IMPLEMENTATION OF ACCORD AND CODES IN CANADA International Seminar on Strategies and Agreements between the Public Sector and the Nonprofit Sector Estonia March 2005 Susan Carter Voluntary Sector Advisor

Canada: Implementation Accord and Codes between national government and organizations to which it relates Accord as recognition/validation, guide/roadmap to how relationship should work two codes on how guide could apply to key areas of financing and policy dialogue implementation decentralized: each party responsible for implementing its commitments in the Accord Introduction Document to frame concrete work happening at the same time (on regulatory, on capacity etc.

Canada: Implementation Structures and Processes 3 phases planned: commitment, consolidation, construction Separate government and sector implementation with coordination on reporting Government Lead Minister Ministerial Consultative Committee Champions in each dept Formal accountability at senior level Sector - Voluntary Sector Forum - Umbrella organizations and coalitions Coordination: Joint Steering Committee MCC has not yet had opportunity to meet in the two years since Accord and Codes put in place Mirrored by a committee of senior public servants, to coordinate inside government, across departments: recently replaced by a committee of less senior officials Formal accountability at senior level takes form of including this responsibility in mandate letters of heads of departments

Canada: Implementation Approaches Awareness Information out – distribution, speeches, conferences, various media forms Training and orientation – training tools, train-the-trainer sessions across country Application Collection and dissemination of examples of Accord and Codes in practice Reporting Annual report on progress Implementation approach based on awareness, examples of how Accord and Codes could be used, and annual monitoring and reporting on progress over the previous period

Canada: Monitoring and Reporting Implementation tracked through annual survey/questionnaire across government departments and sector Annual joint public report, with separate background papers Review survey findings Review progress over past year Identify issues and set priorities for coming year

Canada: Assessment of Implementation Increased profile and understanding within both parties Some cases of Accord making a difference in sector-government interaction Knowledge of documents - Accord and Codes - still moderate in government and in sector Annual reports say minority of C.S organizations see improvements in relationship Uneven incorporation of Accord into government departments’ planning and operations Within government, greater awareness of sector and its potential Sector stronger with greater self-awareness and networking as result of validation and the extensive process of consultation by which it was developed 3 phases of implementation planned at outset did not drive or frame implementation because there was not body charged with the responsibility of managing the process

Canada: Implementation Achievements Greater awareness and linkages across sector Development of communications tools to promote Accord and Codes Structural innovations in some departments (dedicated units, sector lens) Progress on key sector issues (Accord in practice): financing and funding processes, regulatory framework, treatment of advocacy, liability insurance Examples of tools to promote include video, information kits, training tools such as an excellent workbook for sector organizations to use themselves Innovative mechanisms in departments include special units, sector lens, information sessions in the different locations where departments operate ie not only at their headquarters

Canada: Implementation Challenges Changing government priorities Continuity of leadership Measurable guidelines or indicators Compliance mechanisms Horizontality Absence of recognized “dome” organization in sector Persistence of continuing problem areas (notably funding processes) New priorities mean relationship between sector and government seen as “last year’s priority” High level of turn-over, particularly within government: lead responsibility has changed location three times: Joint Tables, over 2 years government participation turned over by 50% Absence of measures to measure against Absence of teeth to ensure compliance: no sanctions or penalties when they are not Challenges of horizontality across government departments operating as silos and across a sector spread widely across the whole country, the majority of which are not part of any network This situation made more complicated by the absence of any “dome” or umbrella organization across the sector (as exists in some other countries) Failure to solve particular problems is seen as contradicting the principles set out in the Document.: over the past four years, a focus within government departments on accountability measures has resulted in the complication of funding for sector organization, sometimes to the point where some organizations are walking away – and all of this at the time when efforts were being made to simplify and rationalize funding. It is the largest issue for the sector and yet it has deteriorated rather than improved over the time while the Document was agreed and implemented.

Canada: Upcoming Priorities/Next Steps Increase integration of Accord and Code principles into “the way we do business” Increase documenting/sharing good practices Develop measurable indicators and reporting Develop a mechanism for resolving disputes Evaluations of VSI including Accord/ Codes Keep sector and importance on the agenda Apply new relationships into new public issues