Strategic outcome and program descriptions

Public Accounts of Canada 2018 Volume II—Top of the page Navigation

Department of Indigenous Services Canada

Strategic outcome 1

Indigenous Services Canada works collaboratively with partners to improve quality of life and access to high quality services for Indigenous Peoples. Our vision is to support First Nations, Inuit and Métis to design, manage and deliver services to their communities.

Program 1.1: Infrastructure and Capacity

This Program provides funding and advisory assistance to First Nation communities for the construction, acquisition, operation and maintenance of community infrastructure assets on reserves. These assets include drinking water systems, wastewater systems and community buildings. The Program also includes support for emergency management assistance, renewable energy projects and funding and advisory support for water and wastewater systems, education facilities, housing and other community infrastructure such as roads and bridges, electrification, and community buildings. Ultimately, this Program enables First Nations to participate more fully in the Canadian economy by establishing infrastructure that meets established standards, and the needs of First Nation communities.

Program 1.2: Education

This Program's overarching goal is to work in partnership with First Nations, provincial and territorial governments and other education stakeholders, to provide eligible First Nation and Inuit students with support in order to achieve educational outcomes that are comparable to those of other Canadians. The Education Program provides funding for culturally-appropriate elementary and secondary education for eligible First Nation students ordinarily resident on reserve, and financially supports post-secondary education for eligible First Nation and Inuit students.

Program 1.3: Governance and Institutions of Government

This Program provides support to First Nation governments, as well as Indigenous governance institutions and organizations. The intent of this support is to facilitate capacity development in the Indigenous public service, the elected leadership, and entities that administer aggregate services on behalf of or to First Nation governments and their communities. Transparent and accountable First Nation governments attract investment, create opportunities, and effectively support their citizens. Transparent and accountable institutions and organizations strengthen the fabric of Indigenous governments across Canada, assist Indigenous communities and their governments in attracting investment, and support Indigenous participation in the Canadian economy. Ultimately, good governance practices are essential for active Indigenous participation in Canadian society and the economy.

Program 1.4: Social Development

This Program provides funding to five social sub-programs: Income Assistance, Assisted Living, First Nations Child and Family Services, and Family Violence Prevention. Together, these sub-programs assist First Nation individuals and communities in becoming more self-sufficient, protect individuals and families at risk of violence, provide prevention supports that allow individuals and families to better care for their children, and support greater participation in the labour market. The Program assists First Nation men, women and children to achieve greater independence and self-sufficiency in First Nation communities across Canada by providing funding for First Nations, First Nation organizations, provinces and others that provide individual and family services to on-reserve residents (and Yukon First Nation residents). These services help First Nation communities meet basic and special needs, support employability and participation in the workforce, and support the safety of individuals and families. Through these four social sub-programs, First Nations are better able to advance their own development, leverage opportunities and actively contribute to the broader Canadian economy and society.

Program 1.5: Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples

This Program supports participation of urban Indigenous individuals and communities in the economy. It is comprised of two streams: Community Capacity Support and Urban Partnerships. The Community Capacity Support stream provides funding to urban Indigenous community organizations to deliver programs and services that are designed to remove barriers and encourage innovative partnerships. The Urban Partnerships stream is comprised of a planning component and an implementation component. The planning component supports communities with multi-stakeholder engagement (private sector, municipalities, Indigenous groups) in the design and development of regional strategic plans and the identification of community priorities. These plans are then shared with the National Association of Friendship Centres which, in turn, implements the priorities through community projects. This Program uses funding from the following transfer payment(s): Contributions to support the Improved Urban Aboriginal Strategy.

Program 1.6: Community Economic Development

This Program promotes conditions that will help improve community economic development and prosperity for Indigenous peoples. Guided by the Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development — and its vision of "Enhancing the Value of Indigenous Assets" — this Program promotes greater self-reliance and participation in the mainstream economy and community well-being. This is achieved through supports to institutions and First Nations for land and environmental management and economic development.

Program 1.7: Supplementary Health Benefits for First Nations and Inuit

Under the Supplementary Health Benefits for First Nations and Inuit program, the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program provides registered First Nations and recognized Inuit residents in Canada with a specified range of medically necessary health- related goods and services, which are not otherwise provided to eligible clients through other private or provincial/territorial programs. Non-Insured Health Benefits include: pharmaceuticals; medical supplies and equipment; dental care; vision care; short term crisis intervention mental health counselling; and, medical transportation to access medically required health services not available on reserve or in the community of residence. The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program also pays health premiums on behalf of eligible clients in British Columbia (as of July 2013, Non-Insured Health Benefits no longer pays premiums for First Nations residents of British Columbia, who became clients of the First Nations Health Authority in accordance with the British Columbia Tripartite Health Agreement and sub agreements). Benefits are delivered through registered, private sector health benefits providers (e.g., pharmacists and dentists) and funded through Non- Insured Health Benefits' electronic claims processing system or through regional offices. Some benefits are also delivered via contribution agreements with First Nations and Inuit organizations and the territorial governments in Nunavut and Northwest Territories. The program objective is to provide benefits in a manner that contributes to the improved health status of First Nations and Inuit. This program uses funding from the following transfer payment: First Nations and Inuit Supplementary Health Benefits.

Program 1.8: First Nations and Inuit Primary Health Care

The Department of Health Act 1996, and the Indian Health Policy (1979) provide the authority for the delivery of the First Nations and Inuit Primary Health Care program to First Nations and Inuit in Canada. Primary health care includes health promotion and disease prevention, public health protection (including surveillance), and primary care (where individuals are provided diagnostic, curative, rehabilitative, supportive, palliative/end-of-life care, and referral services). The Department administers contribution agreements and direct departmental spending related to child development, mental wellness and healthy living, communicable disease control and management, environmental health, clinical and client care, as well as home and community care. The program objective is to improve the health and safety of First Nations and Inuit individuals, families, and communities.

Program 1.9: Health Infrastructure Support for First Nations and Inuit

The Department of Health Act 1996, and the Indian Health Policy (1979) provide the authority for the Health Infrastructure Support for First Nations and Inuit program to administer contribution agreements and direct departmental spending to support the delivery of health programs and services. The program promotes First Nation and Inuit capacity to design, manage, deliver, and evaluate health programs and services. To better meet the unique health needs of First Nations and Inuit individuals, families, and communities this program also supports: innovation in health program and service delivery; health governance partnerships between Health Canada, the provinces, and First Nation and provincial health services; and, improved integration of First Nation and provincial health services. The program objective is to help improve the health status of First Nations and Inuit people, to become comparable to that of the Canadian population over the long term. The program objective is to help improve First Nations and Inuit capacity to influence and/or control the delivery of health programs and services to First Nations and Inuit individuals, families and communities.

Program 1.10: Other Claims

This Program addresses payments related to the resolution of litigation and/or out-of-court settlements for any claim that cannot be designated to any other existing Indigenous and Northern Affairs program. Key activities could include: the assessment of the merits of the claim; the completion of a settlement agreement where appropriate; payment of any monetary compensation and funding and implementation of related activities pursuant to the terms of a settlement agreement and/or direction by a Tribunal or court.

Program 1.11: Internal Services

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the Federal Government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refer to the activities and resources of ten distinct services that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. These services are: Acquisition Management Services, Communications Services, Financial Management Services, Human Resources Management Services, Information Management Services, Information Technology Services, Legal Services, Materiel Management Services, Management and Oversight Services, Real Property Management Services.

Public Accounts of Canada 2018 Volume II—Bottom of the page Navigation

Report a problem or mistake on this page
Date modified: