Schedule B - Action Plan of the National Coordination of the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie project
Preamble
In 2004, the governments participating in the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF) decided to broaden the scope and effectiveness of their activities, to strengthen their cooperation and to redefine the Conference's mandate.
Following this decision, the MCCF unanimously adopted in 2005, a strategic plan with the following three primary objectives:
- Improve the quality and quantity of French-language services offered to citizens;
- Contribute to the strengthening of the communities' vitality;
- Recognize the Francophone contribution to Canadian society as a whole.
In order to achieve the three objectives of the strategic plan, the MCCF advocates development and implementation of strategic positions and directions; pooling of expertise, knowledge and tools; carrying out awareness raising and promotional initiatives; and conducting studies and research. These strategies are not linear and distinct but complementary and sequential.
The MCCF has the following resources at its disposal to achieve these objectives:
- The Intergovernmental Network on the Canadian Francophonie (INCF) is made up of representatives of the federal, provincial and territorial governments including the ministers responsible for delivery of French-language services and the Canadian Francophonie;
- The national coordination also enables the MCCF to meet its objectives by providing it with strategic and organizational support. The national coordination responsibilities are to implement the Conference's decisions. The key responsibilities of the national coordinator's position are research, consultation, preparation, distribution and logistical support.
It goes without saying that the national coordination project should facilitate attainment of the MCCF's objectives and priorities without being solely responsible for their achievement. Even though the coordinator plays a major part in achieving a number of the MCCF's objectives, the provinces and territories have often assumed a leadership role in bringing certain projects to a successful conclusion or by taking the lead in making substantial progress on an issue. The coordination project is one of the means the MCCF has given itself to achieve its objectives. It should be emphasized that in this action plan the expected outcomes and performance indicators set out in the Action plan will be used mainly for evaluating the coordination project as such and not the MCCF's activities as a whole.
In October 2005, at the Ministerial Conference in Regina, the ministers requested an evaluation of the national coordination pilot project. The results of the evaluation were presented at the 2006 Ministerial Conference in Ottawa. The evaluation, which was conducted under the supervision of Consulting and Audit Canada, demonstrated the relevance of and need for the national coordination function. In light of this evaluation, the ministers wanted to see an enriched coordination model that would include the addition to the national coordination function of a position devoted specifically to administrative tasks.
The ministers also decided that this enriched model would be funded through a shared-cost formula (50-50) between the federal government and the governments of the provinces and territories. They agreed that this new formula should take effect on April 1, 2007 for a period of two years.
This agreement is based on a total contribution of $564,000 over two years. It sets the total contribution of the provinces and territories as well as that of the federal government at $141,000 each per year.
This is the MCCF's third National Coordination Agreement with the government of Canada. In 2002, the government of Manitoba signed a two-year agreement with the federal government while the province of New Brunswick signed a three-year agreement in 2004.
The MCCF designated the province of New Brunswick to act as facilitator and signatory of the new agreement with the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Finally, the ministers also asked that a Working Committee made up of members of the Intergovernmental Network on the Canadian Francophonie (INCF) examine the issue of the stability and sustainability of the MCCF coordination function and submit its report to the Ministerial Conference.
| Key Coordination Responsibilities | Outcomes | Performance Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Research | Provide an overview of the situation in provinces and territories and in Francophone and Acadian communities. |
|
| Consultation | A responsibility that is both logistical and tactical to ensure that the viewpoints of all members are taken into consideration. |
|
| Preparation | Produce all documents required for meetings on paper and ensure all necessary follow-ups are carried out. |
|
| Distribution | Distribute of documents within required timelines. |
|
| Logistical support | Organize meetings and manage any external contracts (e.g.: consultants; graphic artists; writers; researchers; etc.). |
|
| Estimated Eligible Costs and Expenditures Timetable | PROJECTED CONTRIBUTIONS 2007-2008 | PROJECTED CONTRIBUTIONS 2008-2009 | TOTAL PROJECTED CONTRIBUTIONS 2007-2009 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | Prov./Terr. | Federal | Prov./Terr. | Federal | Prov./Terr. | |
| Salaries and Benefits | $70,500 | $70,500 | $70,500 | $70,500 | $141,000 | $141,000 |
| Other Expenses (e.g. administration and activities) | $141,000 | $141,000 | $141,000 | $141,000 | $282,000 | $282,000 |
| Total | $141,000 | $141,000 | $141,000 | $141,000 | $282,000 | $282,000 |
| Grand Total | $282,000 | $282,000 | $564,000 | |||