ARCHIVED - Public Safety Canada

Name of Transfer Payment Program: Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA)

Start date: 1970

End date: Ongoing

Description: Assist provinces and territories with response and recovery costs as a result of large-scale natural disasters.

Strategic Outcome: A safe and resilient Canada

Results Achieved: The Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) continue to cost share provincial and territorial assistance to individuals, small businesses and local governments affected by natural disasters, including expenditures to repair and rebuild damaged public infrastructure. In 2008-09, Orders in Council were approved for 10 natural disasters. Commitments totalling $120,490,936 were made during the same period. Nine provinces and territories received training sessions on the revised Program Guidelines that were introduced on January 1, 2008.

Each year, estimates based on Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements events in process are submitted and included as part of Public Safety Canada’s A-base funding. The timing of Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements payments is largely dependent on the timing of submission of the required provincial or territorial documentation to support the payment request. The lapse in the estimated budget for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements resulted from several expected provincial and territorial requests for payment not occurring within the fiscal year.

Significant audit findings: Documentation in support of each provincial and territorial DFAA request for payment is submitted to Audit Services Canada for audit prior to issuance of any federal payments.

Name of Transfer Payment Program: First Nations Policing Program (FNPP)

Start date: 1991-92

End date: Ongoing

Description: Under the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP), Public Safety Canada negotiates, administers and monitors tripartite agreements for policing services in First Nations communities. These policing services are culturally appropriate and responsive to the particular needs of First Nations and Inuit communities and are cost-shared 52% by Canada and 48% by the province/territory. Currently, Public Safety Canada funds 1,241 Aboriginal police officers under the FNPP and 168 tripartite agreements are in place covering 327,430 people.

Strategic Outcome: A safe and resilient Canada

Results Achieved: In 2008-09, Public Safety Canada managed 168 First Nation Policing Program Agreements in 408 communities across Canada. The Aboriginal Policing Directorate, First Nation partners and the provinces/territories continue to collaborate though the negotiation of tripartite agreements that fund a dedicated police presence in First Nation communities.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): The $31.3M variance between Planned and Actual Spending is mainly due to a budget transfer of $39.8M to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for First Nations community policing services, offset by a transfer of $7.8M received from the National Crime Prevention Strategy for the renewal of certain First Nations Policing Program agreements.

Significant audit findings: The Aboriginal Policing Directorate is currently undergoing a follow-up audit to the Management Action Plan of the 2007 FNPP Audit.

Name of Transfer Payment Program: Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP)

Start date: 1980

End date: Ongoing

Description: Contributions to enhance the national capability to manage all types of emergencies and ensure a reasonably uniform emergency response and recovery capacity across Canada. National capabilities are enhanced through training activities, the purchase of emergency response equipment and joint emergency planning.

Strategic Outcome: A safe and resilient Canada

Results Achieved: The Joint Emergency Preparedness Program is a cost-shared program in partnership with provinces and territories which contributes to the safety and security of Canadians by providing funding to projects aiming to strengthen national emergency response.

Significant audit findings: All projects exceeding a JEPP contribution of $50,000 are audited by provincial/territorial auditors prior to a payment being issued. Also, 5% of the total projects are selected annually for auditing by federal auditors.

Name of Transfer Payment Program: National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS)

Start date: 1998-99

End date: Ongoing

Description: The National Crime Prevention Strategy, which is administered by the National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) in collaboration with provinces and territories, provides national leadership on effective and cost-efficient ways to prevent and reduce crime by addressing known risk factors in high-risk populations and places. The NCPC works in close collaboration with key partners, including police, community organizations, municipalities, and academics, to support the development and implementation of evidence-based crime prevention projects, and the dissemination and use of practical knowledge.

Strategic Outcome: A safe and resilient Canada

Results Achieved: Further to the renewal of the refocused National Crime Prevention Strategy in June 2007, activities under the NCPS have led to positive changes in risk and protective factors among high-risk children and youth; youth at risk of gang involvement; youth at risk of drug involvement; and high-risk offenders returning to the community. Ultimately, these changes will lead to a reduction in offending among these targeted populations. The NCPC has developed a new Accountability, Risk and Audit Framework (ARAF) to reflect these new directions.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): There are several reasons for the variance between planned and actual spending. Notably, the National Crime Prevention Strategy’s new directions (confirmed in June 2008 by the Treasury Board) for the implementation of more evidence-based, focused and targeted interventions are more demanding of community-based organizations. As a result, projects require more developmental work than was the case under the previous strategy. In addition, the National Crime Prevention Centre had to slow down project development activities in 2007-08 because of the uncertainty related to the level of available funding in 2008-09, as $30M of its funding was set to end on March 31, 2008. This resulted in many fewer projects being ready for funding in 2008-09.

Significant audit findings: The Department completed five audits in 2008-09; none have reported non compliance.