ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Canadian Polar Commission and Indian Specific Claims Commission

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SECTION IV — OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

Sustainable Development Strategy

INAC is in the final year of its third sustainable development strategy: On the Right Path Together: A Sustainable Future for First Nations, Inuit and Northern Communities. This strategy focuses on commitments that will have long-term impacts at the community level, as well as on departmental structure, policy and direction. Through the sustainable development strategy, INAC continues to work toward achieving the departmental sustainable development vision, which guides INAC employees in the establishment of the tools and mechanisms to effectively support the development of sustainable communities for First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Northerners.

Sustainable Development Vision

Within two generations, many First Nations, Inuit, Métis and northern communities will be healthy and safe models of sustainability. They will have housing, infrastructure and support services comparable to those of similar size and function elsewhere in Canada. Within a protected environment, they will have effective transportation and communications links to the rest of the country and ample, affordable, clean sources of energy. A majority of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities will effectively manage their own institutions with strong governance structures. Community members, especially women and youth, will have acceptable opportunities for education, will participate in the economy and will be able to get involved in local governance.

Land claims, including issues such as management of and access to natural resources and land tenure, will have been largely settled through negotiations. Community planning and development will be long term, locally driven and comprehensive.

The northern territories will be more self-sufficient and prosperous regions where people manage their own affairs and make stronger contributions to the country as a whole. As First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Northerners gain greater autonomy and build capacity, the types of services they will require from the federal government will change. As communities become healthier, safer, and economically and environmentally stable, a smaller INAC will likely emerge.

A major focus of the department will be the implementation of the many First Nations and Inuit self-government agreements. INAC will also be a strong advocate for Aboriginal and northern people and will play a more active role as a facilitator to develop partnerships to work more co-operatively on Aboriginal issues, while respecting traditions, governance structures, language, gender and culture.

Striving toward this vision strengthens the federal government's legal, constitutional, fiduciary and treaty obligations, and will require concerted co-operation.

Identificationof INAC's Corporate Strategic Risks

The importance of managing risk within the federal government has grown considerably over recent years. The Management Accountability Framework, the foundation for senior management performance contracts, includes risk management as one of the key performance expectations. This section demonstrates INAC's commitment to making risk management an intrinsic part of its corporate process and culture.

Recently, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat released the following set of indicators to help government departments and agencies evaluate how to assess their implementation of the framework:

Risk is an active factor in decision-making processes, as evidenced by:

• evergreen executive committee assessment of corporate risks and the status of risk management (corporate risk profile);
• an integrated risk management function (organizational focus) linked to corporate decision making;
• protocols, processes and tools to ensure the consistent application of risk management principles throughout departmental decision making and delivery; and
• continuous organizational learning about risk management and lessons learned from risks successfully or unsuccessfully identified and mitigated.

To identify risks, INAC recently canvassed the opinions of its senior executives and established a list of top 10 risks. The process, completed during the summer of 2005, involved the following steps: identifying approximately 120 risks to the achievement of INAC's strategic outcomes and priorities; prioritizing strategic risks from within each strategic outcome and also from a broader corporate perspective; and interviews with senior management to review, validate and refine the corporate strategic risks and to discuss and decide on incremental actions, where considered necessary, to manage the risks.

The process identified 10 corporate strategic risks as follows:

1. Establishing a Common Strategic Vision and Strengthened Accountabilities when Faced with Increasing and Complex Relationships
   
   A clearly defined strategic and comprehensive vision is vital to achieve progress with respect to the socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal peoples, as well as to maintain and advance negotiation processes for addressing Aboriginal and treaty rights. Progress in these areas is key to limiting litigation, increased costs and setbacks in achieving agreements.
   
   
   • Strategic and Comprehensive Vision — The lack of a clearly defined strategic vision in terms of time frames, political relationships and structures could impede effective co-operation on improving socio-economic conditions and lead to incremental downstream costs, inefficiencies and ineffectiveness.
     
     
   • Long-term Federal, Territorial and Aboriginal Governance Roles in the North Including Uncertainty Related to Devolution — The uncertainties surrounding federal/territorial/Aboriginal governance structures and roles are difficult to resolve because of varied interpretations across a wide range of arrangements and relationships. The lack of a clearly defined governance infrastructure, along with devolution parameters and consensus decision-making style in some territories, could cause delays in investment decisions and environmental mishaps.
     
     
2. Ensuring the Health, Safety and Well-being of First Nations, Given Increasing Demands on Community Infrastructure and Capabilities
   
   Community infrastructure is a necessary foundation for economic development, expanding the life span of assets and closing the gap between First Nations and other Canadians. In addition, strengthening First Nations and departmental capabilities, including management structures and information management, enable progress toward self-government and overall service delivery for the health, safety and well-being of First Nations.
   
   
   • Development of Community Infrastructure — Inadequate funding and community skills levels, as well as increasing demands on infrastructure, could compromise the development of community infrastructure needed for economic development, shorten life span of assets and continue the widening gap between First Nations and other Canadians.
     
     
3. Exercising Consistent Interpretation and Application of Statutory Authorities, Policy Requirements and Commitments to Achieve Quality-of-life Objectives and Avoid Damages to Individuals
   
   Requirements of statutory authorities, including obligations in programs such as Lands and Trust Services, must be fulfilled consistently to ensure quality-of-life objectives are met and to avoid damages to individuals. Sufficient resources and skills, both internally and within First Nations, are critical to exercise consistent interpretation and application of statutory authorities, policy requirements and commitments.
   
   
   • Capacity to Meet Obligations and Expectations — Insufficient financial and human resources and skills both internally and within First Nations could lead to significant loss of credibility (including around the fiscal sustainability of self-government), and potential disengagement of partners and key provincial/territorial stakeholders.
     
     
   • Not Meeting Requirements of Statutory Authorities and Policies — Failure to meet requirements of statutory authorities, including obligations in programs such as Lands and Trust Services (e.g., Indian moneys, estates, permits, issuance and compliance, land management), could lead to significant damages to individuals, lawsuits, and lower quality of life and life expectancy for First Nations.
     
     
4. Avoiding Court-imposed Programming for First Nations, Métis and Non-Status Indian Groups and Associated Costs
   
   There is a need for proactive policy and programming for First Nations, Métis and non-Status Indian groups to avoid a situation in which the courts may impose programming and associated costs.
   
   
   • Proactive Programming — Reactive and fragmented policy and programming for the Métis create a situation in which the courts may impose programming and associated costs because of a perceived lack of action by the department.
     
     
5. Exerting Effective Management of Environmental and Compliance Issues on Reserve Lands
   
   Compliance regarding environmental stewardship on reserve lands, by both First Nations and INAC, is needed to ensure health and safety, promote sustainable development and minimize potential contingent liability for the Crown.
   
   
   • Environmental Stewardship — Legacy and continuing non-compliance regarding environmental stewardship on reserve lands, by both First Nations and INAC, could lead to health and safety risks, threaten sustainable development and create contingent liability for the Crown.
     
     
6. Developing a Response to Requirements for Meaningful Consultation Regarding Aboriginal and Treaty Rights.
   
   Recent Supreme Court decisions require a response to meet expectations and avoid future litigation.
   
   
   • Consultation Requirement Regarding Aboriginal and Treaty Rights — Recent Supreme Court decisions have further defined consultation requirements for addressing Aboriginal and treaty rights. Failure to respond in an appropriate and timely manner could lead to litigation, if meaningful consultations do not occur
     
     
7. Addressing Legislative, Policy and Legal (Regulatory) Gaps to Enable Operational Efficiency and Timely Additions to Reserve
   
   Legislative, policy and legal (regulatory) gaps, including inadequacies of the Indian Act for purposes of modern, complex commercial initiatives, require timely attention to minimize potential impacts to operational efficiency including approving transactions, securing economic opportunities and processing of Additions to Reserve (ATRs).
   
   
   • Additions to Reserve — Delays in processing ATRs, inconsistent interpretation and application of ATR policy and operational inefficiencies, as well as legal gaps and lack of capacity could lead to significant cost increases, litigation, lost economic opportunities and loss of credibility.
     
     
   • Indian Act Not Well Suited to the Modern Commercial Context of First Nations — Inadequacies of the Indian Act for purposes of modern, complex commercial initiatives by First Nations could impede significant projects or create risk for the department if it supports a First Nations project that is not clearly within the scope and authority of the Indian Act. Litigation/liability could ensue due to unapproved transactions, lost economic opportunities or inappropriate authorities.
     
     
8. Developing Cohesive Linkages between Business Processes and Departmental Priorities to Support Rational Resource Allocation and Accountability
   
   The lack of cohesiveness between business processes and corporate priorities and reporting could lead to inconsistencies, anomalies and subsequent difficulties in demonstrating accountability; loss of credibility with central agencies; and an inability to deliver on priorities.
   
   
   • Scarcity of Economic Development Funds — Scarcity of funds in the economic development envelope (due to allocations to other pressures) could create significant setbacks in meeting commitments and developing sustainable partnerships and relationships with First Nations.
     
     
   • Limited Resources and Capacity in the Department and Across the North — The Northern Affairs Program's recurring operating deficit ($50 million), increasing profile/expectations, limited back-up expertise, communities' limited consultation capacities and new partners with weak public administration support may lead to unfulfilled regulatory and fiduciary obligations, as well as a loss of departmental credibility.
     
     
   • Need for Cohesive Business Processes Aligned with Corporate Priorities and Reporting — The lack of cohesiveness between business processes and corporate priorities and reporting could lead to inconsistencies, anomalies and subsequent difficulties in demonstrating accountability; loss of credibility with central agencies; and an inability to deliver on departmental priorities.
     
     
9. Responding to Internal and External Capacity Issues (Including Fiscal Sustainability of Self-government) as a Key Factor in Attaining Program Delivery Results and Meeting Partner Expectations
   
   Insufficient internal and external capacities could lead to frustration, delays in projects and investment decisions, and higher-than-expected costs in delivering programs, ultimately affecting the relationship between stakeholders.
   
   
   • Partner and Internal Capacity Issues — Insufficient capacities and management structures could compromise First Nations progress toward self-government, consistency with provincial standards and overall service delivery. Weak information management potentially undermines data quality, privacy and reporting. These circumstances may result in an inability to meet quality-of-life objectives, lack of program integrity and lawsuits.
     
     
   • Corporate Capacity: Ability to Recruit, Retain an Adaptive and Diverse Workforce — Workload stress (absenteeism), retirements and the increasing complexity of processes could erode corporate capacities (i.e., skills, knowledge) while the department is facing the challenges of recruiting an adaptive, capable and diverse workforce. Insufficient corporate human resources could lead to higher error rates, inability to deliver results and loss of credibility.
     
     
   • Regulatory Environment Impact on the Northern Economy — Insufficient capacity to provide timely legal advice on frequent and complex issues, and cumbersome recruitment, training and orientation of qualified regulatory Board candidates may affect decision making, which could lead to frustration in industry groups, delays in projects and investment decisions, and lost socio-economic benefits to northern communities.
     
     
   • Failure of an Institution or Agreement — Inadequate capacities or other factors contributing to the failure of a major institution or agreement could lead to difficulties in concluding other agreements or establishing new institutions. Limited progress in establishing sound governance structures could have an impact on community development and lead to financial setbacks and loss of program integrity.
     
     
10. Ensuring the Effectiveness of Financial System Capability, Decision Making and Accountability, Based on Clear Strategies to Manage Legacy Computer Systems and Corporate Data Management
    
    Precarious legacy systems and insufficient corporate data management could lead to problems with departmental systems, service delivery errors or omissions, and increased burden on clients for data collection.
    
    
    • Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) — Precarious legacy systems, insufficient corporate data management and un-assured IM/IT resources in the A-Base budget could lead to corruption of the department's main financial system, service delivery errors or omissions, excessive burden on clients for data collection and the department being viewed as not investment-worthy by central agencies.
      
      
    • Property Rights Infrastructure: Lands Registry and Survey Information — Quality, accessibility, usability and co-ordination issues could have an impact on health and safety, as well as impair investment decision making and effectiveness of INAC operations (e.g., property infrastructure management, environmental management, etc.).
      
      

Mitigation Strategies

Table 10 highlights existing measures and planned incremental strategies that have been discussed or suggested to address corporate strategic risks. Decisions need to be made to determine the direction of mitigation strategies.

This is a first attempt to strategically assess corporate strategic risks since the introduction of the new departmental Program Activity Architecture (PAA). Efforts will be made to fine-tune this list, taking into account comments from senior executives and the impact of recent events, such as the First Ministers' Meeting in late November and efforts to more strategically report on departmental priorities. Periodic review and updating will also ensure this list and mitigation measures will remain relevant and serve as a reminder to senior executives faced with key policy decisions.

Corporate Strategic Risks	Existing Mitigation Measures	Planned Incremental Mitigation Strategies
1. Establishing a Common Strategic Vision and Strengthened Accountabilities when Faced with Increasing and Complex Relationships	Minister actively strengthening political- level relationships with provinces Joint department/First Nations (FN) forums to discuss a new vision One Plan One Process is advancing a strategic/comprehensive vision Dedicated negotiations management team Comprehensive plan for the North to engage other federal and territorial partners	Communicate achievements that support strategic vision to Canadians Conduct additional broad analysis regarding federal, territorial and Aboriginal governance structures and roles for the North — the desirable end-state, federal role and residual Northern Affairs Program role, Policy and Strategic Direction and Northern Strategy team
2. Ensuring the Health, Safety and Well-being of First Nations, Given Increasing Demands on Community Infrastructure and Capabilities	FN Water and Wastewater Management Strategy Education Action Plan (Education Policy and Management Framework are being jointly developed with FN) Teachers Recruitment and Retention Initiative Social Development Policy Framework Social Program reviews to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness at operational levels	Revisit the Joint Initiative Principles (partnership-based approaches for policy development) Focus on including the provinces and territories (Joint Capacity)
3. Exercising Consistent Interpretation and Application of Statutory Authorities, Policy Requirements and Commitments to Achieve Quality-of-life Objectives and Avoid Damages to Individuals	Priority Ranking Framework Policy work on fiscal sustainability of self-government Regular internal audits and reviews Tripartite forums address inconsistencies Ongoing training on compliance requirements and job process	Develop screening tool/risk management strategy to evaluate proposals among regional priorities Implement strategic Risk-based Audit and Evaluation Plan Assess the need for a First Nations Social Development Act
4. Avoiding Court-imposed Programming for First Nations, Métis and Non-Status Indian Groups and Associated Costs	Director General Litigation Committee Alternative dispute resolution process Proactive contingency planning for court decisions	Continue to collaborate with provinces and Aboriginal organizations to identify practical solutions so as to avoid issues going before the courts Enhance communication of departmental messages on court decisions, implications for front-line staff
5. Exerting Effective Management of Environmental and Compliance Issues on Reserve Lands	Federal Contaminated Sites Accelerated Action Plan Environmental Sustainability Information Management System Interdepartmental Recovery Fund Resources for training, administration and transplanting in terms of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act	Investigate the need for/benefit of developing Environmental Regulations under the Indian Act Develop a compliance strategy for environmental policy and procedures Increase integration of environmental responsibilities throughout all programs (e.g., capital programs)
6. Developing a Response to Requirements for Meaningful Consultation Regarding Aboriginal and Treaty Rights.	Interdepartmental Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADM) working group on consultation Close working relationship with Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Ministers` Committee on Human Rights.	Develop government-wide approach and related INAC consultation processes
7. Addressing Legislative, Policy and Legal (Regulatory) Gaps to Enable Operational Efficiency and Timely Additions to Reserve	Additions to Reserve (ATR) training and tools (database, FN working manual, communications library, community planning, Regional Land and Environmental Management Program training) First Nations Land Management Act and comprehensive self-government arrangements Close working relationship between INAC and DOJ Close working relationship between INAC, FN and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities	Improve ATR process Provide FN with better tools to enhance understanding and co-ordination of the ATR process FN Commercial and Industrial Development legislation enters into force on April 1, 2006
8. Developing Cohesive Linkages Between business Processes and Departmental Priorities to Support Rational Resource Allocation and Accountability	A-Base expenditure reviews focusing on the North, regions and headquarters Development of a Northern Vision Shared management agenda with FN to consolidate activities Integrated human resources (HR) and business planning Strategic Results Framework	Establish integrated governance and decision-making structures for the Northern Affairs organization Implement data collection policy Develop alternative service delivery models for key service delivery functions Develop a change management, transition strategy
9. Responding to Internal and External Capacity Issues (Including Fiscal Sustainability of Self-government) as a Key Factor in Attaining Program Delivery Results and Meeting Partner Expectations	Results Framework facilitates common understanding of departmental direction Regional workouts to identify issues A-Base expenditure reviews for the North, regions and headquarters Inuit Secretariat to enhance departmental capacity Ongoing monitoring of programs, as well as economic and social trends Ongoing risk analysis of new initiatives	Focus on strategic priorities and comprehensive strategies Invest in mandatory core manager training Continue/accelerate internal/external partnering Regularly assess management/HR functions concerning organizational alignment and delivery priorities Redefine business results to focus on priorities and adjust operations
10. Ensuring the Effectiveness of Financial System Capability, Decision Making and Accountability, Based on Clear Strategies to Manage Legacy Computer Systems and Corporate Data Management	Data Collection Policy Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) Governance Proposal DG IM/IT Committee Strategies for legacy systems established (e.g., re-platform onto proper operating systems) Data quality exercise — identification of 32,000 out of 0.5 million records for review and prioritization over a seven-year period	Implement Governance Proposal Combine functions of legacy systems onto OASIS to reduce the number of systems

Contacts for Further Information

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Terrasses de la Chaudière
10 Wellington Street, North Tower
Gatineau, Quebec
Postal Address: Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H4
Internet: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca
E-mail: webmaster@ainc-inac.gc.ca

General and Statistical Inquiries, and Publication Distribution
Tel. (toll-free): 1-800-567-9604
TTY (toll-free): 1-866-553-0554
E-mail: InfoPubs@ainc-inac.gc.ca
Socio-demographic statistical publications available at http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/sts/index-eng.html

Departmental Library
Tel.: (819) 997-0811
E-mail: Reference@ainc-inac.gc.ca

Media Inquiries — Communications
Tel.: (819) 994-2044

Northern Affairs Program
Tel.: (819) 953-3760
E-mail: NAPInfo@ainc-inac.gc.ca

Canadian Polar Commission
Constitution Square
360 Albert Street, Suite 1710
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7
Tel.: (613) 943-8605 or 1-888-POLAR01
Internet: http://www.polarcom.gc.ca
E-mail: mail@polarcom.gc.ca

Indian Specific Claims Commission
Minto Enterprise Building
427 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7Y2
Tel.: (613) 943-2737
Internet: http://www.indianclaims.ca
E-mail: gmail@indianclaims.ca

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