Evaluation of the Indian Government Support Programs

1
Evaluation of the Indian Government Support
Programs

• Submitted to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
• March 31st, 2009

2
OBJECTIVES OF THE EVALUATION
3
Objectives of the Evaluation

• To provide Treasury Board with program evaluation
  results as part of the process for redesigning
  Indian Government Support (IGS) and obtaining
  approval for new program authorities
• To assess the relevance, performance and
  effectiveness of Indian Government Support
  programs in relation to current policy
  initiatives

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METHODOLOGY
5
Methodology

• Development of a Detailed Methodology Report
• 44 Files and Documents Reviewed
• 16 Financial and Program Data Documents Reviewed
• 14 Sources of Literature Reviewed

6
Methodology

• Aboriginal Informant Telephone Interviews (26
  completed from 20 organizations)
• Regional Visits and Case Studies
• Community Case Studies (9 completed)
• Regional Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
  Reviews (3 completed)
• 36 interview participants
• Other Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and
  Federal Informant Interviews (27 completed)
• Focus Groups (1-2, in progress)
• 1 Tribal Councils
• 2 Band Support Funding and Band Advisory
  Services representatives

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PRELIMINARY KEY FINDINGS
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Rationale and Relevance

• Concept of support to First Nations and their
  ability to deliver programs and services is still
  relevant
• High population growth rates, particularly among
  youth
• Growing complexity in administration
• Poverty
• ButIndian Government Support policy objectives
  are based on 1980s devolution priorities

9
Design

• Indian Government Support objectives are not
  clearly articulated with respect to outcomes
• Indian Government Support funding formulae are
  outdated and too complex
• Opportunities exist to strategically align Indian
  Government Support program components to reduce
  silos with other programs
• For those who have the capacity, there is strong
  support for First Nations to have control over
  Indian Government Support funding
• No consensus on Band Employee Benefits program
  redesign (strong support within Quebec for
  prevailing model)
• Cautious approach needed if reflecting own-source
  revenue in Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
  funding decisions

10
Delivery

• Limited results-based evidence to support
  assessment of effective program delivery
• Band Support Funding insufficient to cover
  administration support
• Band Support Funding pot of money is sometimes
  used outside administrative costs
• Submissions for funds challenged by timing issues
• Some software incompatibility between
  Headquarters and regions
• Professional Institutional Development delivery
  and selection process varies among regions
• Strategic, merit, past performance

11
Effectiveness

• Success of Indian Government Support difficult to
  assess due to lack of result-oriented performance
  data
• Indian Government Support facilitated by (1)
  openness towards modern governance (2)
  beneficial core funding and (3) flexibility
• Indian Government Support challenged by (1) silo
  effect (2) insufficient funding (3) restrictive
  eligibility within some components and (4) lack
  of clarity in communicating program expectations

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Effectiveness

• Tribal Councils have varying levels of
  administrative capacity
• Unique Band Employee Benefits delivery structure
  in Quebec is effective
• Salaries benefits can be more important than
  pensions in attracting qualified staff
• Professional Institutional Development proven
  successful in providing access to tools to
  improve governance capacity and helping to
  promote good practices

13
Cost Effectiveness / Alternatives

• Indian Government Support programming is
  under-funded according to recipients and regional
  staff
• To this point, no evidence to suggest Indian
  Government Support alternatives would be more
  successful or more cost effective
• Band Employee Benefits pensions are more
  attractive in Quebec, but at the same time the
  program is more costly there
• Professional Institutional Development is a
  useful program to improve capacity and is in high
  demand in most regions

14
Data Reporting System

• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada reporting in
  general requires a large number of reports with
  varying complexity
• Indian Government Support involves comparatively
  less reporting (Tribal Council Funding/Band
  Advisory Services annual reports, Band Employee
  Benefits applications, Professional
  Institutional Development reports)
• In any case, the data from many reports to Indian
  and Northern Affairs Canada is not being analyzed
  or utilized in policy or decision-making
• Data gaps on outcomes and lack of
  results-oriented performance system
• Lack of integration of Professional
  Institutional Development with the Indian and
  Northern Affairs Canada system
• Limited feedback and incentives provided to First
  Nations to improve reporting

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SUMMARY AND PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
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Summary and Preliminary Findings

• Limited Indian Government Support funding to
  provide effective governance
• Indian Government Support programs are outdated
  and formulae complex
• Opportunities exist to strategically align Indian
  Government Support program components to reduce
  silos with other programs
• Absence of a results-oriented performance system
• Streamlined Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
  reporting requirements would improve usability of
  data in decision-making