ARCHIVED - Canadian International Development Agency

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Message from the Minister

The year 2010 began with a devastating earthquake in Haiti that has been described as one of the most serious humanitarian crises in decades. Canadians across the country, and people all around the world, have been deeply touched by the suffering of the Haitian people.

At a time when swift action meant the difference between life and death, the Government of Canada showed the world its unprecedented ability to respond to emergencies. The Canadian International Development Agency announced aid within hours, and coordinated our response with other countries and international relief agencies. Canada also brought in the resources of the Canadian military and other government departments. As a country of focus for CIDA, Haiti will remain its largest mission in the Hemisphere.

CIDA will remain focused on reducing poverty for people through effective and sustainable development assistance. In the year ahead, CIDA's support will result in increasing effectiveness by focusing on the Agency's three priority themes: increasing food security, securing a future for children and youth, and stimulating sustainable economic growth.

These three thematic priorities, announced in May 2009, will shape our efforts in our 20 countries of focus, as well as with our multilateral partners. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to fragile states, such as Haiti, Afghanistan, and Sudan. Our priority is to ensure that Canada's aid resources always reach those it is intended to reach and deliver results identified and measured.

As Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced in January, Canada will be focusing on the issue of maternal and child health as part of its 2010 G8 planning. In the months ahead, CIDA will be consulting and working with domestic and international partners and our G8 counterparts to help ramp up our response on this important issue.

These efforts and CIDA's many other initiatives are reflected in the Agency's 2010-2011 Report on Plans and Priorities, which I am pleased to table for Parliament's consideration.

____________________________________
The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, P.C., M.P.
Minister of International Cooperation

Section 1 : Departmental Overview

1.1 Role and responsibilities

The mandate of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is to manage Canada's support and resources effectively and accountably to achieve meaningful, sustainable results and engage in policy development in Canada and internationally.

Canada recognizes that achieving significant political, economic, social, and environmental progress in the developing world will have a positive impact on the prosperity and long-term security of Canadians, sustain a reduction in poverty for billions of people in recipient countries, and contribute to a better and safer world.

1.2 Strategic outcome and Program Activity Architecture

This Report on Plans and Priorities reflects CIDA's revised strategic outcome and Program Activity Architecture (PAA), which demonstrate a greater emphasis on measurable results, as well as the new policy environment in which the Agency is operating. A crosswalk between the previous and the revised PAAs is provided in Section 3.1.

CIDA pursues poverty reduction mainly through a focus on stimulating sustainable economic growth, increasing food security, and securing a future for children and youth. Environmental sustainability, gender equality and good governance are integral to these themes. To meet this outcome, CIDA collaborates with a full range of national and international partners, including private, government, and non-governmental sectors and institutions.

The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act , which came into force on June 28, 2008, states that expenditures to be reported to Parliament as official development assistance must contribute to poverty reduction, take into account the perspectives of the poor, and be consistent with international human rights standards. CIDA's new strategic outcome is in line with the intent of the Act.

The revised PAA has six program activities that support the achievement of the strategic outcome, providing an appropriate framework for CIDA to exercise its leadership in shaping international development assistance and policy within Canada and abroad. It also reflects how CIDA manages its activities on the basis of shared objectives, risks, and programming approaches.

1.3 Planning summary

Financial resources (planned spending in thousands of dollars)	Human resources (full-time equivalents)
2010-2011	2010-2011
3,247,997	1,955

Strategic outcome: Reduction in poverty for those living in countries where the Canadian International Development Agency engages in international development.

Performance indicators

• Percentage of population below the international poverty line of US$1.25 per day.
• Gender-related development index (GDI) for each country where CIDA engages in international development.
• Status of children and youth in each country where CIDA engages in international development.

Program activity	Expected results	Planned spending 2010–2011 (thousands of dollars)	Alignment to Government of Canada outcomes
Fragile countries and crisis-affected communities	Enhanced responsiveness of humanitarian assistance to address the immediate needs of crisis-affected populations. Increased effectiveness in responding to basic needs and providing better access to key services.	634,863	Global poverty reduction through sustainable development.
Low-income countries	Improved access to key services and economic opportunities for women, men, and children. Enhanced accountability and effectiveness of institutions to respond to the needs and aspirations of women, men, and children.	811,636	Global poverty reduction through sustainable development.
Middle-income countries	Strengthened citizen participation and institutional capacity to sustain social and economic progress.	430,573	Global poverty reduction through sustainable development.
Global engagement and strategic policy	Increased policy influence in Canada and globally. Increased effectiveness of Canadian development cooperation, as a result of engagement with multilateral and global organizations, to address global cooperation issues.	961,969	Global poverty reduction through sustainable development.
Canadian engagement	Improved effectiveness in civil society organizations' participation in international development activities. Increased information for, and participation in, development efforts by Canadians.	296,863	Global poverty reduction through sustainable development.
Internal services	Provides support services to CIDA programming.	112,093	Global poverty reduction through sustainable development.

CIDA's operating environment

As CIDA operates in a complex and changing environment, new policy directions and operational improvements in the past year have ensured that the Agency enters 2010 on a stronger and more focused footing.

By focusing bilateral aid in fewer countries and fewer sectors, CIDA is now positioned to have a greater impact. Three new thematic priorities, elaborated below, are the basis for long-term strategies and programming in the 20 countries of focus, where CIDA concentrates 80 percent of its bilateral assistance. The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act has also helped by setting a clearer strategic direction for Canadian development cooperation. This year, the Government of Canada will double its overall international assistance from 2001–2002 levels to reach $5 billion annually by 2010–2011.

Given an increasingly challenging external environment, CIDA must effectively anticipate and respond to challenges and opportunities to ensure its success in reducing poverty. To that end, CIDA has identified key drivers and trends that are likely to influence its strategic direction in the medium and long term, as outlined below.

International context

In recent years, new approaches to aid effectiveness, global security, and innovative ways to finance development have been at the forefront of international and Canadian development policy agendas, and have yielded progress. However, global challenges pertaining to security and stability, the environment, the economy, population growth, and food insecurity remain serious threats that could reverse decades of development progress if not addressed. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the overarching goals agreed to by the world's governments and reiterated at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh in September 2009. However, the targets for 2015 are threatened in light of current global challenges.

There is a growing consensus that global issues should be tackled in a more inclusive and coordinated manner. Because of their strong economic growth, countries like China, Russia, Brazil, and India are changing the geopolitical landscape, and reform of global institutions and systems is intensifying. Aid architecture is also shifting. The explosion of new players (emerging donors, growing numbers of non-governmental organizations, global funds, philanthropic foundations) translates into more fragmented and volatile aid flows and allocations, but it also offers new opportunities for development partnerships.

Canadian context

Despite the impact on Canada of the global financial and economic crisis, Canada has been able to maintain its commitment to double its development assistance in 2010–2011 compared to the 2001– 2002 level. The Agency is working to ensure that Canadian aid dollars are used in the most efficient way and delivering real results.

In May 2009, Canada instituted a new approach for framing international assistance, now guided by five thematic priorities: stimulating sustainable economic growth, securing a future for children and youth, increasing food security, advancing freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and ensuring security and stability. CIDA is focusing mainly on the first three priorities. As in the past, the Agency will continue to integrate equality between women and men, governance, and environmental sustainability across all its programming and policies.

Further strengthening its ability to achieve results, the Agency took concrete steps to enhance aid effectiveness, including aid untying, a sectoral and geographic focus, harmonization, and decentralization. CIDA is therefore implementing a 2009–2013 Aid Effectiveness Action Plan in support of the government's program to strengthen the focus, improve the efficiency, and increase the accountability of Canada's aid program. This action plan also addresses many of the recommendations made by the Auditor General of Canada's 2009 Fall Report to Parliament related to reinforcing the Agency's current approach to aid effectiveness.

The result of the 2008 Public Service Employee Survey noted the importance for the Agency to address the impact of instability brought on by changes in priorities, workload, timeliness of key decisions, and discrimination and harassment in the workplace. CIDA will continue to address these issues through its PSES Action Plan.

In the year ahead, CIDA is also poised to make significant contributions to Canada's international leadership as it hosts the G8 and G20 summits in 2010.

Risk analysis

International development is inherently risky. In recent years, as Canada responds to emerging geopolitical realities, CIDA has worked more and more in fragile countries and complex areas of development. Nevertheless, CIDA has built its capacity to work effectively in high-risk environments, make informed decisions, and manage its risks appropriately. In 2009, the Agency completed the first annual review of its risk profile, and integrated key information on the likelihood and impact of risks into management decision making.

CIDA continually assesses risks and develops mitigation responses to address those that could affect its ability to reduce poverty. The two key risks that the Agency is working to mitigate are: the complex socio-political environment of some of the countries where CIDA works; and the inability to hire highly qualified staff to work in developing and fragile countries.

Description of CIDA's priorities

In support of its strategic outcome, CIDA has identified three thematic priorities and 20 countries of focus. The Agency's multi-year strategic plan aims to make it an international leader and partner in Canadian foreign policy; a highly respected development agency known for its effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainable results; an organization characterised by teamwork, excellence and respect; and a catalyst that engages and mobilizes Canadians to maximize Canada's development impact.

Operational priorities	Type
Canada's strategic role in Haiti and Afghanistan	Ongoing
Increasing food security	Ongoing
Securing a future for children and youth	New
Stimulating sustainable economic growth	New
Management priority	Type
Achieving management and program-delivery excellence	New

Canada's strategic role in Haiti and Afghanistan

The January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti caused widespread devastation and suffering. Beyond Canada's existing commitments to Haiti, Canada will support Canadian and international humanitarian and development organizations in delivering humanitarian, early recovery and reconstruction assistance. This includes an initial commitment of $135 million for humanitarian assistance, made within a week of the disaster, along with the establishment of a CIDA-managed Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, through which Canada is matching individual Canadians' donations to eligible registered charities.

Aligned with Canada's whole-of-government approach, CIDA will deliver development assistance in partnership with DFAIT, DND, and other departments to advance Canada's mission in Afghanistan. CIDA remains committed to Canada's priorities contributing the reconstruction and long-term development of Afghanistan. A balance between short- and long-term interventions will help enable actions that support stability and progress for sustainable development over the longer term.

Increasing food security

In 2008 the world faced a food crisis which was compounded by the impact of the global economic recession. As a consequence it is estimated that one billion or more than one- sixth of the world's population was food-insecure in 2009.

In recognition of the impact of hunger on human capacity to learn, earning an income and maintaining good health, the Minister of International Cooperation announced CIDA's Food Security Strategy ¹ on World Food Day (October 16, 2009). CIDA's Food Security Strategy will help ensure that people in developing countries, particularly rural women farmers, have an equal opportunity to contribute to food security. The Strategy will work to increase availability and access to nutritious food; increasing the stability of food supplies; and improving the global food system. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following three priorities for action: sustainable agricultural development; food aid and nutrition; and research and innovation.

Securing a future for children and youth

Today's generation of children and youth is the largest ever in history. Nearly half of the world's 6.8 billion people are under the age of 25. The Government of Canada recognizes that children and youth represent a tremendous opportunity to effect change in the developing world. However, many of the world's children and youth face extremely difficult challenges on the road to becoming healthy, engaged, and productive young men and women.

On Universal Children's Day (November 20, 2009), the Minister of International Cooperation announced CIDA's Children and Youth strategy, Securing a Future for Children and Youth ². Building on many years of experience in child-focused programming, this strategy supports those areas where the greatest results have been achieved. It also puts a special focus on girls since investing in girls is proven to make a particularly large impact on overall development results. Emphasis will be placed on the following three priorities for action: child survival, including maternal health; access to quality education; and a safe and secure future for children and youth.

Stimulating sustainable economic growth

For developing countries to make sustainable reductions to extreme poverty, they must realize long-term, sustainable economic growth. Dynamic economies that can realize high rates of growth create opportunities and higher incomes for the poor. Growth generates the financial resources developing countries' governments need to invest in the provision of basic services to their citizens. Creating growth that integrates economic development, social development and sound environmental management helps to ensure that the impact on poverty and a country's long-term development is sustainable over time.

CIDA's Sustainable Growth Strategy will complement the Food Security and Children and Youth Strategies. The Strategy will help governments increase its capacity and create the enabling environment needed for growth to focus efforts to help the poor to move into the formal economy, manage their natural resources needed to support economic growth for their people, and increase income opportunities. Overall, the Strategy seeks to help developing countries create the long-term economic growth that will raise the income levels of the poor in a sustainable way.

Achieving management and program-delivery excellence

In recent years, a number of reports ³ have highlighted the necessity for CIDA to focus its programs, retool its operations, and achieve operating efficiencies. In response, CIDA has launched a major Business Modernization Initiative designed to create a new business model characterized by streamlined and re-engineered processes that will result in quicker, more cost-effective and more responsive programming. As well, the Agency continues to implement measures to improve excellence in people management and address the results of the 2008 Public Service Employee Survey. This means, for example: clear and stable Agency priorities; strengthened corporate governance; leadership training programs; and mandatory harassment and discrimination awareness training programs.

1.4 Expenditure profile

CIDA plans to spend $3.248 billion ⁴ in 2010–2011 to carry out its program activities and contribute to its strategic outcome. The figure below displays the allocation of CIDA's planned spending by program activity.

Voted and statutory items

Voted or statutory item	Truncated vote or statutory wording	($ thousands)
		2009–2010 Main Estimates	2010–2011 Main Estimates
25	Operating expenditures	203,668	203,363
30	Grants and contributions	2,608,225	2,693,408
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	25,955	26,031
(S)	Minister of International Cooperation – Salary and motor car allowance	78	79
(S)	Encashment of notes issued to the development assistance funds of the international financial institutions in accordance with the International Development (Financial Institutions) Assistance Act	231,336	230,691
	Total budgetary	3,069,262	3,153,572
L35	The issuance and payment of notes to the International Financial Institution Fund Accounts	-	-
	Total non-budgetary	-	-
	Total Agency	3,069,262	3,153,572

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page