Management of Grants and Contributions at CIC Travelling down a “two-way” street November 3rd, 2009

1. Management of Grants and Contributions at CIC
Travelling down a “two-way” street
November 3rd, 2009

2. Grants & Contributions at CIC
• CIC manages several Gs&Cs programs
• Funding provided to organizations or individuals to support the
settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian
society and to foster intercultural understanding and Canadian values
among all Canadians towards building an integrated and socially
cohesive society ,via the:
1. The Settlement Program;
2. Resettlement Assistance Program;
3. Multiculturalism Program; and
4.
4 Community Hi t i l R
C it Historical Recognition P
iti Program.
• These programs vary in their terms and conditions, delivery model,
recipients of funds and specific objectives; however all are managed
within guiding principles and criteria against which proposals and
organizations are assessed.
1

3. Grants and Contributions at CIC
 Grants and contributions funds represent almost 70% of
department’s budget
 Over the past 5 years, budget for contribution agreements (CAs)
more than doubled
 Number of contribution agreements has likewise doubled - from
some 450 in 2005-2006 to almost 1000 across the country
 Ontario: 250 agreements Value: $56 M
2

4. Grants & Contributions at CIC
Settlement Program RAP FCRO Multi CHRP
Program
Policy To provide newcomers with To provide To help To promote To recognize
Objectives information to make income foreign- intercultural specific
decisions; language training support and trained understanding historical
and have skills to function in immediate and workers and Canadian experiences of
Canada, assistance to find essential succeed and values, civic ethno-cultural
employment; and help services to put their participation, and communities,
establish networks to be resettled skills to work institutional and/or to
engaged in their
g g g
refugees. in Canada g
change. educate
communities. more quickly. Canadians in
this respect.
Budget (2009-10) Grant: $234M (Qc) Grant: n/a Grant: n/a Grant: $6.6M Grant: $1.1M
Cont: $664M Cont. $56M Cont: $3M Cont: $5.1M Cont: $9.9M
# of CAs 741 28 0 1 2 CAs plus
(approx. 900 per year) one grant
Funding cycle 1 National and several First CFP CFP in PNR in CFP is
and number of regional CFPs in Fall, for in summer Spring 2009 planned
CFPs funding starting April 1, 2009
2010
3

5. Grants & Contributions at CIC (cont’d)
 Settlement and Resettlement Programs:
 Close to 400 Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) delivering LINC,
ISAP,
ISAP Host and RAP programs:
• Majority (over 80%) with $$ value over $50K
• Many are multi-year
 Bulk of settlement /resettlement programming is for direct service
p g g
delivery to clients – continuity of service offering is key;
 Payment made for clearly defined services, after services rendered;
 Management of CAs primarily at regional level
 Innovation Fund – managed at national level
 Multiculturalism Programs:
 R
Roughly 50 agreements, mix of grants and contributions; and,
hl t i f t d t ib ti d
 Coordination done centrally.
4

6. Settlement Program Operating Context -
Criteria for Contribution Agreement R i i t
C it i f C t ib ti A t Recipients
 “Service Providers” or “Recipients” are defined, according to the
Terms and Conditions for the Settlement Programs as follows:
Programs,
 Provinces with an alternative funding arrangement – British Columbia and
Manitoba;
 Provincial, territorial or municipal governments;
 Not-for-profit organizations including non-governmental organizations, non-
profit corporations, community groups and umbrella organizations;
 International organizations (requires approval of the Governor-in- Council;
 Businesses educational institutions and individuals
Businesses, institutions, individuals.
 Questions concerning who should be eligible clients (e.g.
Canadian citizens, temporary foreign workers and asylum
seekers/refugee claimants)
claimants).
5

7. Resettlement Program Operating Context -
Criteria for Contribution Agreement R i i t
C it i f C t ib ti A t Recipients
• Ts &Cs identify 2 groups of recipients
– Refugees resettled to Canada
– SPOs that provide assistance to these persons, as follows.
(a)a business;
(b)a non-profit corporation;
(c) a non-governmental organization;
(d)an intergovernmental organization;
(e)a community group;
(f) an educational institution;
(g)an individual;
(h) an umbrella organization;
(i) a provincial, territorial, municipal government department/agency;
(j) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (
g g (UNHCR);)
(k) a referral organization (as defined in the Regulations);
(l) an overseas service provider; and
(m) an international organization.
6

8. Multiculturalism Program Operating Context
Criteria for Contribution Agreement/Grant Recipient
• Canadian not-for-profit organizations or associations;
• Non-federal Ca ad a pub c o pub c e es
o ede a Canadian public or public-interest
institutions such as the media, boards of education,
schools, colleges and universities, chambers of
commerce,
commerce law enforcement and police agencies
agencies,
hospitals, and other health care institutions;
• Regional and municipal g
g p governments and their
agencies;
• First Nations and Inuit governments, band councils
and organizations; and
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
7

9. Program Management Rules
Management Control Framework
M tC t lF k
• Gs&Cs management supported by robust
management control framework
• G l – t enhance accountability b providing clear
Goal to h t bilit by idi l
and consistent national guidance to CIC staff
delivering/overseeing the Gs&Cs p g
g g programs and
• To ensure proper selection, negotiation and
management of contribution agreements through
relevant training, tools and guidance to both CIC staff
training
and service providing organizations
8

10. Management Control Framework (cont’d)
• Key elements
– Performance measurement
– Program evaluation
– The CA process itself (planning, assessment, negotiation,
management, monitoring and evaluation
• Reinforced throughout by:
– Staff Training
– Development/revision of Manuals and User’s Guides
– Standard ti
St d d national CA f
l forms and schedules; and
d h d l d
– Management tools(electronic interfaces) to support both CIC staff
and SPOs
9

11. The Lifecycle of a Contribution Agreement
Planning
CA P
Proposals –
l
1 Settlement programs
2
Closing out
Agreements 8
3
Assessing and
Recommending
Proposals
7
4
Amending CAs
and Documenting Files Preparing
6 Contribution
5 Agreements
Reviewing Claims,
and Calculating
Monitoring Payments
11

12. CA Proposals
 Contribution Agreements originate in several ways:
 Calls for Proposals:
• Open to all eligible organizations or individuals.
 “New” Agreements with existing service providers:
• Ongoing service need; and,
• SPO has solid delivery track record:
• Amendments to existing Agreement:
• Expand existing service or add related service.
 Unsolicited proposal:
• Seldom used – respond to urgent need.
11

13. Management Control (Project and
Organizational/Service P id A
O i ti l/S i Provider Assessment
t
• Calls for proposals
• All proposals are assessed to determine whether they align with and support
departmental priorities and provide good value for money. They must:
– Comply fully with TB Policy on Transfer Payments;
– Accurately reflect program Terms and Conditions;
– Deliver program objectives and results, meet client needs; and
– Represent a sound investment in cost-effective delivery by competent, efficient
and reliable organizations and service providers.
• Organizations and Service providers are assessed with respect to:
– Legal status and reputation; Organizational and governance structures (Executive
Director, elected Board); Financially and structurally sound; and History (projects,
activities, known affiliations – including those on National Security Listed Entities)
• Guidelines and standards to ensure program integrity and value for money.
Assessments are documented and reviewed to exercise due diligence
diligence.
12

14. Accountability and Monitoring
• Service Providers and organizations submit reports to CIC
• Value for money: Initial assessments reinforced by activity/financial
y y y
monitoring by CIC staff
• Identifying and Managing Risk: Analysis to determine level of risk and
monitoring requirements.
– Audits, reviews and monitoring are essential components of CIC’s overall
control framework. A formal, systematic approach to assessing management
practices is used to conduct internal and external audits. Results are reported to
senior management.
• Course correction: For quality assurance, sample reviews and monitoring
reports sent to RHQ/NHQ
– Applies to both scheduled monitoring plans and post-audit activities
• Regional/National Headquarters advised of issues of concern.
13

15. Program Management Tools – iCAMS
 Immigration – Contributions Accountability
Measurement System (iCAMS):
 Internet based database designed to collect service and client
Internet-based
information on CIC’s settlement and resettlement program delivery
from service provider organizations.
 Fully implemented in 2004, but further work is required to develop
y p , q p
its reporting to facilitate program monitoring and evaluation.
14

16. Transitions: Engaging in new agreements
or closing agreements with existing
organizations/service providers
• Some projects have a natural end to their life cycle (e.g.
Multiculturalism projects; testing of new approaches), while
others are ongoing business requirements (e.g. Language
training).
• If issues arise during the life of some agreements:
– Work with organizations towards addressing the issues of concern
g g
– Follow a well defined and documented process of engagement
– As appropriate, advise senior management
– As appropriate, bring agreement to an end.
pp p , g g
• Ensure continuity of service for clients
15

17. TBS Government Action Plan
 In response to the 2007 Blue Ribbon Panel on Grants
and C t ib ti
d Contributions, th T
the Treasury B d S
Board Secretariat of
t i t f
Canada (TBS) has developed a Government Action
Plan to Reform the Administration of Gs and Cs. The
Action Plan includes 3 core elements:
 Policy Reform – a new Policy on Transfer Payments effective
October 1, 2008;
 Horizontal Enablers – a Centre of Expertise (CoE) to provide
leadership for the reform of Gs and Cs; and
 Departmental Action Plans for Gs and Cs reform.
16

18. CIC Departmental Action Plan
 As part of the Government Action Plan, each
department is required to develop and implement its
p q p p
own Departmental Action Plan (DAP) to review Gs
and Cs management practices, identify opportunities
for improved service delivery and increased
p y
efficiency, and share best practices.
 The following elements of the DAP are to be
developed by March 31 2010:
31,
 Risk management;
 Engagement of applicants and recipients; and,
 Establishment of departmental service standards for transfer
p
payment programs.
17

19. Elements of CIC DAP
• Clarity and consistency in program delivery and integrated
program implementation –settlement, resettlement,
multiculturalism and foreign credential recognition
• Stakeholders see consistency in management of Transfer
Payments Programs
• Reduction in administrative burdens for recipients, clarity in
relationships and expected results faster and improved service
results,
and adhering to service standards
• Establishment, communication, monitoring and reporting against
se ce standards
service sta da ds
18

20. Elements of CIC DAP
(cont’d)
• Standardized, department-wide Risk-based approach to Gs&Cs
Management, particularly the identification of monitoring and audit
needs
• Updated forms and schedules with simplified, clearer and more user-
p p ,
friendly language
• Use of common tools and enhanced access to relevant information to
guide program delivery
• Foster efficiencies in departmental interaction with service p
p providing
g
organizations and better integrate and facilitate cross-referencing of
information from multiple sources
• Adoption of practices found to be successful in other government
departments
• Strengthened capacity in sector, will allow CIC staff to have more time
to address/monitor and influence outcomes of initiatives and projects
19

21. QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION