New Relationship Fund

1
New Relationship Fund

• Discussion on Details of the Fund
• Summer 2008

2
Purpose of Discussion

• Provide information on the New Relationship Fund
• Open dialogue on design elements of the Fund
• Obtain opinions on the design elements of the
  Fund to inform development of the Fund

3
Background

• Ipperwash Inquiry Report was released on May 31,
  2007
• Report contained 100 recommendations, one of
  which was the establishment of an Aboriginal
  Reconciliation Fund
• December 20, 2007, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs
  (MAA), Minister Michael Bryant announced the
  establishment of the Ipperwash Inquiry Priorities
  and Action Committee (IIPAC) to priorize the
  Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations for
  implementation

4
Background (Contd)

• April 4, 2008, first meetings of IIPAC (First
  Nation and Métis) took place
• Outcome of the meeting was the identification of
  the establishment of the New Relationship Fund as
  an immediate priority
• May 31, 2008, Minister Bryant announced
• Investment of 25M over first two years
• An extensive engagement process on the details of
  the Fund throughout the summer, 2008

5
Approved Details of the Fund

• 25M over first two years
• Two proposed broad purposes
• Consultation
• Skills Development and Training and Business
  Partnerships and Economic Development
• Government transfer payment program
• Fund is to benefit all Aboriginal peoples in
  Ontario

6
Guiding Principles for the Fund

• It has been recommended that Guiding Principles
  be established for the Fund
• A principle is defined as an essential quality
  that the Fund should have
• Initiatives funded under the New Relationship
  Fund must adhere to basic principles upon which
  the program is based
• Possible examples of principles include
• Initiatives funded must be within the mandate
  established for the New Relationship Fund
• Avoid duplicating, overlapping or replacing
  federal or provincial programs and delivery
  mechanisms
• Question
• What principles would you recommend to guide the
  Fund?

7
Proposed Broad Purposes of the Fund

• The Fund has two proposed broad purposes
• Consultation - Supporting First Nations and Métis
  communities to enhance their consultation ability
  to participate in meaningful consultations with
  government and the private sector on important
  land, resource and other development initiatives
  (examples include support costs for
  consultation, staff, training to develop
  technical expertise)
• 2. Skills Development and Training and Business
  Partnerships and Economic Development- Supporting
  Aboriginal individuals, organizations and First
  Nations and Métis communities to enhance skills
  development and build business partnerships for
  sustainable economic development and employment
  (examples include training for community staff
  in forestry, mining, energy, business and
  financial development partnerships with local
  businesses or industry to create and sustain
  employment opportunities)

8
Proposed Broad Purposes of the Fund (Contd)

• Questions
• What do you think should be funded under the
  Consultation component of the Fund?
• What do you think should be considered for
  funding under these components of the Fund?
• Skills Development and Training
• Business Partnerships and Economic Development

9
Fund Structure

• Possible Fund Structure Options
• One Fund for all Aboriginal peoples in Ontario
• One Fund divided into distinct sub-funds of
  Aboriginal groups
• One Fund divided into distinct sub-funds of
  program components
• It should be noted that after the Fund has
  matured it may be possible to consider other Fund
  structures
• Questions
• Of the options above, do you prefer one over the
  other?
• Can you identify other Options besides the
  options listed above?
• If distinct sub-funds, how should the funds be
  allocated within the
• sub-groups?

10
Potential Recipients of the Fund

• First Nations and Métis communities will be the
  recipients of the Consultation
• component of the Fund
• Potential recipients of the Skills Development
  and Training and Business Partnerships and
  Economic Development component of the Fund could
  include
• First Nation Communities
• Métis Communities
• Tribal Councils
• Aboriginal individuals
• Political/Provincial and Territorial
  organizations
• Inuit organizations
• Other Aboriginal organizations
• Others?
• Question
• Who do you think should be eligible for the
  Skills Development and Training component of the
  Fund? and why?
• Who do you think should be eligible for the
  Business Partnerships and Economic Development
  component of the Fund? and why?

11
Criteria for Approving an Application to the Fund

• The New Relationship Fund will not provide
  funding to hire legal counsel
• The process for reviewing incoming applications
  will have two stages
• Incoming applications will be reviewed for
  completeness
• Complete applications will be reviewed for merit
  and relevance
• General selection criteria could include but is
  not limited to
• The applicant must be resident in Ontario
• The applicant is able to leverage partial funding
  from federal, private or another provincial
  funder for the same initiative
• Skills Development and Training selection
  criteria could include but is not limited to
• Skills or capacity development at the community
  or organization level

12
Criteria for Approving an Application to the Fund
(Contd)

• Business Partnerships and Economic Development
  selection criteria could include but is not
  limited to
• Creation of jobs
• Creation of a business partnership involving
  joint funding
• Consultation selection criteria could include
• Consultation required as a result of the Duty to
  Consult
• Preliminary discussions required with industry or
  business proponents
• Substantial consultation required to develop
  Ontario government policy
• Incentives, such as incremental funding, will be
  considered for First Nation communities or Métis
  Community Councils that work together to promote
  economies of scale and continuity of staff
  expertise (e.g. at the Tribal Council or national
  level)

13
Criteria for Approving an Application to the Fund
(Contd)

• Questions
• What selection criteria can you suggest for
  approving a funding application for the following
  categories?
• Skills Development and Training (Capacity
  Building)
• Business Partnerships and Economic Development
• Consultation
• What types of projects or initiatives should
  qualify under each component?
• Skills Development and Training (Capacity
  Building)
• Business Partnerships and Economic Development
• Consultation
• Would you prefer funding more projects (by
  requiring applicants to leverage funds from other
  sources) or fewer projects with the New
  Relationship Fund funding the entire amount of
  the project?
• Should there be a limit on the amount of funding
  an applicant can request per project?
• Do you think applicants should be able to apply
  to the New Relationship Fund for project funding
  when they are already in receipt of funding for
  the same project from another funding source?
• If yes
• under what circumstances should applicants be
  able to apply to the New Relationship Fund when
  they are in receipt of funding from other funding
  sources for the same project?
• under what circumstances should applicants not be
  able to apply to the New Relationship Fund when
  they are in receipt of funding from other funding
  sources for the same project?

14
Fund Allocations for Consultation and Skills and
Business Development

• Fund Amount
• An initial investment of 25M over the first two
  years
• Initial Thinking
• Consultation 60 - 70 targeted to enhance duty
  to consult consultations, with this target being
  reduced over time
• Skills Development and Training and Business
  Partnerships and Economic Development 30 - 40
  targeted to enhancing skills and to build
  business partnerships and economic development
  opportunities, with this target being increased
  over time
• Questions
• What do you think the allocation percentage
  should be for each Fund component?
• Why do you recommend those allocations?
• Should these percentages change over time?
  Please explain.

15
Performance Measures

• In order to evaluate the success of the Program,
  results and accomplishments need to be measured
  and evaluated
• Performance measures must be established at the
  start of a program so that information can be
  gathered right from the start
• Some examples of measures of success could
  include
• Number of agreements established with government
• Number of consultations funded
• Number of business partnerships established
• Number of jobs created and sustained over a two
  year period
• Questions
• For the Consultation component of the Fund, what
  performance measures would you recommend?
• For the Skills Development and Training component
  of the Fund, what performance measures would you
  recommend?
• For the Business Partnerships and Economic
  Development component of the Fund, what
  performance measures would you recommend?

16
Mechanism For Continued First Nation, Métis,
Inuit and Aboriginal Organization Input to the
Operation of the Fund

• Once the Fund is launched, the Ministry of
  Aboriginal Affairs still wants to ensure a way
  for Aboriginal partners to have continued input
  to the operation of the Fund
• A possible option to obtain ongoing input is to
  establish an Advisory Committee to the Fund
• Questions
• What mechanism would you suggest to ensure
  continued input to the Fund operation from First
  Nations, Métis, and Aboriginal organizations?
• If an Advisory Committee is recommended, what
  would the role of the Advisory Committee be?
• If an Advisory Committee is recommended, who
  should be on the committee?

17
Other Comments or Insights

• Question
• In addition to the opinions you have offered on
  the details of the Fund, would you like to offer
  any other comments or insights?

18
What Happens After the Engagement Process

• Final Engagement Reports will be completed by end
  of October 2008
• The Ipperwash Inquiry Priorities and Action
  Committee (IIPAC) and its Technical Committee
  will meet in September 2008 to review the outcome
  of the engagement processes over the summer and
  provide advice on the details of the New
  Relationship Fund
• After discussion with IIPAC, the parameters of
  the Fund will be finalized and the task of
  operationalizing the Fund will begin
• Fund is expected to be implemented in early
  Winter 2009