Mid-Term Evaluation
First Nations SchoolNet Program

Audit and Evaluation Branch
Industry Canada
July 2005

Executive Summary

The Mid-Term Evaluation of the First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program was undertaken to provide Industry Canada with information pertaining to the management, delivery, progress and challenges of the program. The research activities included 55 key informant interviews comprised of representatives from the following stakeholder groups: Industry Canada national and regional staff, Regional Management Organizations (RMOs) service providers and program staff, school administrators, and other stakeholders involved with the FNS program.

The following provides a brief summary of the findings of the key informant interviews, case studies, and document reviews conducted by R.A. Malatest & Associates as part of the formative evaluation. These findings are presented in more detail in this report.

• The FNS program continues to be relevant and necessary. The program has made significant progress in delivering connectivity and ICT resources to First Nations schools. The program has also helped to compensate for a lack of informational resources in the schools while providing a forum for communication with individuals from outside of the community. Since the FNS program is the only federal program designed to provide connectivity and ICT resources to First Nations schools, the FNS program was regarded as essential in helping First Nations youth acquire computer related skills to be competitive with students in other regions in Canada.
• Substantial progress has been made towards reaching the goals and objectives of the FNS program. Respondents felt that significant progress towards meeting the overall goals and objectives has been made although many felt that the goals represent long-term outcomes requiring ongoing work from the RMOs as well as acceptance of the program and utilization of the resources by the First Nations schools.
• FNS has had the intended impact among schools, teachers, and learners. The technology provided through the program has afforded many students in First Nations schools new opportunities and an avenue to acquire necessary computer skills to become competitive in the knowledge-based economy. Students were reported as having the ability to comprehend the technology rapidly with some students progressing to skills that include web design and the production of multimedia applications.
• RMOs continue to be an efficient and effective method of program delivery. A great degree of the success enjoyed by the program can be attributed to the management structure that includes national and regional representatives of Industry Canada as well as non-profit First Nations and Aboriginal organizations. The use of RMOs to deliver the program was endorsed as an improvement over the previous central management of the program from Industry Canada.
• Building local capacity was regarded as one of the most important factors governing the success of the FNS program. Technical support is available through each of the RMO’s Help Desk, although support at the local level was felt to be necessary to maintain the operation of the ICT resources and to create enhanced skills among students, teachers, and members of the community. Training opportunities identified by RMO staff include workshops during on-site visits to the schools, conferences, and through the Youth Employment program.
• Case studies revealed several innovative programs have been created and supported through the FNS program. The Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS) links students from various communities to educational opportunities thereby allowing students the opportunity to stay in their community while gaining educational credits. The Grade Eight (G8) supplementary program is an educational resource designed to help students enter higher levels of education with greater ease. Both programs were developed and supported with assistance from the FNS program.

Through undertaking the research activities associated with the Mid-Term Evaluation of the First Nations SchoolNet program, the Consultant was able to identify the following recommendations:

• Increased communication between the schools and RMOs is required to support program delivery and partnership development.
• The identification of how schools are using the resources provided by the First Nations SchoolNet program needs to be improved.
• Partnerships with other departments and organizations should be established to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the program.
• The annual Contribution Agreement could be extended to secure funding to the RMOs for a longer time period.
• Annual short-term goals and objectives of the RMOs should be aligned with the longer-term objectives of the FNS program.
• RMOs should continue to be the primary method of program delivery.

The recommendations are described in greater detail in Section 7.2 of this report.

Section 1: Background and Project Rationale

1.1 Background

Launched in 1996, the First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program is one of Industry Canada’s SchoolNet initiatives. The First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program was designed to connect all First Nations schools under federal jurisdiction to the Internet. The program was established as a key element in the agenda of “Building a More Innovative Economy” with a mission “to work with Canadian learning partners to increase access to and integration of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) into the learning environment in order to develop an ICT-skilled population, capable of participating in the Knowledge Economy.”

The program’s first mandate was to connect and maintain all First Nations schools under federal jurisdiction to the Internet by providing them with telecommunications infrastructure and promoting ICT. This target was achieved in March 2001. The second mandate of the program, as included in the 1999 Speech of the Throne and reinforced in the 2001 Speech of the Throne, was to provide high speed Internet access to First Nations schools.

The Government of Canada reiterated its commitment to the First Nations SchoolNet program in a budget speech on March 23, 2004 by allocating $15 million per year for 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 to the program to improve the connectivity and technical capacities of First Nations schools by providing them with high speed Internet, computers, technical support and ICT skills development workshops in order to bridge the digital divide in First Nations schools located in remote and rural communities. The program will continue to assist First Nations schools in their efforts to connect with e-learning resources in order to give First Nations learners on reserve the opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to participate in the growing knowledge-based economy.

From its inception, FNS dealt with each First Nation school separately through a central management structure within Industry Canada. However, this method of program delivery shifted to Contribution Agreements with six locally based not-for-profit organizations to create Regional Management Organizations (RMOs) in December 2002, representing a dramatically different method of program delivery. Each RMO, selected through a rigorous regionalized selection process involving representatives from national and/or regional offices of the Industry Canada – Information Highway Applications Branch (IHAB), Industry Canada – Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC), Human Resources Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED-Q), and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). The six RMOs were selected to utilize their existing knowledge and experience of First Nations connectivity issues and their ability to facilitate the delivery of the First Nations SchoolNet program regionally. There are also responsible for aggregating demand, delivering the program regionally, and putting in place any local service contracts required to meet the connectivity-related requirements of the schools. To facilitate the change in program delivery, funding was increased approximately seven times the funding amount of the previous year.

All of the RMOs work toward specific activities outlined in their annual Contribution Agreement with Industry Canada, and while the RMOs perform similar activities, as organizations they differ in their history, main clientele, mandate, and the duration of their relationship to Industry Canada’s FNS program. For example, five of the organizations are First Nations based with the remaining organization focused towards those of Aboriginal descent. More specifically, there are two RMOs that are Tribal Councils, two regional Education Councils, one territorial Chiefs organization, and an Aboriginal community service agency. Further, RMOs varied in terms of their previous experience working with delivering connectivity and other ICT to the schools in their regions. This previous experience resulted in some RMOs progressing at a much more rapid pace than others. For example, the case studies conducted by the Consultant found that the Ontario RMO has been involved with FNS program-related activities since 1996 while the Manitoba RMO became involved in 2002. To account for these and other regional variations, annual contracts are signed with each RMO that outline the activities to be completed with consideration to specific regional challenges. Although the RMO staff felt the level of reporting was cumbersome, the process allows for flexibility and recognition of barriers to program delivery.

The current structure of the First Nations SchoolNet program is detailed in the following chart.

* The dotted lines at the bottom represent an informal but significant synergy that exists between RMOs
** The solid lines between the National Office, RO, and RMO represents accountability (financial)
*** The dotted lines between the RO and the RMO represent the on-going monitoring and advice provided at the local level

1.2 Evaluation Objectives and Rationale

This evaluation addressed a number of evaluation issue areas and research questions including lessons learned identified in the Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF). The evaluation focused on current management issues related to program implementation using RMOs in relation to the following objectives of the program:

• To promote innovation in First Nations schools by providing them with connectivity infrastructure, related support services, and a new pedagogical approach addressed to teachers;
• To support the production of First Nations – based relevant online educational resources;
• To contribute to the establishment of an ICT culture in First Nations schools through investments in the ICT skills training of First Nations learners and teaching staff;
• To promote the use and integration of ICT into First Nations classrooms for learning purposes; and
• To help First Nations learners acquire the skills and knowledge to be able to better access the job market.

The evaluation sought to understand whether adjustments are necessary to the current method of program implementation and whether progress toward the achievement of the outcomes is occurring. Four primary issue areas for evaluation were considered: program rationale, program design and delivery, program success and lessons learned.

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Final Report (PDF - 318KB - 38 pages)
Management Response (PDF - 28KB - 9 pages)

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