ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

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Section I — Overview

Minister's Message

On behalf of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and the Canadian Polar Commission, I am pleased to present to Parliament and the people of Canada the departmental Report on Plans and Priorities for 2007–08.

A year has passed since I took on the role of Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. Over this period, I have witnessed the department's progress towards goals established in last year's report. I also see how a report of this kind maps out practical courses of action to achieve our goals — and strengthens accountability to Parliament and Canadians.

The fundamental principles that guided last year's plans and priorities remain in place. The government's vision of advancing Aboriginal interests continues to be a straightforward and practical one: the attainment of greater self-sufficiency and prosperity through strong working partnerships based on mutual respect and trust.

INAC will continue to work closely with its many partners in all sectors of its Aboriginal and Northern mandates, and build on the substantial results achieved over the past year in key areas fundamental to the quality of life for Aboriginals and Northerners: education; housing; women, children and families; drinking water and wastewater management; accountability and capacity building; and oil and gas development. This core of well-defined responsibilities will continue to be the focus of ongoing work for the 2007–10 planning period covered by this report.

As a guide to engaging Canadians in support of its priorities, INAC has identified several broad areas for action in fiscal year 2007–08: the empowerment of First Nations individuals, especially women, to take greater control and responsibility for their lives; accelerating land claims; promoting job training, entrepreneurship and economic development.

INAC's separate mandate of Northern Development will also be an important departmental focus to help realize the tremendous potential of the region. INAC will continue to work closely with the three territories, other federal departments, and the international circumpolar community to manage the development of land-based and offshore resources, support local economic growth, protect the environment, and, in its leadership role for the upcoming International Polar Year, co-ordinate scientific research. With their vast and still largely untapped oil, gas and mineral resources, the territories are poised to begin new chapters of economic development and become major contributors to Canada's future prosperity.

The 2007–08 Report on Plans and Priorities clearly shows that many challenges lie ahead. INAC's partnerships with First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Northerners offer many promising paths by which, through our combined efforts, we can bring real and lasting benefits to individuals, families and communities, in every region of Canada.

The Honourable Jim Prentice, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians

Management Representation Statement

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2007–2008 Report on Plans and Priorities for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Canadian Polar Commission.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2007–2008 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

• It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board Secretariat guidance;
• It is based on the department's Strategic Outcome(s) and Program Activity Architecture that were approved by the Treasury Board;
• It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable information;
• It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
• It reports finances based on approved planned spending numbers from the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Michael Wernick
Deputy Minister, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

Program Activity Architecture

The Program Activity Architecture (PAA) of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada illustrates 17 main program activities and associated sub-activities by Strategic Outcome.

Click on image to enlarge

Program Activity Architecture (PAA) Crosswalk

In July, 2006, the department amended its PAA to better reflect its mandate and to correctly align its Program Activities with the proper Strategic Outcome. The amendments removed the Claims Settlements sub-activity (approximately $500 million in 2007–08) from the Access to Capital and Economic Development Program Activity under the Economy Strategic Outcome, and created a Claims Settlements Program Activity under the Government Strategic Outcome. Since the negotiation and implementation of claims are part of the Government Strategic Outcome, the payment of the claims settlements should also be there. By creating a new Program Activity category for this activity, INAC will be able to distinguish the payment of settlement dollars from other on-going activities. The new Program Activity in the Government Strategic Outcome was named Claims Settlements. Accordingly, the remaining Program Activity in the Economy Strategic Outcome was shortened to Economic Development.

Allocation Methodology Within the government budget process, departments do not receive money specifically for departmental management and administration; funds are allocated to strategic outcomes and program activities. This presents a challenge for INAC to provide a useful presentation of resources, given that it is primarily in the business of transferring funds to third parties for the delivery of programs and services meeting its objectives and mandate. As such, it has to ensure the proper administration of these transfers, undertake monitoring and accountability activities, and provide policy advice and other services (e.g., litigation management). It should be noted, however, that the proportion of INAC's total budget allocated to Departmental Management and Administration amounts to less than 5 percent, which is comparable to other departments.

Summary Information

The Report on Plans and Priorities informs Parliament and Canadians about the department's priorities, ongoing work and spending plans. The 2007–08 Report on Plans and Priorities is divided into three sections:

• Section I outlines program priorities for the immediate planning period
• Section II analyses program activities by Strategic Outcome
• Section III presents supplementary information, such as financial tables for planned spending

The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is responsible for reporting to Parliament on Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), including the Office of the Federal Interlocutor and the Canadian Polar Commission. The Minister is also responsible for the Indian Specific Claims Commission and the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada, which submit separate reports on plans and priorities.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

Mandate and Mission

Aboriginal peoples are seeking their own place in confederation and a quality of life comparable to that of other Canadians. Northerners are also seeking greater autonomy in managing their affairs. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is one of several partners that has a role to play in meeting these objectives. More specifically the department is responsible for two separate mandates: Indian and Inuit Affairs and Northern Development. Taken together, these mandates comprise INAC's mission: to support First Nations and Inuit — and in the North, all Northerners, including First Nations, Inuit, Métis — in achieving their social and economic aspirations; in developing healthy, sustainable communities; and in more fully participating in and benefiting from Canada's political, social and economic development. Consequently, INAC's role is complex and its responsibilities encompass a broad range of programs and services.

Generally, the department is responsible for meeting the Government of Canada's obligations and commitments to First Nations, Inuit and Métis and for fulfilling the federal government's constitutional responsibilities in the North. The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is also the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. The Federal Interlocutor's role is to provide a point of contact between the Government of Canada and Métis, Non-Status Indians and urban Aboriginal people.

Under Indian and Inuit Affairs, INAC negotiates comprehensive and specific land claims and self-government agreements on behalf of the federal government; oversees implementation of settlements; and promotes social and economic development. It is responsible for delivering province-like services such as education, housing and community infrastructure to Status Indians on reserves, and for delivering social assistance and social support services to residents on reserves. Furthermore, INAC manages lands under the Indian Act and helps First Nations to develop professional and institutional capacity in the area of land management, as well as supporting First Nations governance. It is also responsible for individual affairs through the Indian Registrar. In the North, the territorial governments generally provide the majority of programs and services to all Northerners, including Aboriginal people.

INAC promotes efficient land management practices on reserves that address the Crown's interest in protecting, conserving and managing lands, resources and the environment in a manner consistent with both the principles of sustainable development and First Nations' aspirations to control their lands and resources. INAC is also responsible for carrying out core activities under the Indian Act.

On April 1, 2006, the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat was transferred from the Privy Council Office to INAC. The Secretariat provides a coordination role for Aboriginal policies and programs across government. With this transfer, INAC assumed an enhanced leadership role in terms of managing the overall direction of the government's Aboriginal agenda. In addition, on December 1, 2006, the responsibilities of Aboriginal Business Canada and the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board were transferred from Industry Canada to INAC. Bringing these Aboriginal economic development functions together under one department is intended to help Aboriginal people take advantage of current resource development in Canada, to enhance business and job creation, and ultimately to improve well-being in communities.

The department also houses the Inuit Relations Secretariat, which was established in 2005 to serve as a focal point for Inuit issues and to advocate for the inclusion of Inuit-specific concerns in federal program and policy development. This Secretariat is also the principal liaison with national and regional Inuit organizations.

In the North, INAC is the lead federal department for a region that comprises 40 percent of Canada's land mass. The department plays a direct role in the political and economic development of the territories, with responsibility for the management of land and natural resources in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (prior to the conclusion of devolution agreements), as well as specific duties related to environmental protection and assessment, management of offshore oil and gas resources, and the coordination of scientific research in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Operating Environment

INAC is responsible for a challenging and complex portfolio that has been shaped by centuries of history, unique demographic and geographic challenges, a significant quantity of case law and judicial direction, and an ever-evolving policy and legislative agenda. Perhaps no other department has responsibility for such a large range of programs, has such a dynamic relationship with so many different clients and partners, or plays such a distinctive role in the building of the nation.

INAC undertakes its activities in a constantly evolving environment. Strategies for moving forward need to take into account changing social, economic, legal and political landscapes. For example, in terms of the legal landscape, litigation is generating court rulings at every level within the judicial system, which is further defining Aboriginal and treaty rights as recognized in Canada's constitution. These court rulings continue to influence the content, sequence and timing of the government's Aboriginal agenda.

The Aboriginal agenda is also shaped by the changing capacity of Aboriginal peoples, northern governance structures and the federal government to take on new challenges. To effect the kind of change that Aboriginal people, Northerners and all Canadians are demanding, the department must work with its partners to provide the necessary tools to help overcome obstacles preventing growth and prosperity. This can take the form of legislation, regulatory improvements, new institutions, policies or other partnerships. These solutions are subject to a number of factors including the Parliamentary and regulatory processes, machinery issues, funding requirements, and consultation requirements.

As progress is made, and as capacity develops, the nature of the challenges also changes so that different or revised strategies are required to address a fundamentally new set of circumstances. As Aboriginal people move from dependency to self-reliance, the focus of INAC activities and those of the federal government continually change over time to respond to a unique and evolving set of needs.

Within the federal government, responsibility for Aboriginal programming is shared among 34 departments and agencies with total planned spending of $9.1 billion (2005–06). The bulk of planned spending is directed towards provincial or municipal type services on reserve, such as social services, education, healthcare, infrastructure and housing. This is nondiscretionary funding and is generally linked to providing services at levels comparable to provincial and territorial regimes.

To fund services on reserve, INAC transfers about $5.5 billion annually to Aboriginal recipients. That represents approximately 90% of all INAC financial resources. The funds are transferred to some 1200 entities, including about 640 First Nations and Aboriginal organizations. Despite the on-going nature of the vast majority of INAC transfers, these programs are funded primarily on an annual basis.

INAC's role with respect to programs is to ensure they remain responsive to the needs of individuals, support capacity development, and promote sound management practices. To ensure the effectiveness and accountability for the delivery of program and services, the department must work with First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations and provinces and territories to ensure clearly defined roles, responsibilities and accountability relationships. To achieve this objective, the department uses a broad range of funding mechanisms — from grants, to agreements for specific program funding, to multi-year block funding for alternative funding arrangements and self-government agreements.

The demand for programs and services is significantly impacted by demographics. The Aboriginal population is the youngest and the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population. The population growth is creating increased demand for basic services on reserve, such as education, health, social assistance, water, and housing. The age structure of the Aboriginal population has implications for the Canadian workforce, regional economies, and overall competitiveness, particularly in the Prairie Provinces, the territories, and urban centres where there are high concentrations of Aboriginal youth. Furthermore, high mobility rates of Aboriginal people to and from reserves and surrounding communities, as well as within urban centres, present challenges for program delivery mechanisms. Providing steady services to a highly transient population, is inherently difficult and there are challenges in federal/provincial relations in terms of providing service levels comparable with provincial regimes.

Aboriginal Canada When the census was taken in 2001, 1,319,890 people in Canada reported having Aboriginal ancestry, which is 4.5 percent of the Canadian population. In 2007, Status Indians living on reserve are estimated to represent about 57 percent of the Status Indian population. There are about 460,300 on-reserve Status Indians and about 345,400 who reside off-reserve. In total, there are currently 615 First Nations communities, comprising more than 50 nations or cultural groups and more than 50 languages. About 59 percent of First Nations communities have fewer than 500 residents — only about eight percent have more than 2,000. Overall, 35 percent of on-reserve Status Indians live in urban areas, while 45 percent live in rural areas, 17 percent in special-access areas and 4 percent in remote zones. The on-reserve Status Indian population is expected to increase by about 50 percent between 2007 and 2029, compared with about 18 percent for the Canadian population as a whole over the same time period. About 40 percent of the Status Indian population is under the age of 20, compared with 24 percent of the overall Canadian population. Sources include: the 2001 Census of Canada; INAC’s Indian Register; INAC’s Registered Indian Population Projection Series 2004–29; and Statistics Canada’s 2005–56 Population Projection Series

The demographic reality is such that Aboriginal people can provide a comparative advantage for Canada in terms of their potential contributions to a skilled workforce in a 21^st century economy. For this to happen, it will be important that Aboriginal children and youth reach their full developmental potential.

Ultimately, achieving better outcomes for Canada's Aboriginal peoples is a collaborative effort. While the federal government holds many of the levers to foster better outcomes for Aboriginal peoples, so too do provinces, territories, the private sector, and Aboriginal peoples themselves.

The department continues to work with other government departments to achieve integrated, interdepartmental policy development, program design and service delivery. INAC also works with over 600 First Nations communities and organizations; Inuit national and regional organizations; provincial and territorial governments; other federal departments and agencies; non-governmental organizations; the private sector; and seven circumpolar nations.

The federal government has made a commitment to improve results of programs and to enhance the federal government's transparency, accountability and reporting on Aboriginal programs. This commitment entails working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations and provinces and territories to clarify roles and accountability relationships. In the January 2005 Accountability for Results session, the federal government committed to disclosing a detailed picture of direct federal program spending targeting Aboriginal peoples in Canada for 2004–05, which is now captured in the Aboriginal Horizontal Framework. The Framework will be updated on a yearly basis.

For a more detailed explanation of the Framework and detailed schedule of programs, please see http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/report/govrev/05/cp-rc-eng.asp.

In the North, the department is also the lead federal department for coordinating federal activities across the territories and plays a leadership role advancing the interests of Northerners within the federal government. Investments made by successive governments in political development, claims and self-government negotiations, and economic development have set the stage for major development opportunities. Canada's North holds world-class mineral, oil and gas deposits, which promise substantial long-term growth in the regional economy and a significant revenue stream for governments. Resource development opportunities are significant, with strategic importance for Canada, and the potential to make the North a major contributor to Canada's future prosperity. March 2007 marks the beginning of International Polar Year 2007–2008, an exciting initiative of science and research in the polar regions, and INAC — in conjunction with five other federal departments and agencies — will be leading Canada's participation in this important international science program.

The North Canada's North occupies 40 percent of Canada's land mass. There are few reserves in the North; in general, territorial governments are responsible for providing programs and services to all Northerners, including Aboriginal people. The three territories consist of some 96 communities; most of them home to small populations, the majority of whom are First Nations, Inuit or Métis. Some 92,300 residents are scattered across this area: Nunavut's population is 26,700, while there are 37,100 people in the Northwest Territories and 28,500 in the Yukon. The population in the North is young, with 44 percent of the population under the age of 25. Over half of the population of the North is Aboriginal, varying from 85 percent in Nunavut to about 51 percent in the Northwest Territories and about 23 percent in the Yukon.

Resource development is the foundation of the private sector economy in the North, but is dependent on government's capacity to manage lands and resources, regulate development and work with partners to address challenges. Through the regulatory, environmental assessment, and resource management regimes, INAC is responsible for ensuring that economic and resource development activity in the North is undertaken with minimal environmental impact, protects the public interest, and ensures long-term benefits for Northerners and all Canadians.

The devolution of land and resource management responsibilities to territorial governments has been a longstanding federal policy objective intended to give Northerners greater control over their economic future while strengthening governance capacity. The transfer of the remaining land and resource management responsibilities to the Governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, in an environment of evolving Aboriginal governance structures, requires careful management while respecting ongoing federal responsibilities.

At the same time, governance in the North is evolving as territorial and Aboriginal governments assume greater control over decision making through devolution and claims and self-government processes. In the North, the majority of social programs and services are generally provided by the territorial governments to all Northerners, including Aboriginal people.

Overall, the complex and evolving environment in which the department operates to advance Aboriginal and northern issues contains a number of challenges. The planned activities outlined in this document seek to chart a course for the department and its partners to navigate these challenges in a way that benefits Aboriginal people, Northerners and all Canadians.

Strategic Outcomes

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada's integrated planning and reporting process was put in place to advance, focus and simplify managing for results within the department by enabling horizontal collaboration, and continuous and flexible updating and coordination within the annual planning and reporting cycle. This process was developed to facilitate managing for results by: providing a holistic rather than an incremental approach to changes to the policy framework, and to managing for results through Strategic Outcomes; providing clear overall direction from the leadership by establishing a common, overall purpose and direction through alignment to results and greater coherence between headquarters and regions; and by ensuring that there is clear accountability for spending and results.

The Strategic Outcomes were developed to clearly lay out where the department is going and track progress on achieving expected results.

The department has identified five long-term strategic outcomes that reflect the department's mission and are linked to government-wide priorities and intended results:

• The Government: Good governance, effective institutions and co-operative relationships for First Nations, Inuit and Northerners
• The People: Strengthened individual and family well-being for First Nations, Inuit and Northerners
• The Land: Sustainable use of lands and resources by First Nations, Inuit and Northerners
• The Economy: Increased participation of Aboriginal people and Northerners in the economy
• Office of the Federal Interlocutor: Promoting collaborative engagement of government and stakeholders, resulting in demonstrable improvement in socio-economic conditions of Métis, Non-Status Indians and urban Aboriginal people

Each of the department's Strategic Outcomes reflect how various program activities and outputs contribute to expected results that support the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada mission and the priorities and intended results of the federal government. These Strategic Outcomes also provide the basis for establishing horizontal linkages between other departments with similar or natural groupings of Strategic Outcomes.

Departmental Priorities

The Strategic Outcomes described above capture the breadth of the department's program activities. Individually and collectively, their ultimate objective is to assist First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Northerners in moving from dependency to self-reliance and a quality of life comparable to that of other Canadians, while recognizing and respecting the special relationship that exists between the Crown and Aboriginal peoples.

While each Strategic Outcome encompasses a stable core of ongoing work, which is described in detail in Section II of this Report, it is clearly not feasible to expect the same rate of progress in all areas at once due to a range of factors including: finite financial resources; the need for further policy or legislative work or consultations; the degree of involvement of other players; capacity challenges; the interrelationship among program areas which may necessitate progress in one area before another can be addressed; and the overall strategic direction and specific interests of the government.

As a result, the department must establish short and medium term priorities within the context of ongoing work towards its Strategic Outcomes to guide its short-term investments to respond to areas of greatest need as well as set the conditions that will allow for cumulative improvements in the future. Over the planning period, targeted efforts will focus on four broad areas which cut across Strategic Outcomes, including: the empowerment of individuals, especially women, to take greater control and responsibility for their lives; accelerating land claims; promoting job training, entrepreneurship and economic development; and laying the groundwork for modern and accountable governance structures. This work will be further guided by the principles of respect for the Canadian Constitution and basic democratic values, clear roles and responsibilities, twenty-first century standards for programs and services, and greater economic integration.

More specifically, this will entail a focus on program priorities over the planning period as follows:

• Safe Water: Implement the Plan of Action contained in the December 2006 Progress Report on Drinking Water in First Nations Communities to improve the quality and functioning of First Nations water facilities;
• Housing: Ensure improvements to the supply and quality of renovated and new housing on-reserve through new approaches;
• Education: Put education policies and programs in place that support improved educational attainment of First Nations students and enhance skills development leading to enhanced economic opportunities; explore regional education partnerships to improve outcomes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis, on and off reserve;
• Child and Family Services: Ensure access to quality care supports for children and families in distress, including greater emphasis on prevention and protection services;
• Matrimonial Real Property Legislation: Introduce and implement an enduring legislative solution to the issue of the division of on-reserve matrimonial real property;
• Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act: Passage and implement of legislation to repeal Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which currently shields actions taken or decisions made pursuant to the Indian Act from being considered by the Canadian Human Rights Commission;
• Productive negotiations: Conclude negotiations, sign and ratify a number of interim and final land claim and self-government agreements, and focus finite negotiation resources on tables with the greatest prospects of success;
• Economic Development: Increase participation of Aboriginal people in the economy through increased employment and economic opportunities and contracting opportunities for Aboriginal business;
• Mackenzie Gas Project: Advance progress, including regulatory processes and construction approvals as well as working to resolve Aboriginal claims and interests through facilitation and negotiation.
• International Polar Year: Lead Canada's efforts in this international event to generate new knowledge related to the impacts and adaptation to climate change and to health and well-being in the North.

Priority: Safe Water		Priority Type: Ongoing
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Implement Plan of Action from Drinking Water in First Nations Communities Progress Report (December 2006)	Percentage of First Nations with community water facility maintenance management plans successfully implemented	2007–08
	Percentage of facilities supervised or operated by a certified operator	2007–08
	Number and percentage reduction of First Nations communities with Boil Water Advisories	2007–08

 

Priority: Housing		Priority Type: Ongoing
Initiative/Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Adequate renovated housing on-reserve	Number and percentage of outstanding health and safety projects addressed per year	2007–08
New housing on-reserve	Number of new housing units constructed	2007–08

 

Priority: Education		Priority Type: Ongoing
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Regional Education Partnerships established to improve outcomes for all Aboriginal students, on and off reserves	Number of regional partnership agreements established between First Nations and other Aboriginal partners, provincial/territorial governments, INAC and other stakeholders	2007–08

 

Priority: Child and Family Services		Priority Type: Ongoing
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Review and adapt program authorities related to First Nations Child and Family Services so that child welfare programs and services are more comparable to provincial programs and services	Number and quality of care options availabe to First Nations on reserves	2007–08

 

Priority: Matrimonial Real Property Legislation		Priority Type: New
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Development and introduction of an enduring legislative solution to the issue of on-reserve matrimonial real property	Legislation introduced and implemented	September 2007

 

Priority: Repeal of Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act		Priority Type: New
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Repeal Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act	Legislation introduced and implemented	December 2007

 

Priority: Productive Claims Negotiations		Priority Type: Ongoing
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Achievement of deliverables and key milestones identified in agreed-upon work plans in land claims and self-government negotiations	Full engagement by First Nations, provincial and federal government in negotiations	2007–08
	Conclusion and ratification of interim and final agreements	2007–08

 

Priority: Economic Development		Priority Type: New
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Increased participation of Aboriginal people in the economy; increased employment opportunities and job creation; increase in federal contracts and revenue for Aboriginal businesses	Change in the Aboriginal labour force participation and employment rate Total value of contracts awarded to Aboriginal businesses by the private sector The number of economic development and employment initiatives that are being pursued through collaborative partnerships The number of Aboriginal people provided training and employment The number of Aboriginal business opportunities that have been created	2007–10

 

Priority: Mackenzie Gas Project		Priority Type: Ongoing
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Advancement of the Mackenzie Gas Project	Progress on project, including regulatory processes and procedures for approvals (permits, licences, etc.) required for construction	2007–08
	Improved scientific basis upon which to ground regulatory approvals related to the project	2007–08
	Pursuit of resolution of Aboriginal claims and interests through facilitation and negotiation	2007–08

 

Priority: International Polar Year		Priority Type: New
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Leading Canada's efforts in International Polar Year	Northerners, Aboriginal people, youth and northern communities are engaged in International Polar Year activities	2007–08
	Generation of new scientific data, information, and knowledge	2007-10

Management Priority

For the fiscal year 2007–08, the management priority will be to improve strategic management and administration within the department. The department will continue to develop employees' understanding and awareness of the functional relationship between:

• planning and reporting cycles and processes;
• human and financial resource allocation;
• information and systems frameworks; and
• on-going performance measurement.

Specifically, INAC will strengthen financial management within INAC through the implementation of the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive models. Implementation of this model will guide the:

• Standardization of processes and define interdependencies and financial accountabilities;
• Strengthening of departmental audit and evaluation, oversight and strategic coverage;
• Integration of Human Resources Planning with Business planning; and
• Building of more effective working relationships with central agencies, and in particular the Office of the Comptroller General.

Effective resource management requires capacity — the structures, tools, and resources — to make sound decisions that are based on values, quality, and cost. The department is committed to building integrated processes that are responsive to its stakeholders and that leverage information to manage resources and relationships in innovative ways that deliver public value.

Priority: Strengthened Management		Priority Type: New
Initiative / Expected Result	Indicator	Target Date
Financial management frameworks and controls	Chief Financial Officer model implemented Integrated Financial System launched	2007–08
Integrated financial data	Enterprise data warehouse operational Percentage of 2007–08 recipient reports stored online
Strengthened departmental audit and evaluation, oversight and strategic coverage	Percentage change of high-risk / government priorities, programs and policies targeted to be evaluated and audited Improved Management Accountability Framework (MAF) rating for INAC audit and evaluation functions
First Nations and Inuit Transfer Payment (FNITP) system	Percentage reduction in the number of data collections required of First Nations Percentage of First Nations users trained on new FNITP system
Integrated Human Resources and business planning	Strategy developed
Management and reporting focused on outcomes	Management, Resources and Results Structure Policy implemented Performance measurement framework developed

As noted, these program priorities do not address all aspects of the department's work, undertaken within the context of the Strategic Outcomes. Much of this work requires a longer-term focus and may require future renovations of key policy, program and funding instruments. The short and medium term priorities identified above are prerequisites for longer-term change and improved quality of life in that they address basic need, increase capacity, open up opportunities and promote greater accountability — in effect, eliminating long-standing barriers to change and thereby, building the preconditions for sound future governance and management, and for Aboriginal communities to achieve greater self-reliance over time.

The following table relates the Strategic Outcomes and their Program Activities to the department's priorities.

Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

		Planned Spending ($ millions)
	Expected Results	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10	Contributes to the Following Priority
Strategic Outcome: The Government
Governance and Institutions of Government	Strengthened First Nations and Inuit governance and capacity through legislative, policy and programming initiatives	652.6	644.7	648.6	Productive Claims Negotiations
Co-operative Relationships	Favourable conditions for socio-economic and cultural growth of communities	240.8	202.0	194.8
Claims Settlements	Settlements of special, specific and comprehensive claims	523.3	152.9	143.1	Productive Claims Negotiations
Northern Governance	Effective governance structures and institutions of public government	10.3	10.3	10.3
Strategic Outcome: The People
Managing Individual Affairs	Effective federal stewardship of First Nations membership and registration, Indian Moneys, and treaty annuities	24.7	21.1	21.1	Matrimonial Real Property Legislation
Education	Education policies and programs that support improved educational attainment of First Nations students	1,670.4	1,723.0	1,763.5	Child and Family Services
Social Development	Improve safety and well-being of First Nations individuals and families	1,400.8	1,451.4	1,486.6	Child and Family Services
Healthy Northern Communities	Improved health and wellbeing of northern communities	140.2	140.5	103.6	International Polar Year
Strategic Outcome: The Land
Clarity of Title to Land and Resources	Clarity of title and expansion of the reserve land base	9.7	5.7	5.7	Productive Claims Negotiations
Responsible Federal Stewardship	Sound practices to protect the health and safety of First Nations people and the environment	49.0	43.0	41.8	Economic Development
First Nations Governance over Land, Resources and the Environment	First Nations assume authority over their lands, resources and environment	36.0	35.7	35.7	Economic Development
Northern Land and Resources	Sustainable development through improved environmental management and stewardship	188.4	169.7	154.8	Economic Development Mackenzie Gas Project
Strategic Outcome: The Economy
Economic and Employment Opportunities for Aboriginal People and Economic Development	Increased economic and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people, and community economic development and Aboriginal business development	175.5	177.6	176.9	Economic Development Mackenzie Gas Project
Community Infrastructure	Effective and timely development and maintenance of community infrastructure	1,265.6	1,068.5	1,074.8	Child and Family Services Safe Water Housing
Northern Economy	Broadened economic base of each territorial economy	26.9	23.4	2.1	Economic Development Mackenzie Gas Project
Strategic Outcome: Office of the Federal Interlocutor
Co-operative Relations	Improved socio-economic conditions for Métis, Non-Status Indians and urban Aboriginal people	35.8	8.6	8.6	Education Economic Development

 

Summary of Planned Financial and Human Resources (Total)

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10
Financial Resources ($ millions)*	6,764.3	6,154.0	6,161.7
Human Resources (FTEs)	4,389.5	4,260.7	4,174.2

*Includes Budget 2006 funding for priorities including education, women, children, families, water and housing (not yet allocated to specific initiatives/program activities, includes funding for other government departments — $314.5 million in 2007–08; $275.9 million in 2008–09; $289.6 million in 2009–10).

The planned spending over the three-year period is diminishing mainly because of a decrease in the planned cash flow requirements for the negotiation, settlement and implementation of specific and comprehensive claims as well as reductions related to the sunset of targeted funding (e.g. funding provided in Budget 2005 for First Nations housing and related infrastructure; funding provided in Budget 2003 for the First Nations Water Management Strategy), offset by incremental funding provided to meet the demand for ongoing Indian and Inuit programs and services.

Canadian Polar Commission

The Canadian Polar Commission is responsible for:

• monitoring, promoting and disseminating knowledge of the polar regions;
• contributing to public awareness of the importance of polar science to Canada;
• enhancing Canada's international profile as a circumpolar nation; and
• recommending policy direction to government.

Established in 1991 as Canada's lead agency in polar research, the Commission operates as an independent agency under the Canadian Polar Commission Act. It reports to Parliament through the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

The Commission has one strategic outcome: increased Canadian polar knowledge.

Summary of Financial and Human Resources

Canadian Polar Commission	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10
Financial Resources ($ millions)	1.0	1.0	1.0
Human Resources (FTEs)	5	5	5

 

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