Collaboration Accord Between the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Francophone Community Sector of Ontario

Parties have signed the attached copy of the Collaboration Accord in its French version. The translated version of the Accord is for information only and does not bind the parties.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

The Government of Canada and Ontario's Francophone community sector have a long history of working together for the common good of French-speaking Canadians living in Ontario. We share a commitment to improving the quality of life of our fellow citizens and to fostering the development of vibrant, healthy communities. The presence of official-language minority communities contributes to the improvement of quality of life for all Canadians. Our relationship is built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect.

The Government of Canada has undertaken, via the Official Languages Act, to enhance the vitality of linguistic minority communities in Canada (Anglophones in Quebec and Francophones outside Quebec), to assist their development and to promote the full recognition and use of both official languages in Canadian society.

This Collaboration Accord Between Canadian Heritage and the Francophone Community Sector of Ontario largely mirrors the accord signed in December 2001 by the Prime Minister and representatives of Canada's voluntary sector (An Accord Between the Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector).


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Background

The relationship between the Government of Canada and official-language minority communities has led to significant progress since 1970. Over the two cycles of Canada-Community Agreements from 1994 to 2004, new organizations have emerged and networks have grown stronger.

The Action Plan for Official Languages adopted in March 2003 reaffirms the Government of Canada's commitment to linguistic duality. The Action Plan creates a horizontal accountability and coordination framework to report to Canadians on the results achieved in three main areas: an exemplary public service, education, and the development of official-language minority communities. The framework applies to all federal institutions. In addition, ten departments and agencies receive funding under the Action Plan. Within both government and the communities themselves, community development architects and partners have grown more numerous and more diverse.

Ontario's Francophone community is characterized by heterogeneity, diversity, and a unique geographical configuration that shapes the community's complexity. The characteristics of the various Francophone communities are specific to the point where it is better to examine the province on a regional basis rather than in a global perspective.

In the South-Central region of Ontario, the number of Francophones is growing, but they remain strongly in minority and have the lowest rate of language retention in the province. Eastern Ontario remains a steadily growing Francophone stronghold, home to over 40% of the province's Francophones. Finally, the North is encountering certain socio-economic difficulties that lead to a decline in population globally and a decrease in the number of Francophones as well.

The 2001 Census gives the most recent data on the overall Francophone population of Ontario. This data reveals that 527,708 individuals, or 4.7% of the province's population, have French as first official language spoken. This represents an increase of 15,908 individuals, or 3.1%, over the 1996 Census.

These trends indicate that the total Francophone population has grown modestly over a period of five years. All regions of Ontario, except for the North, have seen an increase in the number of Francophones between 1996 and 2001.

Ontario Francophones represent a very important critical mass, amounting to approximately 50% of the total Canadian minority Francophone population. They play a central role in defining Canadian bilingualism and biculturalism and, over the past few years, in defining the country's multiculturalism.

The profile of Ontario Francophones is increasingly multicultural. The urban region of Toronto was the region to record the largest increase of Francophones between 1996 and 2001.

Francophones must face many demographic challenges, including population aging. There are proportionally 19% more seniors and 30% fewer children in the province's Francophone population than there are in the English-speaking population.

The great distances between communities spread over a territory of more than 1 million square kilometres create an important geographic challenge.

Francophone immigration has lead to renewed vitality in the South-Central region and has reinforced the Francophone community in Ottawa and the East. However, the principal linguistic challenge is in the Northern region, where the critical mass of Francophones has declined sharply, due to population aging and socio-economic difficulties.

The 2001 Census has shown that Ontario accounts for over 54% of the total population of visible minorities in Canada. Nearly 71% of francophone immigrants have chosen Francophone minority communities of Ontario as their place of residence.

Over the past ten years, the development dynamics of Ontario's Francophone community have evolved in many regards; there is an important trend towards institutionalization in many sectors, which takes different forms:

  • The development of a comprehensive and homogeneous Francophone school management system; the province has 12 French language school boards covering the entire territory;
  • The development and implementation of colleges, followed by a broadening of their service line and of their geographical reach, within communities as well as through an elaborate network of distance education;
  • The preservation of a community institution, the Montfort Hospital, as well as the development of independent Francophone networks for the planning and management of healthcare;
  • An increased role for community organizations and institutions in economic development, and specifically, the creation of a community economic development organization, the Economic Development and Employability Network (Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité - RDÉE Ontario), with a regionalized structure that facilitates working in the different communities while taking into account their different economic development dynamics;
  • An increase in the number of regions designated by the Government of Ontario by virtue of the French Language Services Act; the province now has 24 designated regions;
  • The increasing awareness of public institutions regarding their responsibilities towards French-speaking individuals; et
  • The emergence of institutional and association networks that reflect the complexity of Ontario's Francophone social structure, as is echoed in the vast exercise under way, aiming to redesign the community's governance mechanisms.

As a community development architect, the community sector is one of three pillars of Canadian society, along with the public and private sectors. Our quality of life, our economic strength, and the vitality of our democratic institutions depend on the vibrancy of these interdependent sectors and the support they provide to one another. Volunteers and staff working in community organizations are actively involved in making a difference and improving their communities. They deliver services critical to Canadians, advocate for common causes, and support economic and community development in Canada.

The community sector has also been instrumental in the development of most of the public services we now consider essential components of a caring society: schools, hospitals, support for the underprivileged, and care for children in need. All of these services began as volunteer initiatives. Today, the Canadian public and volunteer sectors both take part in providing these services. In the communities, the community sector remains a key provider of services in the minority official language. The Department acknowledges this important contribution that Ontario's Francophone community sector makes to the province's Francophone community.

Organizations in the community sector bring their knowledge, expertise and compassion in working with communities and individuals to public policy debates and identify priorities to governments. By encouraging people to participate and work together for common causes, the sector strengthens citizen involvement, gives voice to the voiceless, allows for multiple perspectives to be heard on a variety of issues, and provide opportunities for people to practice the skills of democratic life.

The community sector provides opportunities for volunteers to contribute to the life of their communities. The term "volunteer" refers to all who work by choice, without remuneration, on causes or for people outside their personal sphere. People volunteer formally, through organizations, or informally by participating and helping others. Volunteering takes different forms in different cultures and different regions of the country. Women and men who volunteer are committed to making a difference and believe deeply in the work they are doing.

Volunteers are involved in all three sectors, but it is the community sector that was developed by volunteers and continues to do the most to mobilize their efforts. The rich network of organizations known as the community sector helps make Canada the humane, caring, and prosperous nation it is, and is one of the strengths for which Canada is known around the world.


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The Parties to this Accord

Francophone Community Sector of Ontario

This Accord applies to the Francophone community sector of Ontario. This sector consists of organizations that exist to serve a public benefit, are self-governing, do not distribute any profits to members, and depend to a meaningful degree on volunteers. Membership or involvement in these organizations is not compulsory, and they are independent and distinct, as institutions, from the formal structures of government and the private sector. Although many Francophone community organizations rely on paid staff to carry out their work, all depend on volunteers, at least on their boards of directors.

The Department of Canadian Heritage

This Accord applies to the Department of Canadian Heritage, by virtue of the Official Languages Act.

Scope of the Accord

The Accord's focus is on the relationship between the community sector and Canadian Heritage. Both the Department and the community sector have relationships with other federal departments and agencies, other levels of government (provincial and local), private sector entities and government, and quasi-government bodies. Each of these relationships has its own history and dynamics. The Accord recognizes the importance of these relationships but has no bearing on them.

The Accord also recognizes that many community organizations do not work directly with Canadian Heritage but nevertheless contribute to enhancing the vitality of Ontario's Francophone community. It acknowledges that Canadian Heritage and Francophone community organizations may in some circumstances take different policy approaches or choose to address matters of common interest separately.

Reason for the Accord

Ontario's Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage share a long tradition of joining forces to achieve common goals. This Accord seeks to make explicit, even officialize, the relationship between both parties, in order to facilitate greater mutual understanding and more cooperative ways of working together.

Both the community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage are large and diverse. It is important for each to know what to expect from the other, and to appreciate the roles, goals, and perspectives of the other.

Ten years of cooperation through two cycles of Canada-Community Agreements have helped the relationship between the Department and the community sector evolve towards the shared goal of enabling the community sector to spearhead its own development. This Accord builds on previous efforts and seeks to improve the relationship, while respecting limitations of each party.

THE ACCORD

PART I – PURPOSE OF THE ACCORD

The purpose of the Accord is to strengthen the ability of both the Francophone community sector of Ontario and Canadian Heritage to better serve French-speaking Canadians living in Ontario.

This Accord derives its strength from the evolving relationship between the community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage. While the Accord is not a legal document, it is designed to guide the evolution of this relationship by identifying the common values, principles and commitments that will shape future practices. It focuses on what unites the community sector and government, honours the contributions of both, and respects their unique strengths and different ways of working.

The Accord attests to a public commitment of Canadian Heritage and of the community sector to work together in an open, transparent, consistent and collaborative way. When working together, Canadian Heritage and the community sector seek to fulfill the commitments set out in the Accord, and in so doing enhance the quality of life of French-speaking Canadians living in Ontario.

PART II – VALUES

The Accord is based on the following seven Canadian values that are most relevant to the relationship between Canadian Heritage and the community sector. These values are closely interrelated and together create a climate for improving and enhancing the lives of all Canadians:

Linguistic Duality

  • Enhancing the vitality of official-language minority communities, supporting and assisting their development, and promoting the full recognition and use of both official languages in Canadian society;

Democracy

  • Upholding the right to associate freely, to express views freely and to engage in advocacy;

Active citizenship

  • Accepting the active involvement or engagement of individuals and communities in shaping society, whether through political or voluntary activity or both;

Equality

  • Respecting the rights of Canadians under the Constitution Act of 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and the Official Languages Act;

Diversity

  • Respecting the rich variety of cultures, languages, identities, interests, views, abilities, and communities in Canada;

Inclusion

  • Accepting the expression and representation of diversity and upholding the right of each to speak and be heard; and

Social Justice

  • Ensuring full participation in the social, economic and political life of communities.

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PART III – PRINCIPLES

The Accord is based on the following guiding principles:

Independence

Canadian Heritage and the community sector are autonomous, have unique strengths and separate accountabilities, and agree that:

  • Canadian Heritage, within the mandate given to it by Parliament, is accountable to all Canadians for its actions, and has a responsibility to identify issues of national concern and mobilize resources to address them, establish policies, and make decisions in the best interest of all Canadians;
  • community sector organizations are accountable to their supporters and to those they serve in providing services, organizing activities, and giving collective voice at the local, provincial, national, and international levels;
  • The independence of community sector organizations includes their right within the law to challenge public policies, programs, and legislation and to advocate for change; and
  • Advocacy is inherent to debate and change in a democratic society and, subject to the above principles, it should not affect any funding relationship that might exist.

Interdependence

The community sector and Canadian Heritage recognize that:

  • The actions of one can directly or indirectly affect the other, since both often share the same objective of common good, operate in the same areas of Canadian life, and serve the same clients; and
  • Each has complex and important relationships with others (other federal departments and agencies; provincial, territorial, and local governments; business; labour; etc.), and the Accord is not meant to affect these relationships.

Dialogue

The Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage, recognizing that sharing ideas, perspectives, and experiences contributes to better understanding, improved identification of priorities, and sound public policy, agree that:

  • Dialogue should be open, respectful, informed, sustained, and welcoming of a range of viewpoints;
  • Dialogue should respect each party's confidential information, should build and maintain trust; and
  • Appropriately designed processes and governance structures are necessary to achieve sustained dialogue.

Cooperation and Collaboration

Canadian Heritage and the community sector agree that the social fabric of communities is strengthened and civic engagement is increased when they work together to address issues of mutual concern, and that:

  • Working together to identify common priorities or complementary objectives will facilitate cooperation and collaboration; and
  • Working relationships should be flexible and respect what others contribute, as well as the challenges and constraints under which they operate.

Accounting to Canadians

In addition to their separate accountabilities, the community sector and Canadian Heritage are accountable for maintaining the trust and confidence of Canadians by:

  • Ensuring transparency, high standards of conduct, and sound management in their work together; and
  • Monitoring and reporting on the results.

Transparency

Canadian Heritage and the Francophone community sector must promote a mutual understanding of the context in which they operate and a clear understanding of the factors affecting decisions on each side. They agree that organizations in the Francophone community sector and the Department must communicate information on their functioning, practices, intentions, objectives, and results in a timely manner.


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PART IV – COMMITMENTS TO ACTION

The values and principles of the Accord are the basis for the development of the relationship between Canadian Heritage and the community sector. Success in building the relationship will depend on the actions and practices of both Canadian Heritage and the community sector for the benefit of French-speaking Canadians living in Ontario. In moving forward, the following commitments will be essential.

Shared commitments

The Francophone community sector of Ontario and Canadian Heritage commit to:

  • Act in a manner consistent with the values and principles in this Accord;
  • Work to achieve equity and parity in representation of women and men in community governance mechanisms, as linked to the values of equality and active citizenship;
  • Develop the mechanisms and processes required to implement the Accord;
  • Work together as appropriate to achieve shared goals and objectives;
  • Support community-driven development; and
  • Promote awareness and understanding of the contributions that each makes to Canadian society.

Canadian Heritage Commitments

Canadian Heritage, within its mandate under Part VII of the Official Languages Act, commits to:

  • Recognize and consider the implications of its legislation, regulations, policies, and programs on community sector organizations, including the importance of funding policies and practices for the further development of the relationship and the strengthening of the community sector's capacity; and
  • Recognize its need to engage the community sector in open, informed and sustained dialogue so that the sector may contribute its experience, expertise, knowledge, and ideas in developing better public policies, in the design and delivery of programs, and in the implementation of the interdepartmental and intergovernmental roles as defined in Part VII of the Official Languages Act.
  • Within the framework of its programs, financially support Ontario's Francophone community and thus support its efforts to sustain and promote the community's vitality to its fullest potential.

Ontario Francophone Community Sector Commitments

The Francophone community sector of Ontario commits to:

  • Continue to identify important or emerging issues and trends in communities, and acting on them or bringing them to the attention of Canadian Heritage, under its mandate (Part VII of the Official Languages Act), and of the Government of Canada, in keeping with its Action Plan on Official Languages;
  • Serve as a means, to the extent possible, for the voices and views of all parts of the community sector to be represented and heard by Canadian Heritage and the Government of Canada, ensuring the mobilization and engagement of the various elements of the sector; and
  • Recognize its need to engage an open, informed and sustained dialogue within the community sector, so that it may:
    • Articulate a common vision with respect to its overall development and a sequence of strategic priorities in the form of a Community Strategic Plan; and consequently
    • Make informed choices required for the community sector's accountability for results aimed for in this Plan.

PART V – APPLICATION OF THE ACCORD

In Part V below, the Francophone community sector of Ontario and Canadian Heritage agree on:

  • The common results they wish to attain to enhance the development and vitality of Ontario's Francophone community, taking into account the key community issues they have identified;
  • The appropriate organizational structures to implement the provisions of the Accord, at the Department of Canadian Heritage and in the community sector; and
  • The processes for implementing the Accord, for reporting to Canadians on the status of the relationship and the results that have been achieved, for agreeing on next steps, and for considering strategic opportunities for future collaboration.

The aim is that the Accord and its implementation plan will provide a framework for helping the community sector and Canadian Heritage better serve French-speaking Canadians living in Ontario.

1. Key Community Issues and Common Results

The community sector and Canadian Heritage take note of the key issues affecting the community and agree on common results to enhance the development and vitality of Ontario's Francophone community.

1.1. Key Community Issues

The key community issues facing the Francophone community of Ontario are the following:

  • The integration of newcomers in great numbers;
  • The rapid urbanization of the Francophone population in very large urban regions, accentuating its minority situation and making the offer of French language services difficult, and possibly almost unfeasible;
  • The range of the territory to be covered, for example between Ottawa and Longlac, Alexandria and Windsor, or Toronto and the border with Manitoba; this makes the offer of services extremely difficult.
1.2. Common Results

The Department of Canadian Heritage takes note of the development focuses and general objectives identified in the Community Strategic Plan of French Ontario. It also takes note of the five strategic priorities established by the community sector for the purpose of its collaboration with the Department within the framework of the Cooperation with the Community Sector program sub-component. These priorities are, by order of importance:

  1. Develop and reinforce the sense of belonging to French Ontario:
    This priority targets results that will help enhance the sense of identity of Francophones, nourish community belonging and engage individuals towards the public expression of the French presence in the province.
  2. Increase universal access to a complete range of services and programs in French:
    Transforming a population into a community requires institutions. This second priority targets results that increase the active offer of French language services.
  3. Renew the leadership:
    The community's vitality hinges in part on a strong leadership that primarily embodies commitment, competence and professionalism. This priority targets results that will contribute to the renewal of leadership on several fronts, notably: the reinforcement and renewal of current leaders' skills and capabilities, the expansion of the pool of potential leaders, and the emergence of a new generation of leaders.
  4. Acknowledge and affirm rights:
    The Francophone community's gains often flow from legal and constitutional victories. Following such victories, the community must exercise its rights. This priority targets results that will engage the community in effectively claiming its rights, as well as support it in affirming them with governments and para-public institutions.
  5. Support cooperation and partnerships:
    The community's vitality is enhanced by cooperation between organizations, sectors and institutions, leading to effective partnerships. This priority targets results that will lead to greater efficiency in the use of resources, as well as support the creation of synergistic and complementary relationships between stakeholders such as groups, institutions and sectors.

The community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage will work together to translate these priorities into concrete and measurable objectives, while recognizing the Department's action parameters. Some of the defined common results will relate to the development of specific sectors, while others will be common to all sectors.


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2. Cooperation and Collaboration

2.1. Community Cooperation and Cohesion

The vitality of Ontario's Francophone community hinges on the joint efforts of many development architects, namely community networks and their individual organizations, community institutions, public and para-public institutions, and the private sector. It also hinges on getting people to volunteer their time and effort for a cause or the public good, and thus contribute to the life of their community.

This Collaboration Accord demonstrates the importance of encouraging cooperation in the community and cohesion among all architects of community development. Collaboration will require the joint effort of all community development architects. These architects include organizations funded by Cooperation with the Community Sector, as well as institutions and community networks not funded from this envelope.

The community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage recognize that the success of their collaboration and their common capacity to achieve anticipated results rest on two important foundations in the community:

  • The need for a provincial organization that brings the community together, and is unifying, representative and inclusive of the different components of Ontario's Francophone community; and
  • The importance of having operational sectors.

Since sectors bring services as well as fundamental tools to enhance the vitality of Ontario's Francophone community, and since they are important instruments that help bring people together and build community, sectoral structures must be maintained.

These sectoral structures will serve three purposes:

  • Ensure the link with members of their sector;
  • Oversee the implementation of the sectoral plans; and
  • Mobilize their sector towards progress on specific issues.

The Department of Canadian Heritage recognizes and supports the processes aiming to provide the entire Francophone community sector of Ontario with dynamic, up-to-date and effective structures.

At the time of the Accord's signing, the Direction Entente Canada-communauté Ontario (DECCO) is the organization designated by the community sector to ensure the operational management of community cooperation, and the Assemblée des communautés franco-ontariennes (ACFO) is the designated representative organization.

The Francophone community sector of Ontario is engaged in a process of dialogue aimed at restructuring community architecture. The sector will inform the Department of Canadian Heritage of any adjustment made to its governance and representation structures.

Community Forum: Nature and Role

The Francophone community sector of Ontario has a responsibility to promote cooperation and optimal efficiency among all community development architects. To do so, it establishes a preferred mechanism for provincial community cooperation called the Community Forum.

The Community Forum will support the Francophone community of Ontario in its structuring of the community development process, including the sequencing of strategic priorities for this process. The usual cycle of community cooperation leads to the crafting and evaluation of a Community Strategic Plan that integrates the contributions of all community development architects.

The Community Forum is where dialogue with various institutions is initiated. It seeks to include emerging or marginalized groups in the Francophone networks and institutions of Ontario, and to welcome any group wishing to contribute to Ontario's Francophone community.

The Community Forum develops consultation mechanisms that reflect local, regional and sectoral realities and take into account factors such as demography, geography, gender, and racial and ethnocultural minorities; these mechanisms notably include sectoral tables, as well as intra-provincial regional tables. The Community Forum encourages cooperation within natural networks; it takes into account the ability of some sectors to negotiate and set priorities, and to develop cross-sectoral collaborations.

Operational Responsibility

In the short term, the community sector wishes to work according to the operational management structures described in the regulations of the Direction Entente Canada-communauté Ontario adopted June 26, 2003. The community is engaged in a dialogue to establish a political representation organization. Once new mechanisms are defined, the community sector will designate the organization responsible for the convening of the Community Forum and for the operational management of provincial cooperation.

On behalf of the community sector, the designated organization:

  • Develops and implements the appropriate consultation mechanisms;
  • Ensures the global administrative efficiency of cooperation mechanisms within the community sector; and
  • Develops a communications strategy in order to inform French-speaking citizens living in Ontario and to promote community cooperation and cohesion.
Governance and Democratic Representation

Ontario's Francophone community sector defines the fora and structures where community cooperation takes place, as well as governance and democratic representation mechanisms. The community sector can redefine these fora, structures and mechanisms as needed. Decisions will be communicated to the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Department recognizes the democratic choices of Ontario's Francophone community sector.


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2.2. Canadian Heritage–Community Sector Collaboration

The broad social vision and the achievement of specific objectives within the Community Strategic Plan require the collaboration or contribution of all components of Ontario's Francophone community. These may include public, para-public, private, institutional, and community organizations, Francophone or non-Francophone. This collaboration is most likely to be productive when all appropriate parties bring their services, programs, resources, and knowledge to the table. This Accord promotes adopting this approach by creating a flexible, dynamic mechanism called the Collaborative Circle.

Collaborative Circle

The community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage agree to create a Collaborative Circle to serve as an active forum for the sharing of information, promotion of awareness, planning of initiatives, and discussion of their relationship. The Collaborative Circle will always include the community sector and Canadian Heritage. The participation of other stakeholders in the Collaborative Circle shall be flexible. They will be called upon based on the nature, extent, and reach of the objectives being pursued.

The workings of the Collaborative Circle will be agreed upon by the community sector and the Department in accordance with results to be pursued, and with respect to principles of independence, interdependence, dialogue, cooperation, and accountability to all Canadians.

Ontario's Francophone community sector will define the process of designating community participants in the Collaborative Circle from time to time, depending on the nature, extent and scope of objectives. The identity of designated participants, depending on the issues at hand, will be communicated to Canadian Heritage so as to promote constructive exchange.

In the short term, the modalities for designating community participants in the Collaborative Circle will be those described in the regulations of the Direction Entente Canada-communauté Ontario adopted June 26, 2003.

Mobilizing Public Resources: Interdepartmental and Intergovernmental Cooperation

The community sector and Canadian Heritage recognize the importance of working to mobilize public resources at all levels of government in order to advance toward the achievement of common results and of the community's development objectives. Some efforts to mobilize public resources will stem from the work of the Collaborative Circle.

Relationship Between the Community Sector and the Government of Canada at the Provincial Level

As stipulated in Part VII of the Official Languages Act, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, in consultation with other ministers of the Crown, shall encourage and promote a coordinated approach to the implementation by federal institutions of the commitments to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada, to support and assist their development, and to foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

The community sector and Canadian Heritage will work together to ensure that the members of the community have a better knowledge of the programs and services offered by federal institutions, and that the federal institutions get better acquainted with the Francophone community of Ontario, its mechanisms and structures, its developmental priorities and its particular characteristics in relation to their activities, programs and services.

The Department of Canadian Heritage supports the community sector's efforts to work with other federal institutions in order to facilitate the implementation of the community's development objectives. Notably, Canadian Heritage leads the Interdepartmental Partnership with the Official-Language Communities, an element of the Community Life program component which aims to encourage lasting partnerships between federal departments and official-language minority community associations or organizations. Canadian Heritage will use various levers at its disposal to support the efforts of the community sector.

The community sector and Canadian Heritage work together to identify those community development priorities which require an interdepartmental approach. The means of consultation and collaboration depend on the issues and on structures established at the federal, provincial or local levels, according to the areas of responsibility.

The Department of Canadian Heritage will use various levers at its disposal to support the Ontario Federal Council so that, as provincial forum for federal government interdepartmental matters, it can contribute to the vitality of the community and the implementation of the Community Strategic Plan. The Department will act primarily through the Federal Council's Committee on Official Languages.

Relationship Between the Francophone Community Sector and the Government of Ontario and its Bodies (including arm's length agencies)

In addition to Cooperation with the Community Sector, Canadian Heritage leads another key element of the Community Life program component - Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Services, which aims to help provincial and territorial governments and municipalities provide official-language minority communities with services in their own language, along with the necessary infrastructure to provide these services.

Canadian Heritage encourages the provincial government to take the objectives of the Community Strategic Plan into account in its French language services plan. Canadian Heritage maintains close ties with officials for Francophone Affairs to assert the importance of the expected results of the Community Strategic Plan and the common results aimed for in this Accord.

Canadian Heritage also leads Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Education, which aims to help provincial and territorial governments, directly or through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), to offer to members of official-language minority communities an education in their own language.

The Francophone community sector is responsible for mobilizing resources in the areas of responsibility of other levels of government. It strives to emphasize those aspects of its Community Strategic Plan that normally require the involvement of provincial or arm's length public agencies in providing public services. This exercise may inform the community sector's cooperation and advocacy efforts. Canadian Heritage will use various levers at its disposal to support the efforts of the community sector.

Interdepartmental and Intergovernmental Collaboration Forum

The community sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage agree to work to organize a biennial joint meeting with provincial coordinators of French language services and with regional coordinators for Section 41 of the Official Languages Act in federal institutions.


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2.3. Advocacy

In keeping with the values and principles stated in this Accord, Ontario's Francophone community sector seeks to engage in a dialogue on public policy. It hopes to interact with the different levels of government through the various stages of the public policy process in order to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience, and develop the best possible public policies that take fully into account the aspirations of French-speaking citizens living in Ontario.

The community sector and the Department acknowledge the importance of advocacy. The strengthening of the sector's advocacy capacities aims at a better understanding of the processes through which governments and public institutions make their decisions; a greater ability to influence these processes; a better understanding of the determining factors in community development; and knowledge-based decision making.

Key Community Advocates

The Francophone community sector will designate in due course the organization acting as the sector's primary interlocutor in advocacy and dialogue on public policy.

The Francophone community sector further recognizes community network leaders as key advocates on issues of special interest.

The Department of Canadian Heritage recognizes the Francophone community of Ontario's democratic choices in selecting its key advocates.

3. Implementation of the Accord

In addition to the tools described in the previous sections, the collaboration between the Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage includes a financial component. This section describes the financial elements of the Cooperation with the Community Sector and the accompanying accountability mechanisms.

3.1. Commitment of a Budget Envelope

The budget envelope set aside for Cooperation with the Community Sector in Ontario comes from the Development of Official-Language Communities Program and falls under its Community Life component. The program will be reviewed by Treasury Board in 2008-2009, with a view to its renewal.

The amounts, allocation, and duration of this budget envelope are set out in Appendix B.

The size of the budget envelope is subject to the annual approval of appropriations by Parliament and to the continuance of current and projected budget levels of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program.

Canadian Heritage will seek to harmonize procedures to facilitate joint funding of projects when several departments or government entities are working on the same initiative, or on several initiatives with the same community organization.

Canadian Heritage's financial commitments will be made by means of contribution agreements and grants. The Department may use multiyear funding agreements, when the situation is appropriate and in accordance to its policies and procedures, in order to enhance the stability of organizations and their ability to engage in long-term planning. Canadian Heritage commits to introduce a reasonable and flexible period of transition when major changes to funding must be made.

3.2. Program – Supporting Action

According to the Program's terms and conditions, these investments are intended to support the communities' involvement in their own development and to provide community organizations with the ability to take action to achieve concrete and measurable outcomes that will contribute to the sustainability of the communities.

The Department is primarily interested in supporting activities that:

  • Provide structure or have a structural effect on the overall development of the communities or of a particular sector;
  • Contribute to enriching community life, developing a sense of identity and welcoming diversity; and
  • Target outcomes compatible with the objectives of the Community Life component and conform to the Department's priorities.

The Department will give priority to supporting activities aimed at achieving the common results of collaboration identified in this Accord.

All the organizations receiving such support, and the organization managing the Community Forum, can have access to multiyear funding in order to carry out their mandates and implement their action plans.

3.3. Project – Supporting Innovation

According to the Program's terms and conditions, these investments are intended to encourage innovation in the development of official-language minority communities.

The Department is primarily interested in supporting projects that:

  • Are innovative and target the development of best practices;
  • Are compatible with the Department's priorities; or
  • Address topical issues.

The Department will give priority to supporting projects aimed at achieving the common results of collaboration identified in this Accord.

The Working Group on Funding Priorities referred to in this Accord may recommend support for ad hoc or cyclical activities for which implementation does not require ongoing funding.


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3.5. Process for Recommendations and Decisions
Community Proposals

Over the last two Canada-Community agreements (1994-2004), best practices across the country have shown that a community-based process of resource allocation become a great strength for community cohesion. In Ontario, the community sector has refined its mechanism to determine strategic priorities, as well as the means to be used to determine and facilitate the distribution of funds.

The community sector and Canadian Heritage recognize the importance of the continuum between priority setting and funding allocation. The objective for this cycle is to further fine-tune the mechanisms leading to funding allocation decisions within the community sector.

All funding allocation procedures will be subjected to the requirements of Treasury Board policies.

Working Group on Funding Priorities

The community sector and the Department will establish a Working Group where funding priorities will be communicated to the Department. The Working Group will be mandated to make proposals to the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding the distribution of funds available via the provincial Cooperation with the Community Sector budget envelope. These proposals concerning the order of magnitude of investments per strategic priority or sector will be linked to the objectives and priorities of the Community Strategic Plan and the common results sought in this Accord.

The Department will develop evaluation criteria and analytical tools in collaboration with the organization responsible for operations of the Community Forum.

Canadian Heritage's Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Department to analyze requests, examine them critically in a broader context, make final recommendations to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and manage the decisional and administrative process. In its analysis of requests, the Department will take into special consideration the funding priorities defined by the community sector.

The Minister is responsible for making the final decision on the specific allocation of funding in accordance to terms and conditions in force at the Department.

In order to maintain transparency, the final decision regarding allocation of funds will be communicated to the community's principal governance and representation structures, as well as the general public, following the Minister's approval.

Canadian Heritage is responsible for determining procedures and tools relating to the presentation and analysis of requests. The Department recognizes the consequences that its policies and funding practices may have on the evolution of the relationship and on the strengthening of the community sector's capacity for action, and takes them into consideration. Tools will be developed with due attention to simplifying the administrative requirements, while respecting the terms and conditions of the Program and the Department's accountability framework, which may be modified from time to time.

Management Best Practices

The community sector and the Department agree to jointly identify management best practices.

In compliance with Treasury Board policies, the Department has adopted a risk management approach, in order to assess and monitor the initiatives and ensure that the approach suits the level of funding as well as the size and nature of the organization. The Risk-Based Audit Framework for Official Languages Support Programs entails a recipient audit plan. Some organizations will be asked to participate in this monitoring exercise.

With a focus on ongoing performance improvement, Canadian Heritage may ask selected community organizations to participate in an organizational audit to be conducted according to a framework established by the Department. Participating groups will be financially compensated.


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3.6. Results and Performance

The Francophone community sector and Canadian Heritage agree on the importance of reporting to Parliament and to the citizens of Canada, on the progress achieved towards results with the funds invested.

Canadian Heritage and the community sector recognize that community development is a long-term process, that some fundamental results may be achieved only over long periods, possibly decades, and that it is important, at this time, to set strategies and means that will allow the assessment of results over the long term.

Canadian Heritage's Official Languages Support Programs are structured in accordance with the two types of results based on the commitments set out in Section 41 of the Official Languages Act: Strong minority communities supported by many partners and Linguistic duality recognized and valued by all Canadians.

To report on the progress achieved towards these results, Canadian Heritage must refer to the Results-Based Management and Accountability Framework for Official Languages Support Programs.

Activities supported by the Cooperation with the Community Sector sub-component must contribute to the attainment of intermediate and long-term results targeted by the Official Languages Support Programs.

The Government of Canada is developing community vitality indicators. These indicators will set benchmarks and allow a more precise measurement of the evolution of communities over time. Information on outputs produced by the community sector must be organized so that it feeds into the measurement of these vitality indicators.

Canadian Heritage will establish mechanisms for the standardization, gathering, and management of information on outputs towards 2007-2008, in consultation with the designated organization. In establishing these processes, Canadian Heritage will be sensitive to minimizing the administrative burden.

There are three levels of performance evaluation: an annual evaluation of outputs by groups receiving funds from the Cooperation with the Community Sector; an evaluation of this Accord within the framework of a national evaluation of progress achieved through community sector accords in 2007-2008; and the Program evaluation, to take place in 2008-2009.

Annual Outputs of Investments in the Cooperation with the Community Sector

Each funded organization reports on its annual outputs as linked to its contribution to the advancement of the Community Strategic Plan and the common objectives of the Accord.

Cooperation with the Community Sector Progress Evaluation

The Department will undertake an evaluation of its collaboration with the community sector and of progress made towards common results targeted in all community sector accords. This evaluation will include a component on collaboration with the Francophone community sector of Ontario and will focus on the efficiency of collaboration mechanisms, the clarity and relevance of respective roles, and the quality and relevance of outputs, in relation to the stated common objectives. This evaluation will be done in 2007-2008 in order to allow adjustments to the collaboration mechanisms and guide their renewal at the end of the term.

The Francophone community sector of Ontario agrees to participate in the development of evaluation parameters, and to collaborate in the evaluation itself according to the final modalities set out by Canadian Heritage. The Department will be responsible, including financially, for executing the evaluation.

Official-Language Communities Program Evaluation

For the end of the term, in 2008-2009, the Department of Canadian Heritage must provide the Treasury Board with a summative evaluation of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program. The Corporate Review Branch, a third party independent of the Official Languages Support Branch, is responsible for conducting this evaluation.

To conduct program evaluations, the Department uses several methods. These include:

  • A review of relevant documents (e.g., record of achievements, annual report, plan of action);
  • A review of literature (e.g., sociological research, statistical studies);
  • Gathering and compiling of information (e.g., analysis of financial data, compilation of outputs, trend studies);
  • Interviews with key contributors (e.g., representatives of community organizations and institutions, program managers, researchers);
  • Polling (e.g., public opinion polls, questionnaires);
  • Discussion groups (for example, with parents, with young people).

The community sector will be called upon to participate in many of these evaluation activities.


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CONCLUSION

Canadians expect a strong, vibrant, and engaged Francophone community in Ontario, and seek to build a solid, just, and inclusive society where values and principles count, where the full range of human activities is encouraged, and where individuals and communities can realize their full potential. To better serve Canadians and help them achieve the society they want, Canadian Heritage and Ontario's Francophone community sector seek to strengthen their relationship. This Accord is the start of that journey.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women and the Chairman of the Direction Entente Canada-communauté Ontario, on behalf of the Francophone community sector of Ontario, have signed this Collaboration Accord.

This Accord was concluded this 25th day of November 2005.

  • (Signed) Liza Frulla
    Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women
  • (Signed) Jean Comtois
    Chairman, Direction Entente Canada-communauté Ontario

IN THE PRESENCE OF:

  • (Signed) Hubert Lussier, Witness
  • (Signed) Céline Marx, Witness

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Accountability
The basic rules that the Department must follow in making decisions, allocating funding, and demonstrating the results achieved through the use of public funds. Many of these rules also apply to the organizations that receive these public funds. These organizations also have their own accountability frameworks defined by legislation, by their own by-laws, and by their internal governance policies.
Advocacy
Advocacy is defined as "the act of speaking or of disseminating information intended to influence individual behaviour or opinion, corporate conduct or public policy and law." Advocacy is one of many ways of participating in the process of developing public policies.
(see: www.vsi-isbc.org/eng/relationship/the_accord_doc/index.cfm)
Community development architects
Community development architects are individuals and institutions and organizations in the community, private, government, and quasi-government sectors that contribute to the development of their communities. Prominent among these architects are the leaders of community associations and institutions, as well as community opinion leaders and different levels of government.
Evaluation
The systematic collection and analysis of information on the performance of a policy, program or initiative to make judgements about relevance, progress or success and cost-effectiveness and/or to inform future programming decisions about design and implementation.
Indicator
A statistic or parameter that provides information on trends in the condition of a phenomenon and has significance extending beyond that associated with the properties of the statistic itself.
Output
Direct products or services stemming from the activities of a policy, program or initiative, and delivered to a target group or population.
Planned Results (Targets)
Clear and concrete statement of results (including outputs and outcomes) to be achieved within the time frame of parliamentary and departmental planning and reporting (1-3 years), against which actual results can be compared.
Quasi-governmental bodies or arm's length public agencies
Public agencies refers to schools, hospitals, etc. that are at arm's length (to varying degrees) from government, but are mandated and funded by government.
Result
The consequence attributed to the activities of an organization, policy, program, or initiative. Results is a general term that often includes both outputs produced and outcomes achieved by a given organization, policy, program, or initiative. In the government's agenda for results-based management and in Results For Canadians, the term result is more specific and does not include outputs. Results may be described as immediate, intermediate or final, direct or indirect, intended or unintended.
Strategic Outcome
A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that stems from a department's mandate, vision, and efforts. It represents the difference a department or agency wants to make for Canadians and should be a clear measurable outcome within the department or agency's sphere of influence.
Support for action: details
Funds in support of action shall aid regular and continuing activities such as:
  • Citizens' participation and good governance (e.g., elements of democratic life – AGM and Board of Directors, administrative infrastructure, statements of account);
  • Basic activities of the organization serving the development and improvement of community life (e.g., leadership training in youth groups, basic operations of a community centre, large public events);
  • Mobilization of community and public resources (e.g., analysis and research into support for advocacy and the skills needed to request support from various funding bodies).
Support for innovation: details
Funds to support innovation shall aid intermittent or cyclical activities that do not require permanent funding. Such activities are of limited duration ranging from a few months to a few years. For example:
  • Pilot or demonstration projects designed to learn about influences on development and about services to the public;
  • Establishing and building new construction sites for community development;
  • Retooling the Francophone community sector to respond to new challenges;
  • Development of advocacy strategies linked to a particular initiative or a major decision in public policy.