improvement of quality of life for all Canadians. Our relationship is built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect.
The Government of Canada has undertaken, via the Official Languages Act, to enhance the vitality of linguistic minority communities in Canada (Anglophones in Quebec and Francophones outside Quebec), to assist their development and to promote the full recognition and use of both official languages in Canadian society.
This Collaboration Accord between Canadian Heritage and the Community Sector of the Acadian and Francophone Community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador mirrors the accord signed in December 2001 by the Prime Minister and representatives of Canada’s voluntary sector. (An Accord between the Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector).
Background
The relationship between the Government of Canada and the official-language minority communities has led to significant progress since 1970. Over the two cycles of Canada-Community Agreements from 1994 to 2004, new organizations have emerged and networks have grown stronger.
The Action Plan for Official Languages adopted in March 2003 reaffirms the Government of Canada’s commitment to linguistic duality. The Action Plan creates a horizontal accountability and coordination framework to report to Canadians on the results achieved in three main areas: an exemplary public service, education and the development of official-language minority communities. The framework applies to all federal institutions. In addition, ten departments and agencies receive funding under the Action Plan. Within both government and the communities themselves, community development architects and partners have grown more numerous and more diverse.
The following points serve to illustrate the context in which the Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador evolves:
As a community development architect, the community sector is one of three pillars of Canadian society, along with the public and private sectors. Our quality of life, our economic strength and the vitality of our democratic institutions depend on the vibrancy of these interdependent sectors and the support they provide to one another. Volunteers and staff working in Acadian and Francophone organizations are actively involved in making a difference and improving their communities. They deliver services critical to Canadians, advocate for common causes, and support economic and community development in Canada.
The Canadian community sector has also been instrumental in the development of most of the public services we rely on today as essential manifestations of a caring society, such as schools, hospitals, support for the underprivileged, and care for children in need. All of these services began as volunteer initiatives. Currently, the public and volunteer sectors both take part in providing these services. In many communities, the community sector still remains the key purveyor of services in the minority official language. The Department acknowledges the important contribution of the Acadian and Francophone community sector to the vitality of Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone communities.
Acadian and Francophone community organizations bring their knowledge, expertise and compassion in working with communities and individuals to public policy debates and identify priorities to governments. By encouraging people to participate and work together for common causes, Acadian and Francophone organizations strengthen citizen involvement, give voice to the voiceless, allow for multiple perspectives to be heard on a variety of issues, and provide opportunities for people to practice the skills of democratic life.
Acadian and Francophone organizations provide opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the life of their communities. The term "volunteer" refers to all who work by choice, without remuneration, on causes or for people outside their personal sphere. People volunteer formally, through organizations, or informally by participating and helping others. Volunteering takes different forms in different cultures and different regions of the country. Women and men who volunteer are committed to making a difference and believe deeply in the work they are doing.
Volunteers are involved in all three sectors, but the community sector is the only one developed by volunteers and that fully solicits their involvement. The rich network of organizations, called the community sector, helps make Canada the humane, caring and prosperous nation it is, and is one of the strengths for which Canada is known around the world.
The Parties to this Accord
The Community Sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone Community
This Accord applies to the community sector of the Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador. The Acadian and Francophone community sector consists of organizations that exist to serve a public benefit, are self-governing, do not distribute any profits to members, and depend to a meaningful degree on volunteers. Membership or involvement in these organizations is not compulsory, and they are independent and distinct, as institutions, from the formal structures of government and the private sector. Although many Acadian and Francophone organizations rely on paid staff to carry out their work, all depend on volunteers, at least for their governance.
The Department of Canadian Heritage
This Accord applies to the Department of Canadian Heritage, by virtue of the Official Languages Act.
Scope of the Accord
The Accord's focus is on the relationship between the Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage. Both the Department and the Acadian and Francophone community sector have relationships with other federal departments and agencies, other levels of government (provincial and local), private sector entities and government and quasi-government bodies. Each of these relationships has its own history and dynamics. The Accord recognizes the importance of these relationships but has no bearing on them.
The Accord also recognizes that many Acadian and Francophone community organizations do not work directly, or solely, with Canadian Heritage but nevertheless contribute to enhancing the vitality of Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community. The parties acknowledge that there are circumstances where Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community organizations may advocate different courses of action or choose to tackle issues of common interest separately.
Reason for the Accord
Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community sector and the Government of Canada, including Canadian Heritage, share a long tradition of joining forces to achieve common goals, as defined in the Official Languages Act and developed in other framework documents. These goals include contributing to the development and vitality of the Acadian and Francophone community and promoting the equal status of Canada’s two official languages. These goals have been embodied in documents such as the community’s Global Development Plan and the federal government’s Action Plan for Official Languages. The community sector and the Department believe, however, that there is benefit in formalizing the relationship with an accord that will facilitate greater mutual understanding and more cooperative ways of working together. These means of working together include community cooperation, collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, collaboration with other federal departments and collaboration with the provincial government; they are detailed in Part V of the Accord.
Both the Acadian and Francophone community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage are large and diverse. It is important for each to know what to expect from the other, and to appreciate the roles, goals, and perspectives of the other.
Ten years of cooperation through two cycles of Canada-Community Agreements have helped the relationship between the Department and the Acadian and Francophone community sector evolve towards the shared goal of community-driven development. This Accord builds on previous efforts and seeks to improve the relationship by building on opportunities and growth potential, while respecting limitations of each party.
The purpose of the Accord is to strengthen the ability of both Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage to better serve French-speaking Canadians living in Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
This Accord derives its strength from the evolving relationship between the Acadian and Francophone community and the Department of Canadian Heritage. While the Accord is not a legal document, it is designed to guide the evolution of this relationship by identifying the common values, principles and commitments that will shape future practices. It focuses on what unites the Acadian and Francophone community sector and government, honours the contributions of both, and respects their unique strengths and different ways of working.
The Accord attests to a public commitment of Canadian Heritage and of Acadian and Francophone organizations to work together in an open, transparent, consistent and collaborative way. When working together, Canadian Heritage and Acadian and Francophone organizations seek to fulfil the commitments set out in the Accord, and in so doing enhance the quality of life of French-speaking Canadians living Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
The Accord is based on the following seven Canadian values that are most relevant to the relationship between Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector. These values are closely interrelated and together create a climate for improving and enhancing the lives of all Canadians:
Linguistic Duality
Democracy
Active Citizenship
Equality
Diversity
Inclusion
Social Justice
The Accord is based on the following guiding principles:
Independence
Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector are autonomous, have unique strengths and separate accountabilities, and agree that:
Interdependence
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage recognize that:
Dialogue
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage, recognizing that sharing of ideas, perspectives, and experiences contributes to better understanding, improved identification of priorities, and sound public policy, agree that:
Cooperation and Collaboration
Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector agree that the social fabric of communities is strengthened and civic engagement is increased when they work together to address issues of mutual concern identified as priority issues by the Acadian and Francophone community, and that:
Accounting to Canadians
In addition to their separate accountabilities, the Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage are accountable for maintaining the trust and confidence of Canadians by:
Transparency
Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector must promote a mutual understanding of the context in which they operate, and a clear understanding of the factors affecting decisions on each side. They agree that Acadian and Francophone organizations and the Department must communicate information on their functioning, practices, intentions, objectives and results in a timely manner.
The values and principles of the Accord are the basis for the development of the relationship between Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community. Success in building the relationship will depend on the actions and practices of both Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector for the benefit of French-speaking Canadians living in Newfoundland-and-Labrador. In moving forward, the following commitments will be essential.
Shared Commitments
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage commit to:
Canadian Heritage Commitments
Canadian Heritage, within its mandate under Part VII of the Official Languages Act, commits to:
Newfoundland-and-Labrador Acadian and Francophone Community Sector Commitments
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador commits to:
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador and Canadian Heritage agree on:
The aim is that the Accord and its implementation plan will provide a framework for helping the Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage better serve French-speaking Canadians living in Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
1. Key Community Issues and Common Results
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage take note of the key issues affecting the Acadian and Francophone community and agree that the Global Development Plan articulates a series of results that contribute to the development and vitality of the Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
1.1. Key Community Issues
The key community issues facing the Acadian and Francophone community in Newfoundland-and-Labrador are the following:
1.2. Common Results
Canadian Heritage takes note of the results set out in the Acadian and Francophone community’s Global Development Plan, in the following six priority areas: communications, culture, economic development, education, youth training, and health and community and social affairs. These results are as follows:
As part of its legislative mandate, Canadian Heritage will use the tools at its disposal to support the community sector’s efforts to achieve these results. These tools notably include collaboration with the community sector and interdepartmental and intergovernmental cooperation, as described in Part V below.
The community sector is responsible for calling on the resources of the various departments and levels of government and initiating dialogue with representatives based on their areas of expertise and responsibilities in the provision of public services.
Furthermore, the community sector and the Department will work together to support initiatives that enable increased community exchanges and cohesion in the province’s Acadian and Francophone communities.
2. Cooperation and Collaboration
2.1. Community Cooperation and Cohesion
The vitality of Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community hinges on the joint efforts of many development architects, namely community networks and their individual organizations, community institutions, public and para-public institutions (at the federal, provincial and municipal levels), and the private sector. It also hinges on getting people to volunteer their time and effort for a cause or the public good, and thus contribute to the life of their community.
This collaboration Accord aims at encouraging community cooperation and cohesion among all architects of community development. It will require the joint effort of all community development architects. These may include groups that are funded by Cooperation with the Community Sector, as well as institutions and organizational networks that do not receive funding from that budget envelope, for example, seniors groups and organizations working in the health, economic development and education sectors.
Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador: Nature and Role
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador promotes a cooperative approach and seeks optimal efficiency among all development architects of the Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador. To do so, it entrusts the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador with the responsibility to establish and maintain a preferred mechanism for provincial community cooperation called the Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador.
In Newfoundland-and-Labrador, the foundations of a community forum currently exist in the form of ongoing community consultation activities led by the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador. Presently, this forum is the most encompassing mechanism, bringing together the majority of community-based and institutional development architects. Some informal groups and emerging organizations do not take part in this forum at this time.
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador gives structure to the community development process and the selection and sequencing of strategic priorities. It facilitates the crafting of a Global Development Plan that integrates the contributions of all community development architects.
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a key mechanism where dialogue with various institutions is initiated. The forum seeks to include and integrate emerging or marginalized groups in Acadian and Francophone networks and institutions of Newfoundland-and-Labrador, and to welcome any group wishing to contribute to the social project of the Acadian and Francophone community of the province, such as the Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité (RDÉE), Conseil scolaire francophone provincial, Femmes francophones de l’ouest du Labrador, Radio communautaire du Labrador, and informal Francophone seniors’ groups and French-speaking individuals who are not members of associations.
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador develops consultation mechanisms that reflect local, regional and sectoral realities and target clienteles and take into account factors such as demography, geography, gender, and racial and ethnocultural minorities.
The Community Forum encourages cooperation within natural networks; it takes into account the negotiating and priority-setting ability of some sectors.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage set as a common objective for the period 2005-2009 to mobilize community development architects to be actively involved in articulating the global vision, in the setting of strategic priorities, and in the achievement of Community Development Plan objectives, where applicable.
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador brings together Acadian and Francophone organizations and individuals of Newfoundland-and-Labrador and defines the major development priorities of the province’s Acadian and Francophone community. The Forum is therefore a mechanism for collaboration whose members meet to:
Operational Responsibility
The Acadian and Francophone community sector recognizes the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL) as the organization responsible for the operational management of province-wide community cooperation, and for mobilizing the community forum and ensuring its administrative management.
The Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador will convene the Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador in the context of its annual general meeting, which normally takes place during the fall.
On behalf of the Forum, the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador:
Governance and Democratic Representation
The Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador defines the fora and structures where community cooperation takes place, as well as governance and democratic representation mechanisms. The Acadian and Francophone community may redefine these fora, structures and mechanisms as needed. Decisions will be communicated to the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Department recognizes the democratic choices of Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community.
2.2. Canadian Heritage-Acadian and Francophone Community Sector Collaboration
The broad social project and the achievement of specific objectives within the community’s Global Development Plan sometimes require the collaboration or contribution of other stakeholders. These may include public, para-public, private, institutional and community organizations, Francophone or non-Francophone. This collaboration is most likely to be productive when all appropriate parties bring their services, programs, resources and knowledge to the table. This Accord promotes adopting this approach by creating a flexible, dynamic mechanism called the Collaborative Circle.
Collaborative Circle
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage agree to create a Collaborative Circle to serve as an active forum for the sharing of information, promotion of awareness, planning of initiatives, and discussion of their relationship.
The community sector and the Department agree to achieve this through the Francophone Affairs Steering Committee (Comité d’orientation aux affaires francophones - COAF). The COAF is recognized as a best practice in tripartite collaboration between the Acadian and Francophone community and the federal and provincial governments.
The Collaboration Circle’s efforts, as well as discussions held at its annual meeting, will notably be nourished by the community forum’s discussions.
The Francophone Affairs Steering Committee meets once every six weeks during a half-day for discussions, information sharing, and updates. Canadian Heritage and the community sector agree the Collaborative Circle consists of an annual meeting of the COAF that will include all regular members of the COAF. The participation of other stakeholders shall be flexible; they will be called upon based on the nature, extent, and reach of the objectives to be pursued. Federal and provincial departments that are not regular members of the COAF will also be invited. Other emerging or marginalized francophone groups will be invited from time to time according to circumstances and themes to be discussed.
The workings of the Collaborative Circle will be agreed upon by the Forum communautaire francophone and the Department in accordance with results to be pursued, and with respect to principles of independence, interdependence, dialogue, cooperation and collaboration, and accountability to all Canadians.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector will define the process of designating community participants in the Collaborative Circle from time to time, depending on the nature, scope and extent of objectives. The identity of designated participants, depending on the issues at hand, will be communicated to Canadian Heritage so as to promote constructive exchange.
Mobilizing Public Resources: Interdepartmental and Intergovernmental Cooperation
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage recognize the importance of working to mobilize public resources at all levels of government in order to advance toward the achievement of common results and of the community’s development objectives. Some efforts to mobilize public resources will stem from the work of the Collaborative Circle. Some initiatives will aim to mobilize resources in order to help various types of community organizations provide services to the public.
Relationship Between the Acadian and Francophone Community Sector and the Government of Canada at the Provincial Level
As stipulated in Part VII of the Official Languages Act, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, in consultation with other ministers of the Crown, shall encourage and promote a coordinated approach to the implementation by federal institutions of the commitments to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada, to support and assist their development, and to foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage will work together to ensure that the members of the community have a better knowledge of the programs and services offered by federal institutions, and that the federal institutions get better acquainted with the Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador, its mechanisms and structures, its developmental priorities and its particular characteristics in relation to their activities, programs and services.
The Department of Canadian Heritage supports Newfoundland-and-Labrador’ Acadian and Francophone community sector organizations’ efforts to work with other federal institutions in order to facilitate the implementation of the Global Development Plan’s expected results. Notably, Canadian Heritage leads the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official-Language Communities, an element of the Community Life program component which aims to encourage lasting partnerships between federal departments and official-language minority community associations or organizations. Canadian Heritage will use various levers at its disposal to support the efforts of the Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador and Canadian Heritage work together to identify those community development priorities which require an interdepartmental approach. The means of consultation and collaboration depend on the issues and on structures established at the federal, provincial or local levels, according to the areas of responsibility.
The Department of Canadian Heritage will continue to support the Newfoundland-and-Labrador Federal Council in developing a sustainable relationship with the Acadian and Francophone community of Newfoundland-and-Labrador, so that, as provincial forum for federal government interdepartmental matters, it can fully contribute to the implementation of the Global Development Plan and the vitality of the community.
Relationship Between the Acadian and Francophone Community Sector and the Government of Newfoundland-and-Labrador and its Bodies
In addition to Cooperation with the Community Sector, Canadian Heritage leads another key element of the Community Life program component – Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Services, which aims to help provincial and territorial governments and municipalities provide official-language minority communities with services in their own language, along with the necessary infrastructure to provide these services.
Canadian Heritage encourages the provincial government to take the objectives of the community’s Global Development Plan into account in its French-language services plan. Canadian Heritage maintains close ties with officials of the Office of French Services of Newfoundland-and-Labrador to assert the importance of the expected results of the Global Development Plan and the common results aimed for in this Accord.
Canadian Heritage also leads Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Education, which aims to help provincial and territorial governments, directly or through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), to offer to members of official-language minority communities an education in their own language.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador is responsible for mobilizing resources in the areas of responsibility of other levels of government. It strives to emphasize those aspects of its Global Development Plan that normally require the involvement of provincial or arm’s length public agencies in providing public services. This exercise may inform the Acadian and Francophone community sector’s cooperation and advocacy efforts. Canadian Heritage will use various levers at its disposal to support the efforts of the Acadian and Francophone community sector.
Interdepartmental and Intergovernmental Collaboration Forum
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage agree that the Francophone Affairs Steering Committee (COAF) is a best practice in tripartite collaboration and that it constitutes the appropriate mechanism to promote sustained interdepartmental and intergovernmental collaboration.
2.3. Advocacy
In keeping with the values and principles stated in this Accord, the Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador seeks to engage in a dialogue on public policy. It hopes to interact with the different levels of government through the various stages of the public policy process in order to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience, and develop the best possible public policies that take fully into account the aspirations of French-speaking citizens living in Newfoundland-and-Labrador
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador and the Department acknowledge the importance of advocacy. The strengthening of the sector’s advocacy capacities aims at a better understanding of the processes through which governments and public institutions make their decisions; a greater ability to influence these processes; a better understanding of the determining factors in community development; and knowledge-based decision making.
Key Community Advocates
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador recognizes the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL) as the community forum’s key interlocutor in advocacy and dialogue on public policy.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador further recognizes community network leaders as key advocates on issues of special interest.
The Department of Canadian Heritage recognizes the Newfoundland-and-Labrador Acadian and Francophone community’s democratic choices in selecting its key advocates.
3. Implementation of the Accord
In addition to the tools described in the previous sections, the collaboration between the Newfoundland-and-Labrador Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage includes a financial component. This section describes the financial elements of the Cooperation with the Community Sector and the accompanying accountability mechanisms.
3.1. Commitment of a Budget Envelope
The budget envelope set aside for Cooperation with the Community Sector in Newfoundland-and-Labrador comes from the Development of Official-Language Communities Program and falls under its Community Life component. The program will be reviewed by Treasury Board in 2008-2009, with a view to its renewal.
The amounts, allocation and duration of this budget envelope are set out in Appendix B.
The size of the budget envelope is subject to the annual approval of appropriations by Parliament and to the continuance of current and projected budgets of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program.
Canadian Heritage will seek to harmonize procedures to facilitate joint funding of projects when several departments or government entities are working on the same initiative, or on several initiatives with the same Acadian and Francophone community organization.
Canadian Heritage’s financial commitments will be made by means of contribution agreements and grants. The Department may use multiyear funding agreements, when the situation is appropriate and in accordance to its policies and procedures, in order to enhance the stability of organizations and their ability to engage in long-term planning. Canadian Heritage commits to introduce a reasonable and flexible period of transition when major changes to funding must be made.
3.2. Program - Supporting Action
According to the Program’s terms and conditions, these investments are intended to support the communities' involvement in their own development and to provide community organizations with the ability to take action to achieve concrete and measurable outcomes that will contribute to the sustainability of the communities.
The Department is primarily interested in supporting activities that:
The Department will give priority to supporting activities aimed at achieving the common results of collaboration identified in this Accord.
The community forum, all the organizations receiving such support, and the organization managing the forum, can have access to multiyear funding in order to carry out their mandates and implement their action plans.
3.3. Project - Supporting Innovation
According to the Program’s terms and conditions, these investments are intended to encourage innovation in the development of official-language minority communities.
The Department is primarily interested in supporting projects that:
The Department will give priority to supporting projects aimed at achieving the common results of collaboration identified in this Accord.
The Funding Evaluation and Recommendations Committee referred to in this Accord may recommend support for ad hoc or cyclical activities for which implementation does not require ongoing funding.
3.4. Interprovincial Collaboration
Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector agree that the development of Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community is stimulated by joint action with the minority Francophone communities in other provinces. The Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador will seek to support, through the provincial budget envelope, activities of an interprovincial nature that contribute to the implementation of the Global Development Plan and the realization of common results. The terms and conditions governing these projects will be subject to prior agreements between the participating provincial communities.
3.5. Process for Recommendations and Decisions
Community Proposals
Over the last two Canada-Community agreements (1994-2004), best practices across the country have shown that a community-based process of resource allocation can become a great strength for community cohesion. In Newfoundland-and-Labrador, the Acadian and Francophone community sector has refined its mechanism leading to choices on strategic priorities; it has also gained some experience in defining the means to be used to determine and facilitate the distribution of the budget envelope.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage recognize the importance of the continuum between priority setting and funding allocation. The objective for this cycle is to fine-tune the community-based mechanisms leading to funding allocation decisions.
All funding allocation procedures will be subjected to the requirements of Treasury Board policies.
Funding Evaluation and Recommendations Committee
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador will establish a Funding Evaluation and Recommendations Committee. The Committee will be mandated to make proposals to the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding the distribution of funds available via the provincial Cooperation with the Community Sector budget envelope. These proposals concerning the allocation of funding will be linked to the objectives and priorities of the Global Development Plan and the common results sought in this Accord. Members of the Committee will be required to respect confidentiality rules.
The Committee will use evaluation criteria and analytical tools developed by the Department in collaboration with the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador, the organization responsible for the operational management of the community forum.
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador will establish the selection process for members of the Committee. This process will respect the principles of good governance, democracy, transparency, and independence. It may be linked to other structures of the Acadian and Francophone community and may be revised as needed. The Department will be informed of decisions regarding this process and the composition of the Committee. To ensure the impartiality of Committee proposals, the Committee will adopt a conflict-of-interest policy.
Committee members must ensure that confidential information concerning funding decisions to which they have access is not disclosed to third parties without the written consent of the Department.
Canadian Heritage’s Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Department to analyze requests, examine them critically in a broader context, make final recommendations to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and manage the decisional and administrative process. In its analysis of requests, the Department will take into consideration the proposals of the Committee regarding the allocation of funding.
The Minister is responsible for making the final decision on the specific allocation of funding in accordance to terms and conditions in force at the Department.
In order to maintain transparency, the final decision regarding allocation of funds will be communicated to the Committee and to the public, following the Minister’s approval.
Canadian Heritage is responsible for determining procedures and tools relating to the presentation and analysis of requests. The Department recognizes the consequences that its policies and funding practices may have on the evolution of the relationship and on the strengthening of the Acadian and Francophone community sector’s capacity for action, and takes them into consideration. Tools will be developed with due attention to simplifying the administrative requirements, while respecting the terms and conditions of the Program and the Department’s accountability framework, which may be modified from time to time.
Management Best Practices
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and the Department agree to jointly identify management best practices.
In compliance with Treasury Board policies, the Department has adopted a risk management approach, in order to assess and monitor the initiatives and ensure that the approach suits the level of funding as well as the size and nature of the organization. The Risk-Based Audit Framework for Official Languages Support Programs entails a recipient audit plan. Some organizations will be asked to participate in this monitoring exercise.
With a focus on ongoing performance improvement, Canadian Heritage may ask selected Acadian and Francophone community organizations to participate in an organizational audit to be conducted according to a framework established by the Department. Participating groups will be financially compensated.
3.6. Results and Performance
The Acadian and Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage agree on the importance of reporting to Parliament and to the citizens of Canada, on the progress achieved towards results with the funds invested.
Canadian Heritage and the Acadian and Francophone community sector recognize that community development is a long-term process, that some fundamental results may be achieved only over long periods, possibly decades, and that it is important, at this time, to set strategies and means that will allow the assessment of results over the long term.
Canadian Heritage’s Official Languages Support Programs are structured in accordance with the two types of results based on the commitments set out in Section 41 of the Official Languages Act: Strong minority communities supported by many partners and Linguistic duality recognized and valued by all Canadians.
To report on the progress achieved towards these results, Canadian Heritage must refer to the Results-Based Management and Accountability Framework for Official Languages Support Programs.
Activities supported by the Cooperation with the Community Sector sub-component must contribute to the attainment of intermediate and long-term results targeted by the Official Languages Support Programs.
The Government of Canada is developing community vitality indicators in consultation with the communities. These indicators will set benchmarks and allow a more precise measurement of the evolution of communities over time. Information on outputs produced by Acadian and Francophone organizations must be organized so that it feeds into the measurement of these vitality indicators.
Canadian Heritage will establish mechanisms for the standardization, gathering and management of information on outputs towards 2007-2008, in consultation with the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador. In establishing these processes, Canadian Heritage will be sensitive to minimizing the administrative burden.
There are three levels of performance evaluation: an annual evaluation of outputs by groups receiving funds from the Cooperation with the Community Sector; an evaluation of this Accord within the framework of a national evaluation of progress achieved through community sector accords in 2007-2008; and the Program evaluation, to take place in 2008-2009.
Annual Outputs of Investments in the Cooperation with the Community Sector
Each funded organization reports on its annual outputs as linked to its contribution to the advancement of the Global Development Plan and the common objectives of the Accord.
Cooperation with the Community Sector Progress Evaluation
The Department will undertake an evaluation of its collaboration with the community sector and of progress made towards common results targeted in all community sector accords. This evaluation will include a component on collaboration with the Newfoundland-and-Labrador Acadian and Francophone community sector and will focus on the efficiency of collaboration mechanisms, the clarity and relevance of respective roles, and the quality and relevance of outputs, in relation to the stated common objectives. This evaluation will be done in 2007-2008 in order to allow adjustments to the collaboration mechanisms and guide their renewal at the end of the term.
The Acadian and Francophone community sector agrees to participate in the development of evaluation parameters, and to collaborate in the evaluation itself according to the final modalities set out by Canadian Heritage. The Department will be responsible for executing the evaluation.
Official-Language Communities Program Evaluation
At term end in 2008-2009, the Department of Canadian Heritage must provide the Treasury Board with a summative evaluation of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program. The Corporate Review Branch, a third party independent of the Official Languages Support Branch, is responsible for conducting this evaluation.
To conduct program evaluations, the Department uses several methods. These include:
The Forum communautaire francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador will be called upon to participate in many of these evaluation activities.
Canadians expect a strong, vibrant and engaged Newfoundland-and-Labrador Acadian and Francophone community, and seek to build a solid, just and inclusive society where values and principles count, where the full range of human activities is encouraged, and where individuals and communities can realize their full potential. To better serve Canadians and help them achieve the society they want, Canadian Heritage and Newfoundland-and-Labrador’s Acadian and Francophone community sector seek to strengthen their relationship. This Accord is the start of that journey.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women and the President of the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador, on behalf of the Acadian and Francophone community sector of Newfoundland-and-Labrador, have signed this Collaboration Accord.
This Accord was concluded this 4thday of November 2005.
(Signed) Liza Frulla
______________________________________________
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women
(Signed) Jean-Guy Dionne
______________________________________________
President, Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
IN THE PRESENCE OF:
(Signed) Rose-Marie Losier-Cool
______________________________________________
Witness
(Signed) Gillian Beaulieu
______________________________________________
Witness
Accountability
The basic rules that the Department must follow in making decisions, allocating funding, and demonstrating the results achieved through the use of public funds. Many of these rules also apply to the organizations that receive these public funds. These organizations also have their own accountability frameworks defined by legislation, by their own by-laws, and by their internal governance policies.
Advocacy
Advocacy is defined as “the act of speaking or of disseminating information intended to influence individual behaviour or opinion, corporate conduct or public policy and law.” Advocacy is one of many ways of participating in the process of developing public policies.
(see: www.vsi-isbc.ca/eng/relationship/accord.cfm)
Community development architects
Community development architects are individuals and institutions and organizations in the community, private, government, and quasi-government sectors that contribute to the development of their communities. Prominent among these architects are the leaders of community associations and institutions, as well as community opinion leaders and different levels of government.
Evaluation
The systematic collection and analysis of information on the performance of a policy, program or initiative to make judgements about relevance, progress or success and cost-effectiveness and/or to inform future programming decisions about design and implementation.
Indicator
A statistic or parameter that provides information on trends in the condition of a phenomenon and has significance extending beyond that associated with the properties of the statistic itself.
Output
Direct products or services stemming from the activities of a policy, program or initiative, and delivered to a target group or population.
Planned Results (Targets)
Clear and concrete statement of results (including outputs and outcomes) to be achieved within the time frame of parliamentary and departmental planning and reporting (1-3 years), against which actual results can be compared.
Quasi-governmental bodies
or arm’s length public agencies
Public agencies refers to schools, hospitals, etc. that are at arm’s length (to varying degrees) from government, but are mandated and funded by government.
Result
The consequence attributed to the activities of an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results is a general term that often includes both outputs produced and outcomes achieved by a given organization, policy, program or initiative. In the government’s agenda for results-based management and in Results For Canadians, the term result is more specific and does not include outputs. Results may be described as immediate, intermediate or final, direct or indirect, intended or unintended.
Strategic Outcome
A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that stems from a department’s mandate, vision and efforts. It represents the difference a department or agency wants to make for Canadians and should be a clear measurable outcome within the department or agency’s sphere of influence.
Support for action: details
Funds in support of action shall aid regular and continuing activities such as:
Support for innovation: details
Funds to support innovation shall aid intermittent or cyclical activities that do not require permanent funding. Such activities are of limited duration ranging from a few months to a few years. For example:
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Date modified: 2006-06-01 |
Important Notices |