The Social Union Framework Agreement

1
The Social Union Framework Agreement

• The three-year review

2
The Agreement

• Signed February 4, 1999 by First Ministers
• Commitments made by governments in 7 areas
• Social Union principles, mobility, public
  accountability and transparency, working in
  partnership, use of the federal spending power,
  dispute avoidance and resolution, and provision
  for a three-year review
• Dec. 99 F/P/T Ministers meeting with National
  Aboriginal Leaders affirmed Aboriginal engagement
  in the implementation of SUFA

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Commitments

• Principles
• Equality, accessibility, medicare, citizen
  participation, partnerships with stakeholders,
  sustainable funding
• Mobility
• Removing residency-based and labour mobility
  barriers
• Partnership
• Joint planning and collaboration
• Reciprocal notice and consultation

4
Commitments

• Federal Spending Power
• New transfers to P/Ts
• Direct federal spending
• Dispute avoidance and resolution
• emphasis on avoiding disputes and sector-level
  resolution
• permits 3rd party involvement

5
Commitments

• Public Accountability and Transparency
• Achieving, measuring and reporting on social
  program results
• Involving Canadians
• Ensuring fair and transparent practices
• Citizen-focussed
• For any new federal transfers to support social
  programs, governments to agree on an
  accountability framework

6
SUFA three-year review

• Governments to jointly undertake a review of SUFA
  and its implementation
• make appropriate adjustments as required
• Includes ensuring significant opportunities for
  input and feed-back from Canadians and all
  interested parties
• Emphasis on government-to-government review not
  an evaluation of social programs

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The three-year review process

• Federal lead is Minister Dion
• Discussions between F/P/T officials began last
  fall
• In December, F/P/T Ministers agreed to
• government-to-government process
• public engagement process and
• Aboriginal engagement process
• But, review is currently on hold

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Accountability and the three-year review

• Accountability to be a SUFA success story
• move away from government-to-government reporting
  to a citizen-focus
• new, common accountability frameworks
• acknowledgement we will build upon the work of
  the last three years
• But, need to do more to involve Canadians

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Federal initiatives

• SUFA Accountability Pilot Study
• Canadas Performance Report, DPRs, Plans and
  Priorities
• Evaluation Policy 2001
• Policy on Transfer Payments (2000)
• Results for Canadians - a new management framework

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F/P/T initiatives

• Action Plan for Health System Renewal (2000)
• Early Childhood Development (2000)
• Affordable Housing (2001)
• National Child Benefit (pre-dates SUFA)

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SUFA Involving Canadians

• ...ensure appropriate opportunities for Canadians
  to have meaningful input into social policies and
  programs (Section 1 Principles)
• ensure effective mechanisms for Canadians to
  participate in developing social priorities and
  reviewing outcomes (Section 3 Accountability)
• Have in place appropriate mechansims for citizens
  to appeal unfair administrative practices
  (Section 3 Accountability)
• ...work with Aboriginal peoplesto find practical
  solutions to address their pressing needs.
  (Section 4 Working in Partnership)

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Observations

• All governments working to improve accountability
  to their citizens
• individually and collectively
• recognition that accountability is an incremental
  process
• Challenges remain
• capacity of individual governments
• comparability and conditionality
• greater involvement of Canadians and Aboriginal
  peoples