Canadian Rural Partnership
Partnerships

The Rural Secretariat works with federal departments, provinces and territories to identify key issues in support of rural communities. Its partnership with other federal departments and agencies recognizes the horizontal nature of rural development and focuses on developing a proactive, collaborative approach from a national perspective.

At the national level, the Interdepartmental Working Group (IWG) helps the Rural Secretariat to gather and disseminate information about the work of the federal government on rural development issues. The Interdepartmental Working Group consists of up to 33  federal departments and agencies.

The Rural Development Network, launched in the fall of 2005, is made up of federal policy and research workers and was established to facilitate the sharing of information across federal departments. The goal of the Network is to advance rural policy options, create greater awareness of the challenges facing rural Canada, and promote greater co-operation among federal departments.

At the regional level, the coordination is spearheaded by Rural Teams across Canada. Rural Teams are at work in each province and territory—they act as intergovernmental and interdepartmental forums in support of rural and northern citizens and their communities. Rural Teams work to improve communication, coordination, cooperation and collaboration on rural issues by networking, gathering intelligence on rural issues, and educating and informing.

For further information about these partnerships, please call 1‑888‑781‑2222 (toll free) or contact the Rural Secretariat's representative in your region.