2023-24 Departmental Plan: Main Report

Departmental Result 1: Indigenous Peoples are physically well

ISC is committed to improving health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples to ensure they are physically well. The department will work toward this result by breaking down program siloes to provide communities with more flexibility to implement integrated and holistic health services. This alignment of health programming will also leverage existing synergies to support the transfer of health-related services to First Nations and Inuit communities.

In 2023-24, ISC will continue to:

• Ensure eligible First Nation and Inuit individuals have improved access to the range of medically necessary health benefits through the Supplementary Health Benefits Program (also known as Non-Insured Health Benefits).
• Engage with the Assembly of First Nations on a multi-year joint review of the Supplementary Health Benefits program to identify and implement actions that enhance client access to benefits, and with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the National Inuit Committee on Health to find ways of improving the delivery of benefits to Inuit clients.
• Ensure First Nations and Inuit children have access to the products, services and supports they need, when they need them, regardless of where they live in Canada through the Jordan's Principle and the Inuit Child First Initiative program.
• Work with First Nations partners on reforming the First Nations Child and Family Services and renewing the approach to Jordan's Principle while also implementing immediate and ongoing measures as ordered by Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
• Support Inuit partners to establish an Inuit-specific approach that better meets the needs of Inuit children in the long-term and collaborate with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami to raise awareness of the Inuit Child First Initiative.

ISC will also continue in its commitment to fostering a health system free from discrimination where Indigenous Peoples are respected and safe. In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Fully implement Joyce's Principle.
• Continue to hold National Dialogues and regional and themed roundtables to prompt further action by health system partners and measure progress for eliminating anti-Indigenous racism in Canada's health systems.
• Co-develop distinctions-based Indigenous health legislative options with First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Intersectional partners as well as provinces and territories (where relevant).
• Implement Budget 2021 funding for Anti-Indigenous Racism in health systems.
• Bolster Indigenous Health System navigators to provide culturally sensitive access to services and support for Indigenous Peoples and their families.

The department will measure distinctions-specific progress towards ensuring positive health outcomes through self-reported health status. Studies have demonstrated that it is a reliable and valid measure that can be more effective than clinical measures for the prediction of help-seeking behaviours and health service use.

Departmental Result 2: Indigenous Peoples are mentally well

Mental health is linked to the overall health status of Indigenous individuals and communities. Inequities in mental wellness being experienced by Indigenous populations are linked to intergenerational trauma, current day racism and discrimination, access to mental wellness services, and other gaps relating to the social determinants of health. ISC's efforts to address these inequities are strongly guided by Indigenous-led frameworks such as the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework, "Honouring Our Strengths", and the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Implement distinctions-based mental wellness initiatives linked to a three-year investment of $597 million from Budget 2021.
• Continue to provide trauma-informed health and cultural supports for Indian Residential School survivors, and funding for mental health and traditional healing support services with a call center component for individuals who have been affected by Indian Residential School, Indian Day School, or MMIWG.

The department will measure distinctions-specific progress towards increasing positive outcomes through self-reported mental health surveys that ask respondents to rate their mental health. This is a recognized metric that closely aligns with other measures of mental health and well-being.

Departmental Result 3: Indigenous Peoples have access to quality federally-funded health services

ISC recognizes that accessibility of quality federally-funded health services is key to achieving physical and mental wellness for Indigenous Peoples. Barriers to accessibility can occur due to many factors such as living in remote locations where there is a lack of available resources, a distrust of the health care system due to historical trauma, systemic racism or a lack of cultural safety, or poverty that limits access to transportation options.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue to provide multiple in-community programs to help remove these kinds of barriers and support access to a wide range of health services.
• Continue to advance culturally-grounded public health surveillance, health protection and promotion and disease prevention.
• Support community-directed services related to promoting healthy living including improved access to healthy foods, increased physical activity, and reducing commercial tobacco use. Specific efforts will include working closely with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Inuit partners to provide secretariat services for the Inuit Crown Food Security Working Group, supporting the implementation of the work plan, and collaborating with other departments to support the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy.

ISC will continue working with federal and Indigenous partners to promote healthy development of children by implementing the co-developed Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework. In 2023-24, ISC will support expanded availability of Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care for children and services for youth and 2SLGBTQQIA+ in communities, as determined by Indigenous partners.

As part of its mandate to deliver distinctions-based support in response to COVID-19, ISC will:

• Continue to work closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, other federal departments, and provincial and territorial governments as well as Indigenous leadership, organizations and communities as the pandemic continues to evolve to protect the health and safety of Indigenous Peoples. This includes supporting Indigenous organizations and communities in responding to ongoing and emerging public health threats and emergencies.
• Provide sustained funding for community-driven and community-designed health emergency management preparedness and mitigation activities.
• Support Indigenous communities' responses to other communicable disease concerns, such as tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (i.e., syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C), as well as other vaccine-preventable diseases (i.e., influenza and pneumococcal infections) or any other emerging health emergencies as they arise (i.e., monkeypox).
• Strengthen the delivery of core environmental public health programming designed to identify and prevent public health risks on-reserve that could adversely impact the health of community residents.
• Expand the scope of project proposals submitted under the First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program to include risk factors with clear impact on human health such as exposure to radon.

Long-term and continuing care programs allow community members of all ages to receive the care they need in their homes and remain in their community while maintaining as much independence as possible. When community members are kept together, a vitally important aspect of Indigenous culture is upheld and honored. Traditional knowledge and healing practices are more likely to be preserved, revitalized and passed on to others, and incorporated into methods of care. In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Co-develop a new and more holistic distinctions-based Indigenous Long-term and Continuing Care Framework in collaboration with First Nations and Inuit partners.
• Advance culturally-grounded home and community care services inclusive of comprehensive nursing assessment, clinical nursing treatments in the home, personal care, care coordination and case management, access to medical supplies and equipment and facilitating linkages with other services.

Additional important components to ensuring access to in-community health services involves continuously exploring new and innovative retention and recruitment strategies to secure a stable health workforce and improving the efficiency of health care delivery. In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Address nursing shortages through the ongoing implementation of the comprehensive Nursing Health Human Resources framework and the Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy. This includes support for nurses working in Indigenous communities and improvements to cultural safety and humility training in nursing schools.
• Promote improved access to innovative healthcare technologies, especially in light of the pandemic, to help virtually connect First Nations individuals, families and communities in remote areas with general practitioners, specialists, diagnostic testing and follow-up appointments (i.e. electronic medical records and virtual care).
• Continue engaging with digital health organizations and First Nations partners including the Assembly of First Nations, Canada Health Infoway and provincial governments (i.e., connectivity and interoperability).

Administering programs and supports that work to achieve wellness for Indigenous Peoples is only one half of ISC's core responsibility and is incomplete without also working to advance self-determination; reclaiming jurisdiction in the area of health is a key priority for Indigenous communities and a key part of ISC's mandate. In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Advance First Nations, Inuit, and Métis data governance and data capacity by increasing the collection access and use of health data, and facilitating devolution through the development of a robust Indigenous data network.
• Continue collaborative engagement and negotiation processes between Canada, First Nations partners, and provinces and territories to develop new First Nations-led health models or entities to assume greater control of the design, administration, management, and delivery of federally administered health services and programs.
• Explore approaches to support the ongoing work of Health Transformation, including the onboarding of new projects. This will focus on health planning and administrative solutions to build capacity for First Nations, as well as Inuit partners at various stages in the service transfer process.

ISC will measure progress on access to quality federally-funded health services by tracking self-reports on the quality of clinical and client care service delivery in remote and isolated First Nations communities. Self-reports on experiences of clients are an important measure to assess the quality of health services, as positive health care experiences are known to be related to follow up of recommended prevention actions and treatments, better clinical outcomes, improved patient safety and reduced health care use.

The department will also measure progress on the transfer of health services to First Nations control through the annual percentage of First Nations under Block or Flex funding agreements or in the 10-year New Fiscal Relationship Grant. First Nations under these funding agreements develop plans for the delivery of community-based health programming, and receive health governance funding to increase capacity for service delivery and management. The flexibility to move funds supports this increased control by allowing recipients to plan out their health priorities and deliver programming in those areas, as designed by them.

Gender-based Analysis Plus for the Health Service Area

The Health Service area uses gender-based analysis plus in various ways to ensure inclusive outcomes, mitigate negative impacts, remove barriers to access, or address disparities for possible sub-populations who may be differentially impacted by an issue being addressed.

Mental wellness supports are strongly guided by Indigenous-led frameworks such as the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework, Honouring Our Strengths, and the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy. Each of these frameworks outline a comprehensive, strengths-based approach that identifies the need for specific supports for populations at risk, including across genders and for individuals who identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+. By highlighting key Indigenous social determinants of health, including self-determination, equity, and collaboration across all sectors both nationally and internationally, these frameworks not only support all pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework, but also are designed to address the gendered impacts and experience of trauma and violence. A few demonstrations of this work are described below.

Starting in 2022-23, the data collection instrument for the Nutrition North Canada Nutrition Education Initiatives gathers some details on gender, including whether participants who attended community activities were male, female or another gender. This information will help determine if Nutrition Education Initiatives activities are reaching specific genders.

In recognition of the need to ensure the voices and perspectives of Indigenous women in departmental policy and decision-making processes, and as part of the response to reports of forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canadian hospitals, ISC established an Advisory Committee on Indigenous Women's Wellbeing with Indigenous partners and other federal departments. This committee provides gender and distinctions-based advice and guidance on issues across the social determinants of health. Going forward, work will continue with Indigenous partners, including the Advisory Committee on Indigenous Women's Wellbeing, and the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Transformation Initiative. This will ensure new GBA Plus approaches are designed and guided by Indigenous Peoples.

With respect to Communicable Disease Control and Management, GBA Plus is integrated in program design and management activities to ensure that Indigenous partners receive supports that are equitable and accommodating to the needs of diverse populations. In practice, this is accomplished by creating flexibility in the variety of supports offered to communities to ensure that they respond to the unique needs of various populations within communities. Furthermore, within program policy design, GBA Plus considerations are integrated to create equity in understanding specific risk factors for various populations and then determine how to best support them.

Environmental Public Health services positively impact all members of the community to advance the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-being goal of Canada's Gender Results Framework. In addition, Environmental Public Health Officers and Community Based Drinking Water Quality Monitors are working to improve access to safe water to positively impact the health of all individuals, with a special focus on facilities that house those that are the most vulnerable, such as the inspection of schools and long-term care facilities. Another example is incorporating youth and elders by design within proposal-based programs by requiring that funded projects reflect the impact of climate change on them, and include them in the development and implementation of adaptation plans.

An engagement process with Indigenous partners focusing on services and systems to build a new and more holistic long-term and continuing care framework is providing an opportunity to learn from Indigenous partners about how best to improve long-term and continuing care while applying a gender-based analysis lens. Mitigation strategies for topics such as considering the impacts on Indigenous women who tend to be responsible for the majority of unpaid care are being considered and built into the new framework as it is developed. Furthermore, the engagement also provides an opportunity for Indigenous partners to help inform the development of its GBA Plus reporting strategy on topics such as the inequalities between women and men in their contributions to the delivery of informal caregiving on reserve.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, ISC has focused on providing essential supports, supplies and equipment to Indigenous communities and organizations. As part of this work, ISC secured funding of $186.8 million over two years (2020 – 2022), for a new Supportive Care Initiative; this was to address the immediate and supportive health and social service needs of Indigenous communities related to the COVID-19 pandemic in areas such as home care and long-term and continuing care services. This initiative provided support to Indigenous seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers, including women who make up the vast majority of personal support workers. As in-home care and support for caregivers is expanded, this will create paid jobs for personal support workers and homemaking services, which are predominantly female.

Recognizing the recruitment and retention challenges for Environmental Public Health Officers, ISC is working on a recruitment and retention strategy with a focus on Indigenous Peoples, including exploring opportunities for establishing scholarships and bursaries to support accreditation in the field. A gender-based lens will be applied to this strategy to increase the number of women recruited and retained.

Clinical and client care as point of care in nursing stations and other health facilities is focused on care and treatment, often in urgent and acute care settings, that is provided irrespective of gender and other intersectionalities. However, when a client presents themselves to a nursing station or other health facility for treatment, data is collected to record the medical history of that client. In the development of clinical content for new guidelines, sex and gender, including gender identity and sexual orientation, are considered in relation to health conditions, outcomes, assessment and management needs. Other intersectional issues are also identified such as age. Geographic location is a major factor in influencing access to clinical and client care with remote communities experiencing much more significant challenges and highly reliant on medical transportation.

Given the high incidence of suicide attempts and suicides in the First Nations amongst men, women, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ community members, youth mental wellness counselling specific to gender diversity or suicide prevention is provided through e-health Infostructure. This treatment is provided using virtual technologies, including remote-presence robotics for education, ongoing treatment, and acute care emergency preparation for medical transportation in life-threatening situations

Community Oral Health Services are available within First Nations and Inuit communities with the aim to bridge the gap in oral health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. They offer a wide variety of primary and secondary preventive oral health services that are delivered with a trauma informed approach, often directly at the community-level. The department collects data on sex, age, geography and region; this data allows for the development of strategies to minimize differences in oral health outcomes and utilization of oral health services amongst clients with diverse identities and intersectional factors.

In the MMIWG Final Inquiry report, the inability to access adequate or culturally safe health services was a key cause of violence particularly in more remote communities. Inadequate health care can place people in even more vulnerable situations, making them targets for predators. The reports identify the need for sustainable and long-term funding for services that are holistic and Indigenous-led to narrow health gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Accreditation increases the quality and safety of health services while building capacity among First Nations health organizations. The Accreditation and Quality Improvement program has worked closely with First Nations and accrediting bodies to ensure that the standards in place are culturally relevant, trauma-informed and based on Indigenous beliefs and values. GBA Plus has been considered in the funding formula that captures rural and remote communities as an indicator for vulnerable and diverse populations.

The First Nations Health Authority is a successful example of service transfer as an institution that designs and delivers First Nations self-determined health programs and services that support overall better health outcomes for First Nations communities in British Columbia, including First Nations women and gender-diverse people. It encourages advancement of general equality goals through the administration of their health systems. Their decision-making is intended to reflect the interests of all First Nations in British Columbia, leading to just and equitable treatment. The First Nations Health Authority states that they are "committed to making room for everyone, and are inclusive in their communications, information-sharing, and discussions." Furthermore, the Authority's Draft Multi-Year Health Plan 2022-23 to 2026-27 indicates that its vision and seven Directives support the traditions of their matriarchs, as well as lift up their 2SLGBTQQIA+ leaders working to decolonize gender and reclaim the important roles they hold in many First Nations cultures.

The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program continues to identify and implement interventions which take into consideration and are designed to address differential impacts experienced by First Nations and Inuit women, men, gender diverse, and individuals of varying ages and residing in differing geographic locations in terms of access to health care systems and health status. Examples of specific policy and program interventions designed to address differential impacts and needs include coverage of over-the-counter products predominantly used by women (e.g., coverage of emergency contraception, prenatal vitamins); coverage of gender-affirming medications and medical supplies and equipment; coverage of travel escorts for prenatal clients who must travel out of community for labour and delivery; and coverage of travel escorts for clients who require assistance with activities of daily living, interpretation or as an alternate decision maker. These interventions are designed based on robust data, clinical evidence, and continuous policy development.

Jordan's Principle and Inuit Child First initiatives currently conduct stratification by sex to explore sex based differences in usage patterns. However, to enhance gender based analyses, Jordan's Principle will engage with Indigenous partners to develop data-informed decision-making tools to minimize barriers and fill products/service gaps for eligible First Nation and Inuit children in Canada. These tools will be used to monitor and track items and services by identified gender as a means to better cater to the needs of a child's identity. There is also differing age stratification and tracking trends based on various geographic locations.

Key Risks for the Health Service Area

ISC is working to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are physically and mentally well, and that they have access to quality federally-funded health services.

There is a risk that the Health Human Resources shortage continues to exist considering ongoing national and even global shortages being reported. In response, ISC will continue to implement the comprehensive Nursing Human Health Resources Framework, focusing on the retention and recruitment of nursing personnel through 5 core commitments aimed at: optimal talent acquisition and management; modernized and safer practice environments including diversifying the model of primary care delivery to include new skill sets, such as Paramedicine; enhanced wellness and resiliency; influencing the health care system and implementing agile surge response. Further, ISC will continue to work towards the development and implementation of recruitment and retention strategy for additional health professionals such as Environmental Public Health Officers and oral health providers, and create safer working conditions for front line health professionals by enhancing physical security at nursing stations and other worksites, updating policies and directives on safety and security.

In addition, there is a risk that the increasing need for mental wellness services, including related to overdoses from the acute opioid and crystal meth crises, has exceeded existing Indigenous and provincial/territorial capacity to respond. To mitigate this risk, ISC will continue regular communication with partners to innovate and expand access where possible. Recent time-limited investments will continue to increase reach of services. Where feasible, ISC will explore or promote the use of information and communication technologies to also improve access to services through remote service delivery and other virtual tools and platforms, especially during the pandemic when access to treatments may be restricted or limited.

Finally, there is also a risk that the increase in volume of incoming requests for health and social programs may affect the department's ability to process them and make decisions within the compliance timelines for Jordan's Principle ordered by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in 2017. To mitigate this, continuous monitoring and assessment of request trends is being conducted to increase efficiency and effectiveness of service provision and seek off-cycle resources when needed to meet our legal obligations.

Planned Results for the Health Service Area

The following table shows the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023-24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Performance information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Budgetary Spending for the Health Service Area

The following table shows budgetary spending for the Health Service Area for 2023-24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Financial information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Human Resources for the Health Service Area

The following table shows, in full-time equivalents, the human resources the department will need for the Health Service Area for 2023-24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Human resources information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 4: Indigenous Peoples are culturally safe and socially well

ISC works in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, provincial and territorial governments, other federal departments and agencies, and other stakeholders to address issues of family violence by providing funding to support access to emergency shelters, transition homes, second stage housing and violence prevention programming for Indigenous women, children, 2SLGBTQQIA+ persons, and families.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue supporting the initiative to realize at least 38 new emergency shelters and at least 50 new second-stage housing facilities with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
• Fund culturally-appropriate enhanced services and violence prevention activities.
• Strengthen relationships with Indigenous partners, including Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations, to better provide support that meets their needs and aligns with their respective traditional ways of knowing and being.
• Continue work with Indigenous partners to redevelop the national funding formula for allocation of operational funding for emergency shelters and second-stage housing facilities.
• Support the Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative through Indigenous designed interventions and Indigenous definitions of safe, secure and resilient communities which allow for greater community control, innovation and alternative approaches that recognize the importance of traditional knowledge and practices, as well as a role for professionals, other than law enforcement, in contributing to greater community safety and well-being.

The department is mindful that Family Violence Prevention operations must remain independent from child and family services agencies, as women may not seek shelter due to fear of agency involvement.

The Children and Families Service Area helps ensure the continuity of family, community and cultural connections. Initiatives in this area support the safety and well-being of Indigenous children, youth, and families including long-term reform of the First Nations child and family services program and the implementation of the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. Although they are distinct, the reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services program and the ongoing implementation of the Act have a common goal of supporting the development and implementation of a more responsive child welfare system for First Nations. The Act has put in place what First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across the country have been asking of governments for decades: that their rights and jurisdiction over child and family services be recognized and affirmed so that they can decide what is best for their children, families, and communities. The Act also establishes national principles (best interests of the child, cultural continuity and substantive equality) for child and family services provided to Indigenous children and families.

Pursuant to the 2016 Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) Merit Decision that found Canada had discriminated against First Nations children by underfunding child and family services and narrowly applying Jordan`s Principle, ISC has been working with Parties to the complaint to fund immediate and long-term reform measures delivered to First Nations children, youth, and families ordinarily resident on reserve and in the Yukon.

In February 2022, ISC began funding the purchase or construction of capital that supports the implementation of the First Nation Child and Family Services Program and Jordan's Principle, as required by the Canadian Human Rights order, 2021 CHRT 41.

In April 2022, with the signing of an Agreement in Principle on December 31, 2021, ISC began funding First Nations and First Nation Child and Family Services agencies for prevention in a per capita amount of $2,500 based on a First Nations' registered on-reserve and on crown land population, or in the Yukon. ISC also expanded funding for First Nations Representative Services to assist families who encounter the child welfare system. This new funding was provided in all provinces and in the Yukon based in a per capita amount of $283 (outside Ontario) based on a First Nations' registered on-reserve and on crown land population, or in the Yukon. Funding for post-majority care also began to support young adults aging out of care and formerly in care up to the time they turn 26 years of age and transition to adulthood. Services, products and support complements provincial legislated services and includes, but are not limited to, life skills training and assistance, housing assistance, education, community and cultural reconnection, food security, transportation, health and wellness and financial management. This funding is being provided at actual cost to service providers and First Nations.

Through the ongoing reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program, the department supports children, youth, and their families by providing services and activities such as:

• Keeping children safe and in their homes.
• Providing supports to mitigate the risks of separating a child from their family/community.
• Addressing risks so that children in care can be reunified with their families as quickly as possible.
• Providing culturally appropriate mental health supports.
• Addressing the impacts of physical and sexual abuse.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue working with First Nations partners in reforming the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and renewing the approach to Jordan's Principle.
• Continue working towards a final agreement to compensate First Nations persons who were harmed by the discriminatory underfunding of child and family services on reserve and those impacted by the narrow interpretation of Jordan's Principle.
• Continue implementing immediate and ongoing measures as ordered by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
• Support Indigenous communities through distinctions-based governance engagement mechanisms, capacity-building, coordination agreement discussions, and operationalization of Indigenous child and family services models under the Act.
• Address the over-representation of Indigenous children in care through co-development with the Métis National Council and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and the Assembly of First Nations under the Joint National Working Group and the signed Assembly of First Nations-Canada Protocol, along with all provinces and territories.
• Work with partners and the Public Health Agency of Canada to determine if information related to Indigenous children, disaggregated by sex and gender, can be included in the development of the Canadian Child Welfare Information System.
• Continue co-developing performance targets with First Nations partners to monitor the proportion of First Nations children ordinarily resident on reserve or in the Yukon in care and to advance child and family well-being by keeping children together with their families.

To advance child and family well-being, the department will monitor the proportion of First Nations children on reserve in care, a group that is over represented in the child welfare system. ISC will also measure the proportion of First Nations communities offering community-driven prevention services to help children and families at risk to stay together and to allow communities to assert greater control over the well-being of their children and families.

The department will also measure distinctions-specific numbers of group, communities and Peoples who are exercising their jurisdiction under the Act.

Income security is integral to subsidize costs of living and costs related to taking care of children. Between 2005 and 2015, the proportion of individuals whose main source of income was from government transfers was higher for women (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) than men, and higher for Indigenous populations than for the non-Indigenous population. Income Assistance ensures that eligible individuals and families residing on reserve and in Yukon receive funds to cover the basic expenses of daily living, as well as pre-employment services designed to help them transition to education or the workforce. Income Assistance is an important part of Canada's social safety net.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Provide financial assistance to individuals and families who have no other means to support their essential needs.
• Reduce the impacts of poverty and provide financial assistance to support the essential needs of low-income individuals and families residing on-reserve and Status Indians in Yukon.
• Work with First Nations partners to reform the program to better meet the needs of individuals and families residing on-reserve and in Yukon.

ISC will monitor the level of income assistance being delivered on reserve to support community needs. This will help the department compare ISC's program performance to programs delivered by the provinces and territories, and will provide information regarding labour force gaps and community self-sufficiency.

Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples assists First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples by providing financial support to a wide range of urban Indigenous organizations offering culturally appropriate programs and services that support vulnerable and at risk urban Indigenous populations (women and girls, seniors, persons with disabilities, and youth). The Program also invests in local stakeholder coalitions across Canada and supports research and data projects to better understand the urban Indigenous context. In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Provide $60.5 million in financial support to urban First Nation, Inuit and Métis partners including: the National Association of Friendship Centres; the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres; Métis Governing Members; the Manitoba Métis Federation; urban Inuit organizations; coalitions; and, other urban Indigenous services delivery organizations.
• Conduct an evaluation of Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples, which includes assembling a Technical Advisory Committee to advise, guide, and provide feedback on the evaluation design and process.
• Establish a performance framework that is co-developed with Indigenous partners and grounded in Indigenous methodologies and measures of success.

The department is also working to improve horizontal liaison with federal departments that deliver urban Indigenous programming, through an interdepartmental working group. This working group brings together senior management of other government departments to discuss urban programming needs including longer term objectives, strategic opportunities across departments and improve collaboration and coordination of urban Indigenous services on a federal level. Through its targeted support, the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples will directly contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic opportunities for Indigenous Peoples living in urban areas.

Gender-Based Analysis for the Children and Families Service Area

ISC's Children and Families programming supports GBA Plus and the development of Indigenous-led and community-driven laws, approaches, and initiatives that would further foster family and community unity, cultural continuity, and substantive equality in ways that meet their specific needs and priorities.

By providing operational funding to emergency shelters and transition homes to Indigenous communities and organizations, the Family Violence Prevention Program assists Indigenous women, children, families, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people facing gender-based violence. The Comprehensive Violence Prevention strategy will support new shelters and transitional housing for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across the country, including on reserve, in the North and in urban areas. As a part of the Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, the Family Violence Prevention Program has been collaborating with various Indigenous Women's Organizations and Shelter Operators, including Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada.

The Child and Family Services program implements GBA Plus through national principles (cultural continuity, best interests of the child, and substantive equality) and minimum standards. These will consequently help reduce the negative impacts that western and colonial approaches to child and family services have had on Indigenous children, families and communities.

The Income Assistance program is considering GBA Plus as it reforms to ensure that the needs of clients and dependents are considered in policy development and program implementation. Income Assistance clients are low-income and many experience several intersecting marginalizing factors that result in their need for support to meet their essential needs. In general, they are more likely to have low-educational attainment, low employment rates, and are likely to be at greater risk of having a disability (including mental health and substance use challenges), which may impact their ability to participate in the labour force. There is an overrepresentation of single males and single mothers accessing Income Assistance compared to the total on-reserve population.

The Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples program will monitor and evaluate its GBA Plus impacts. This will be done through a Data Collection Instrument in the final reports submitted at the end of funding agreements with recipients. The Data Collection Instrument includes demographic variables such as age group, gender, Indigenous identity, and the location where services were accessed to capture the GBA Plus impacts of the initiative. In addition, Friendship Centres and other Indigenous service provider facilities play a key role in primary data collection. This data will be used to meet departmental reporting requirements as well as to help inform potential program reforms to remove barriers and ensure inclusive outcomes.

Key Risks for the Children and Families Service Area

ISC is working to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are culturally safe and socially well.

The urban Indigenous population is a fast growing population, with 801,045 Indigenous People living in urban centers according to the 2021 census data which is a 12.5% increase since 2016 census data. Federal responsibility for the management of programs and services for Indigenous Peoples primarily focuses on on-reserve populations and their needs. However, transitional and multi-jurisdictional programs and services between the federal government and provincial governments is lacking when it comes to culturally relevant services and programs. Urban Indigenous populations have a higher risk of homelessness, have a higher rates on unemployment and poverty, and are impacted heavily by a lack of cultural services to aid in mental health, addiction services, and community support. Almost half (46.2%) of this population is under the age of 25, making this population young and vulnerable in the critical ages where employment and education opportunities are increasingly vital for survival.

There is a risk that the department's social programs may not be adequate to meet future needs as inflation rates remain high and the cost of living continues to increase. To mitigate this risk, the department is continuing to work with Indigenous partners and other stakeholders to closely monitor community needs, and review and update funding allocations to reflect current costs.

In addition, there is a risk that communities' long-term planning abilities may be inhibited without access to predictable, sufficient, and sustainable funding. ISCs goal is to address the structural drivers that place children, youth and families at risk of child maltreatment and to leverage intergenerational cultural child caring approaches. The department is in the process of co-developing a new First Nations led funding methodology, which entails a shift away from payment on actual costs to stable and flexible funding based on long-term needs.

Relatedly, there is a risk that ISC is not able to reach Final Settlement Agreements with the parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint related to the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and Jordan's Principle. An inability to settle compensation would delay the flow of compensation to those harmed by past underfunding of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and Canada's prior narrow interpretation of Jordan's Principle. The absence of agreement on long-term reform of the Program could delay improved, stable funding for services to First Nations children and families living on-reserve and in the Yukon. ISC will continue to work closely with the parties to seek agreement and to find solutions that continue the momentum toward a reformed First Nations Child and Family Services Program and a long-term approach to Jordan's Principle.

Finally, there is a risk that uncertainty on the interpretation and expectations related to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families might generate frustration and compromise relationships with Indigenous partners, provinces, and territories. This risk can be mitigated by encouraging early engagement, and fostering collaboration with Indigenous governing bodies, provinces and territories while various approaches for consulting and cooperating with other Indigenous partners, provinces and territories for the development of policies related to the implementation of the Act are explored and implemented. This uncertainty can be further mitigated by the department by continuing to take decisive action in the Act's implementation, while planning appropriate policy responses for the possibility the Supreme Court rules aspects of the Act unconstitutional.

Planned Results for the Children and Families Service Area

The following table shows the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023-24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Performance information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Budgetary Spending for the Children and Families Service Area

The following table shows budgetary spending for the Children and Families Service Area for 2023-24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Financial information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Human Resources for the Children and Families Service Area

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department will need for the Children and Families Service Area for 2023-24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Human resources information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 5: Indigenous students are progressing in their education

Elementary and Secondary Education supports the delivery of kindergarten to grade 12 education for First Nations students, schools, and communities. By working in partnership, on a nation-to-nation basis, First Nations and First Nations-mandated organizations are supported to establish education systems over which they will exercise control.

Elementary and Secondary Education systems are intended to provide for the delivery of education services to First Nations students in a manner that respects First Nations approaches to teaching and learning. Core funding for elementary and secondary education is provided through interim regional funding formulas to First Nations and is intended to support elementary and secondary instruction, culturally-appropriate education programming, language and culture programming, full-day kindergarten programming (if desired), and before- and after-school programming. ISC also provides funding for targeted programs: First Nations and Inuit Cultural Education Centres, High-Cost Special Education, Innovation in Education, Research and Learning and Education Partnerships Program.

Graduation from secondary school is an internationally-recognized measure of Kindergarten to Grade 12 success. Measurement of graduation rates will help understand whether the secondary school graduation rate gaps among First Nations students and non-Indigenous students are closing.

A large number of on-reserve First Nations students do not follow a linear education pathway and take more years to complete secondary education. It is therefore more useful to report both on-time and extended-time graduation rates in order to more accurately measure educational attainment. ISC will use a Grade 10 cohort methodology which is in line with the methodology developed by Canadian Education Statistics Council and published by Statistics Canada, as recommended by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

ISC will also look to measure the number of First Nations under a regional education agreement or a transformative education model as an indicator of First Nations control of First Nations education.

In 2023-24, ISC will work with First Nations partners to further transform First Nation elementary and secondary education on reserve by:

• Implementing year three of before- and after-school programming and Budget 2021 initiatives to refine interim regional funding formulas in critical areas.
• Ensuring funding for First Nations administered schools remains predictable from year-to-year and refine the current funding methodology with partners for elementary and secondary First Nations on reserve to ensure that funding remains comparable to provincial investments.
• Developing a framework for the development, renewal and negotiation of regional education agreements, including fiscal and policy parameters for future agreement negotiations, and an approach to regional education agreements based on First Nations‑developed funding formulas.
• Expanding access to adult education for First Nations on reserve.
• Determining the path forward for the High-Cost Special Education program with First Nations partners and the Assembly of First Nations.
• Continuing the review of the Education Partnerships Program, including the regional education agreements component.
• Implementing the regional education agreement with the First Nations Education Council in Quebec.
• Supporting a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system for before- and after- school programming, including First Nations children on reserve.

Distinctions-based Post-Secondary Education (PSE) strategies aim to help increase access to and enable success in post-secondary education for eligible First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students. Through these strategies, which include programs such as the First Nations Post-Secondary Student Support Program, the University and College Entrance Preparation Program, and the Post-Secondary Partnerships Program, the department is working toward increasing the number of students and contributing to closing the education attainment gap. Graduation of funded post-secondary First Nations students is a key measure of post-secondary student success, and it impacts labour force participation. ISC will use distinctions-specific data to demonstrate the number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation post-secondary students supported from year to year.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue to implement co-developed distinctions-based post-secondary education strategies for eligible First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation students.
• Increase access to, and enable greater success in, PSE for Indigenous students by providing funding and wrap around services by strengthening governance capacity.
• Work with First Nations to receive all the First-Nations-led PSE engagement reports and explore funding options.
• Conduct analysis of engagement reports with First Nations partners to develop long-term regional PSE models.
• Develop and begin implementing long-term Regional PSE models with First Nations partners within existing funding levels or until additional funding is secured.
• Modernize the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy based on recommendations stemming from engagement completed in 2022-23.
• Collaborate with Employment and Social Development Canada and internal partners to support program expansion for the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy and explore the creation of new programming that supports more youth in accessing employment and job readiness opportunities.

At the time of publishing of this report, the targets for education performance indicators were under development with partners and will appear in the next published report.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus for the Education Service Area

ISC's Education programming supports GBA Plus and equality of opportunities and diversified paths in educations and skills development, equal and full participation in the economy, and reduced poverty and improved health outcomes.

Through the Education Information System, the department measures performance indicators related to GBA Plus to inform ongoing program design considerations. The collection of indicator data provides insight into intersecting factors such as the provision of culturally and linguistically relevant programming and education attainment of diverse First Nations population groups, disaggregated by age, gender, and region.

The indicators for Elementary and Secondary levels are disaggregated by gender and other identifying factors (graduation rates, special education professional assessments and learning plans, number of children attending school). The Education Reports and Analysis Solution provides the ability to report on data, by student gender, through funding recipient reporting.

Using these systems, the department can also collect and measure the activities undertaken and results achieved through the respective First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategies, including: the number of students (by gender) who receive funding, and the number of funded students who graduate with a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.

Conducting GBA Plus assessments will continue for all proposed initiatives related to the distinctions-based post-secondary education strategies. The findings of GBA Plus have revealed that while educational achievement in Canada has increased in recent years, including for Indigenous Peoples, the post-secondary education attainment gap between Indigenous populations and non-Indigenous Canadians persists. This longstanding gap in post-secondary education attainment is due to a variety of complex factors, including the legacy of residential schools, discrimination in the schools systems, as well as other barriers faced by people with intersecting identity factors (gender, sexual orientation, early parenthood, disability, location, etc.), all of which impact an individual's ability to equally access and succeed in post-secondary education. GBA Plus assessments will inform recommendations and options for initiatives with the aim of addressing these factors by advancing Indigenous control of Indigenous education. In doing so, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation funding recipients will continue to have the flexibility to direct funds where they are needed most in order to meet the post-secondary education needs and priorities of their students and communities.

Key Risks for the Education Service Area

The future uptake by First Nations of regional education agreements is difficult to gauge. Since ISC has now funded the first needs-based regional education agreement, it is anticipated that an increasing number of First Nations will seek to advance their needs-based regional education agreements. Due to the scope and volume of work of the needs-based developmental process, and in light of the limited current departmental resources to undertake this work with partners, this presents a risk for the department in advancing its mandate effectively. The pace of development and implementation of regional education agreements is being closely monitored. Resources will be aligned to support this work as required.

There is a risk that with pressures from both an increasing Indigenous population and inflation increasing the costs of living and other expenses related to post-secondary education (e.g., significant rise in tuition fees, academic materials, etc.), current Indigenous post-secondary education program funding will have a decreasing ability to support existing and prospective Indigenous post-secondary students. This also presents a risk that the Indigenous post-secondary education attainment gap will continue to grow. This will be mitigated by the department continuing to work with partners and supporting eligible Indigenous students in their pursuit of post-secondary education through its post-secondary education programming.

Planned Results for the Education Service Area

The following table shows the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023-24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Performance information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Budgetary Spending for the Education Service Area

The following table shows budgetary spending for the Education Service Area for 2023-24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Financial information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Human Resources for the Education Service Area

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department will need for the Education Service Area for 2023-24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Human resources information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 6: Indigenous communities have sustainable land management and infrastructure

ISC supports First Nation on-reserve communities in their efforts to have reliable and sustainable infrastructure such as housing, education facilities, health infrastructure, water and wastewater, and other community infrastructure. The program also enhances the development and delivery of other social and economic programs and services, which are primarily delivered through this infrastructure, and demonstrates the interlinkages between resilient infrastructure, climate change related adaptation and mitigation and emergency management and preparedness.

Community Infrastructure supports First Nation communities in their efforts to have reliable and sustainable infrastructure such as on-reserve housing, education facilities, health infrastructure, water and wastewater, and other community infrastructure. The program also enhances the development and delivery of other social and economic programs and services through the provision of funding for infrastructure. This report includes details of the Community Infrastructure program as the funding in this area is sufficiently diverse.

Housing

The department will continue to work towards the Government of Canada`s goal to close the infrastructure gap by 2030 through investments in housing. Access to adequate housing is essential to developing healthier and more sustainable Indigenous communities. ISC will assess housing needs on reserves by measuring the percentage of First Nations households living in overcrowded housing, as well as percentages of reported adequate housing to determine the effectiveness of investments made. In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Support First Nations and First Nations-led institutions to build and maintain housing and infrastructure through targeted funding and advancement of service delivery transfer initiatives.
• Support the construction of housing on-reserve with First Nations, industry, national, provincial and municipal partners including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
• Continue to support the disbursement of Budgets 2021 and 2022 funding for housing.
• Support the establishment of dedicated housing management within First Nations communities.
• Work with partners towards the establishment of a national network of Indigenous housing lenders.

Education Facilities

Quality school buildings are an important factor to educational success and a component of reliable and sustainable infrastructure in First Nations communities. ISC will continue to provide funding and support to build, renovate, and maintain education facilities in First Nations communities. Improved educational facilities will benefit school-aged First Nation children by supporting the creation of quality learning environments that are safe and healthy, promoting better educational outcomes for students living on reserve. This can translate into future socio-economic benefits for these individuals as they enter the workforce.

ISC will continue to oversee the progress of targeted funding to support school expansions and new school construction projects in First Nation communities across Canada.

The department will also continue to help advance CIRNAC's mandate by maintaining oversight of activities in support of addressing the legacy of former Indian residential school buildings and sites.

To determine if these investments in education infrastructure result in quality physical learning environments for First Nations students, ISC will measure the percentage of ISC-funded inspected schools that have a "good" or "new" condition rating.

Health Facilities

ISC enhances the development and delivery of health programs and services through health facility infrastructure by providing funding to eligible recipients for the design, construction, acquisition, leasing, expansion, and renovation of health facilities, including residences for health professionals. These activities provide First Nations and Inuit with the space required to safely and efficiently deliver and receive health care services in First Nations and Inuit communities.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Support First Nation health infrastructure projects, such as the construction of mercury care facilities for the Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek First Nation and Wabaseemoong Independent Nations.
• Enhance Inuit mental wellness services through the Nunavut Recovery Centre.
• Complete the Cross Lake Health Centre and continue work on the and Norway House Health Centre of Excellence.
• Support First Nations health infrastructure through multi-year capital projects and high priority repairs and renovations. This includes continued funding and implementation of the Social Infrastructure Fund (Budget 2017), substance use treatment and prevention services (Budget 2018), Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund and other initiatives (Budget 2021), and Ventilation Improvement Initiative in relation to COVID-19 mitigation.
• Work with partners on a service delivery model for a multi-purpose health facility to be hosted on Keeseekoose First Nation, Saskatchewan.

First Nation community health infrastructure is often the primary point where First Nation individuals receive health care. Quality health infrastructure enhances the development and delivery of health programs and services and is a component of reliable and sustainable infrastructure in Indigenous communities. In support of positive health outcomes, ISC will measure the condition of inspected health infrastructure.

Other Community Infrastructure and Activities

ISC provides targeted funding for other community infrastructure projects on reserve to improve the quality of life and the environment for First Nation communities. The program supports First Nation communities in their efforts to have reliable and sustainable infrastructure by providing funding to plan, design, construct, acquire, operate and maintain community infrastructure assets and facilities, as well as coordinate training and undertake capacity-building activities in this area. The department funds infrastructure projects including: roads and bridges, connectivity, culture and recreational facilities, fire protection, energy systems, planning and skills, structural mitigation and administrative buildings.

Other Community Infrastructure is central to the development, protection and connection of people, services and buildings that support the well-being of First Nations communities. The department will measure the percentage of ISC-funded inspected assets that have a "good" or "new" condition rating to indicate if investments are resulting in quality physical environments that address long-standing needs on reserve.

Among other activities, ISC will:

• Complete the design of the Lubicon Lake Band Community Buildout.
• Advance the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council Implementation Plan.

Water and Wastewater

The provision of safe drinking water for First Nations on reserves is a shared responsibility among First Nations communities and the Government of Canada. While First Nations own and operate their water and wastewater systems and design and construct facilities, the department provides advice and financial support to First Nation communities for their public water and wastewater systems and ensures that drinking water quality monitoring programs are in place.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue to work towards its mandate to eliminate all remaining long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and make sure that long-term investments and resources are in place to prevent future ones by investing $247 million, over two years (2022-24) towards water and wastewater infrastructure to support communities on projects focused on lifting remaining Long-Term Drinking Water Advisories.
• Continue to ensure sustainable access to clean water in First Nations communities by delivering $1.043 billion, over two years (2022-24), under the First Nation Water and Wastewater Enhanced Program. It is anticipated that by March 2024, 175 water and wastewater infrastructure projects will be supported, and 32 initiatives for capacity building along with a number of procurement pilots will be funded.
• Increase support for wastewater projects and support communities in meeting environmental objectives, including reporting against and compliance with Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.
• Support implementation of the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Class Action Settlement Agreement by working with First Nations to co-develop new proposed First Nations drinking water and wastewater legislation to replace the repealed 2013 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act.

ISC will measure whether First Nations communities have reliable and sustainable infrastructure by identifying the percentage of systems with a low risk rating. An increase in the percentage of low-risk water systems will indicate that First Nation communities have more reliable and sustainable water infrastructure year over year.

The Land and Environmental Management component of the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area contributes towards achieving ISC's mandate to enable First Nations to reassert jurisdiction over their land, environment and natural resources by supporting sustainable management of land, environment and natural resources. Land is a critical economic asset for Indigenous Peoples, yet land, in and of itself does not generate economic returns; it must be actively managed for highest and best use.

To ensure that lands on-reserve are available to support economic and community development, the Contaminated Sites On-Reserve Program provides support to identify, assess and remediate contaminated sites on-reserve. The First Nations Waste Management Initiative provides support to First Nations to develop sustainable waste management systems through modern infrastructure, operations, training and partnerships. The Infrastructure and Environments Service Area also aims to reduce the impacts on communities due to natural disasters and emergencies.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue to support the development of land use plans and First Nation communities in building land management capacity on reserve through the Reserve Land and Environment Management Program.
• Work with the Lands Advisory Board and Resource Centre to support new First Nations signatories to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, as funding allows.
• Support the service transfer of capacity development programming to national Indigenous Institutions such as the First Nation Land Management Resource Centre and the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association.
• Continue to promote the establishment and growth of regional hubs to support First Nations with land management capacity building efforts, namely the Regional Lands Associations.
• Support communities through the First Nations Waste Management Initiative.
• Support the continued assessment and remediation of contaminated sites on-reserve that are determined to be a federal responsibility.
• Continue to modernize land administration policies, tools and systems for First Nations operating under the Indian Act.
• Address legal obligations, community growth and economic development through the additions of lands to reserve.
• Register close to 10,000 land instruments in the Indian Lands Registry.

ISC will measure the support provided to First Nation communities in maintaining and improving environmentally sustainable waste management systems. Improved solid waste management helps protect the environment, safeguard human health and safety, and improves land management in communities.

Contaminated sites also present the highest risk to human health and safety. The department will also track the completion of remediation and containment activities at contaminated sites with imminent concerns for public health and safety.

The Infrastructure and Environments Service Area also helps First Nation communities access emergency assistance services and provides funding so they can prepare for natural hazards and emergencies and respond to them using the four pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The advancement of governance and service delivery for First Nation emergency preparedness recognizes the right of Indigenous Peoples to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, and means for financing their autonomous functions as they exercise self-determination.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Work with First Nation communities and organizations, and provincial and territorial government, and third-party organizations to strengthen the governance and service delivery for First Nations emergency preparedness, management and recovery.
• Support First Nations communities in building resiliency, preventing and preparing for wildland fires through the FireSmart funding stream.
• Ensure the continued delivery of emergency management services to First Nation communities while advancing service transfer strategies.
• Facilitate the development of multilateral emergency management service agreements and moving towards the co-development and co-decision-making of regional emergency management agreements.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area

ISC supports First Nation communities in their efforts to have reliable and sustainable infrastructure by providing funding to plan, design, construct, acquire, operate and maintain infrastructure assets and facilities, and undertake capacity-building activities in this area. Infrastructure assets supported by the department include on-reserve housing, education facilities, health infrastructure, water and wastewater, and other community infrastructure. These assets enhance the development and delivery of other social and economic programs and services through the provision of funding for infrastructure, supporting the social determinants of health for all Indigenous Peoples.

• Access to adequate and safe housing has a significant potential impact to improve health and safety, and provide the necessary structure and support to First Nations women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, who are at a higher risk for targeted physical, sexual and emotional violence and domestic abuse.
• Improved educational facilities benefits school-aged First Nation children by supporting the creation of quality learning environments that are safe and healthy, promoting better educational outcomes for students living on reserve.
• Investments in health infrastructure helps to increase access to health care programs and services. Across all demographics, upgraded health facilities will enable First Nations communities to provide enhanced health programs and services to its members, thus reducing the necessity for individuals to leave their community in search of care. Many First Nations communities suffer from disproportionately high rates of chronic disease, and other factors, such as overcrowding, can exacerbate the spread of diseases such as COVID-19. Investments in health facility infrastructure are crucial to mitigating against the effect of chronic disease and the pandemic.
• Access to clean water and appropriate wastewater treatment affects all members of a First Nations community. Inequities in the provision and access to reliable and sustainable sources of drinking water leave First Nations communities vulnerable to disproportionately high exposure to waterborne diseases, potential exposures to chemical contaminants and associated health effects. At-risk populations (e.g. children, elderly, pregnant people, persons with disabilities, persons with chronic illness, single parents, persons who are displaced, etc.) are at higher risk for health-related water issues and may disproportionately feel the negative health impacts of inadequate water and wastewater infrastructure. The department is advancing work to better quantify and qualify the direct and indirect impacts (both positive and/or negative) of clean water on specific members of First Nations communities on reserves through the development of a framework to establish a plan to monitor performance from a GBA Plus perspective going forward.
• Establishing cultural spaces that are inclusive of the perspectives of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities is a critical factor in ensuring that these populations are safe and included in decisions that affect them. Investments in community infrastructure that support the construction of culture and recreation facilities will help to ensure Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ have safe, no-barrier, permanent, and meaningful access to their cultures and languages. Investments support community gathering places and cultural infrastructure that contribute to building identities and vibrant cultures.
• Responding to challenges related to systemic inequity between populations living on-reserve and those living off reserve by offering land management capacity building opportunities can lead to improved socio-economic conditions on reserve. This benefits on-reserve First Nations community members by supporting capacity building and the transfer of services for land and environment management and helps facilitate readiness to leverage economic development opportunities. This ensures increased community control and management of reserve lands, environment, and natural resources to support culturally relevant economic development opportunities and self-determination.

Infrastructure and Environments programming also supports communities on a compassionate basis through the continuation of search and recovery activities associated with lost persons who are disproportionately Indigenous women.

Key Risks for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area

ISC is working to ensure that Indigenous communities have sustainable land management and infrastructure.

There is a risk that shortage for supplies, equipment and labour, and potentially pandemic measures, if still in place, may cause delays to the implementation of various infrastructure projects and might have a significant impact on forecasted costs. In addition, other factors such as seasonal transportation challenges and capacity/ability to deliver multiple projects over a short period of time with time-limited funds may result in the department and First Nations facing project implementation challenges. This will be mitigated by: monitoring and challenging project costs and reporting cost escalations to senior management; re-scoping projects; capacity building for the repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure; and internal controls to reallocate funds as necessary within and between fiscal years, in support of First Nation communities' cash flow needs.

There is a risk that there will not be predictable, sustainable and sufficient funding to support departmental objectives. This will be mitigated by: working within existing spending authorities; using First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plans framework and project approval processes that place emphasis on projects of highest need/value; a reallocation process for surplus targeted funds that looks to ensure allocation to priority projects; following the protocol for ISC-funded Infrastructure and Program Control Framework; and conducting technical reviews of project submissions.

There is also a risk that partners will not have adequate capacity to support co-development opportunities and/or transfer of care control of services and/or authorities. The department will look to mitigate this by: internal reforms for engagement and communication, both at the internal and strategic level; investments in capacity and innovative approaches to provide opportunities for Indigenous partners to strengthen their skills and capacity; coupling engagements or implementation of alternative approaches to reduce engagement fatigue; and co-development and strengthening of partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.

Finally, there is a risk of not having timely and sufficient data and information to support decision-making and reporting. This will be mitigated by continuing efforts to improve the consistency and accuracy of project data for reporting purposes and to ensure a thorough understanding of the importance of the information being reported. Additionally, the department will also develop formalized performance measures and reporting.

Planned Results for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area

The following table shows the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023-24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Performance information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Budgetary Spending for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area

The following table shows budgetary spending for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area for 2023-24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Financial information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department will need for the Infrastructure and Environments Service Area for 2023-24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Human resources information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 7: Indigenous communities are progressing in their business and economic growth

Effective and sustainable use of lands and natural resources is critical for Indigenous economic development. ISC supports economic potential of Indigenous Peoples, their communities and their businesses by promoting Indigenous partnerships with the provinces and territories and the private sector. Community Economic Development supports First Nation and Inuit communities in the provinces in advancing their business development, economic growth and opportunity readiness. Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Business Development supports Indigenous entrepreneurs who would otherwise have difficulty accessing capital to create and expand a business due to legislative and market-based barriers. By providing access to capital, support services, and business/procurement opportunities including federal contracts, ISC contributes to higher levels of economic prosperity for Indigenous Peoples. Economic Development and Capacity Readiness provides a broad range of supports to assist First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities as they actively pursue economic and business opportunities.

In 2023-24, ISC will:

• Continue to support the implementation of the 5% target for federal procurement with Indigenous businesses by 2026.
• Conduct meaningful engagement to support the co-development of the Transformative Indigenous Procurement Strategy.
• Provide support to Inuit firms to reduce barriers of access they face in competing for government contracts.
• Implement $34 million in new funding from Budget 2022 for Lands and Economic Development Services Program and Community Opportunity Readiness Program project funding, and economic development supports for First Nations and Inuit community economic development and stimulus for their businesses.
• Co-redesign and expand access to equity capital through the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program to increase the establishment and expansion of Indigenous firms to expand, grow and prosper.
• Support the development of a reporting framework for a transformative approach to the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program.
• Fund Indigenous organizations that support and increase the number of viable businesses in Canada owned and controlled by Indigenous businesses.
• Continue to modernize and stabilize economic development programs with a goal of program transfer through new and existing Strategic Partnerships Initiatives.
• Continue to build capacity for local, economically-sustainable clean energy projects in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
• Deliver pathfinding services through a navigator unit housed under the Strategic Partnerships Initiative to provide a single-window point of entry for all Indigenous entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities to access funding from across the federal family in all sectors of the economy.
• Advance modernization discussions of the Indian Oil and Gas Regulations and advance work with First Nations on their assertion of jurisdiction.
• Establish performance targets for assessing low income measures to determine levels of poverty in a population and to measure the economic health of the working age population. Comparing data across population groups is an important way of putting numbers in context to identify needs to address systemic barriers or enduring effects of past injustices.

ISC will also consider employment rates and median income as other ways of measuring a population's economic health.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus for the Economic Development Service Area

There are significant gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Canada that prevent Indigenous economic participation, including shortage of jobs; lack of quality education and inequitable funding for education; lack of training; work inexperience; remoteness; lack of transportation; lack of digital infrastructure; and shortage of employer willingness to hire Indigenous employees, especially youth. Given these gaps, self-employment and entrepreneurship is often seen by Indigenous Peoples as a solution for economic prosperity.

Indigenous entrepreneurs face barriers including: legislative barriers, lower average incomes, remote locations, infrastructure gaps, lack of digital access, lower accumulated wealth, incomplete credit histories and lower financial literacy. In addition, mainstream banks have a limited presence in or near Indigenous communities and there is a lack of access to, experience with, and confidence in many banks on the part of Indigenous communities. The benefits to Indigenous businesses' increased participation are not limited to immediate employment opportunities for community members, but have compounding positive impacts across the social determinants of health. A 2015 report from the C.D. Howe Institute found that "$1,000 of additional per capita own-source revenue increases education and health spending by roughly $100 per person," and that economic development programming expenditures likely include," funding for local development corporations as well as programs designed to enhance job skills."

Businesses across Inuit Nunangat face distinct regional barriers such as high costs for utilities, transportation and telecommunications, as well as shortages of available and affordable business spaces. Raising sufficient capital to survive the start-up phase and establish the business long enough to gain sufficient cash-flow remains a major challenge for all small businesses. Métis entrepreneurs face distinct economic barriers that differ from those faced by First Nations and Inuit entrepreneurs. Many Non-Status First Nations, Inuit and Métis are disproportionately impacted by Indian Status eligibility requirements within certain funding streams. Métis also face institutional barriers linked to federal, provincial laws and community level self-governance laws.

Additional GBA Plus considerations for the economic development of Indigenous communities include Indigenous women entrepreneurs who only make up 30% of Indigenous businesses. Compared to Indigenous men, they face additional barriers including lower average financial literacy, added family responsibilities and a lack of experience and confidence in dealing with lenders and financial institutions.

The establishment of the minimum 5% target for federal government contracts will encourage federal departments and agencies to include Indigenous-specific bid evaluation criteria in procurement, such as Indigenous employment training and skills development, ownership, or subcontracting, and should be targeted in such a way as to address some of these realities as appropriate. These actions may also serve as capacity-building measures to empower new and existing businesses. While federal procurement generally supports industries where Indigenous men are more represented, these types of incremental gains will have an overall positive effect to create work for Indigenous Peoples and their communities.

Key Risks for the Economic Development Service Area

ISC is working to ensure that Indigenous communities are progressing in their business and economic growth.

There is a risk that Indigenous business recovery may be delayed if support funding is not provided in a timely manner, and multiple applications are required to receive funding. To mitigate this, the department has been collaborating internally to identify program priorities and will be pursuing options to address funding gaps. Additionally, analysis is underway regarding the impact of community business needs during the pandemic, and how to position those businesses for further economic development.

There is also a risk that funding may be allocated to more populated and higher-capacity communities to ensure program success, rather than being allocated to less populated communities where relative impact could be significant, but program success less guaranteed. To mitigate this, the department will look to review the management control framework, and conduct an analysis of needs of lower capacity communities and potential options to address program gaps.

Planned results for the Economic Development Service Area

The following table shows the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023-24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Performance information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Budgetary Spending for the Economic Development Service Area

The following table shows budgetary spending for the Economic Development Service Area for 2023-24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Financial information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Human Resources for the Economic Development Service Area

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department will need for the Governance Service Area for 2023-24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Human resources information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Departmental Result 8: Indigenous communities have governance capacity and support for self-determination

ISC is committed to supporting governance capacity and support for self-determination for Indigenous Peoples, communities, and governments to control the design, delivery, and management of services, including:

• Access to services, benefits, programs and payments to which Indigenous Peoples are entitled such as the Indian Registry, Trust Moneys, Estates Management, and Treaty Annuities;
• Governance capacity initiatives that aim to help transition First Nations towards self-determination and data sovereignty;
• Support and investing in First Nation-led processes to transition away from the Indian Act.

The measure of certification of a First Nation's Financial Management System by the First Nations Financial Management Board indicates strong financial management practices and is a proxy measure of improved governance capacity. ISC will track the number of communities that are certified on an annual basis.

ISC will continue to work towards achieving its mandate to support First Nation-led processes to transition away from the Indian Act by helping First Nations convert to alternative election systems, particularly custom codes and the First Nations Elections Act, and ensuring First Nations governments have access to core management and administrative support. First Nations that move to holding their elections under the First Nation Elections Act or their own community election system are adopting a more autonomous electoral system that than that under the Indian Act. These alternative systems do not afford a departmental role or decision making in the First Nation's electoral process, allowing greater self-determination by First Nations. ISC will track progress towards this by measuring the percentage of First Nations that adopt alternatives to the Indian Act election system.

Legislation that addresses specific inequities in the registration and band membership provisions of the Indian Act was introduced in December 2022. If passed, Bill C-38 will address the legacy impacts of enfranchisement and help affected First Nations individuals gain entitlement to be registered under the Indian Act. A collaborative consultation process will be launched in early 2023 to seek options to address broader reform in registration and membership.

In addition, ISC will:

• Deliver and advance the modernization of the Indigenous Governance and Capacity Program through ongoing collaboration with expert organizations through the Governance Modernization Working Group.
• Engage with partners on a new interim funding model for Band Support Funding and Professional and Institutional Development Programs.
• Advance community development through funding initiatives, training and strategy implementation including monitoring the approach for the Indigenous Community Development National Strategy while establishing and facilitating discussions of the Community Development Wrap-Around Initiative Regional and National Tables to determine program alignment and modernization opportunities with partner programs.
• Ensure effective risk-based monitoring and responsive capacity supports are available in relation to ongoing eligibility for the New Fiscal Relationship Grant.
• Support uptake of the New Fiscal Relationship Grant through measures to expand eligibility and explore broadening the scope of funding streams available.
• Complete an evaluation of the New Fiscal Relationship Grant mechanism.
• Advance co-development and engagement on the National Outcome Based Framework, which will measure socio-economic gaps between First Nations and non-Indigenous Canadians, with the goal of securing consensus and completing engagements by Fall 2023.
• Advance co-development on the next phase of policy development on elements of the New Fiscal Relationship informed by the Joint Advisory Committee on Fiscal Relations to address funding sufficiency, funding transfer mechanisms, and the broader mutual accountability relationship.
• Co-develop a replacement to the Default Prevention and Management Policy with a new, proactive approach to capacity development.
• Advance the development and implementation of the Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data initiative to advance a coherent, Indigenous-led approach to addressing data gaps in order to effectively measure and help eliminate socioeconomic gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation organizations to deliver effective services to their citizens. As this work advances, ISC will seek to work with Partners to align Program and Departmental performance measurement developed through these investments.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus for the Governance Service Area

The Indigenous Governance and Capacity program supports governance capacity in Indigenous communities as they see fit, and recognizes that Indigenous communities are the experts of their needs and priorities and know best how to address them. As governance supports are increased, barriers to diversity and inclusion are likely to decrease for women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Based on existing data from self-government agreements, it is reasonable to assume that increases in governance funding results in fewer barriers to Indigenous community level consultation and engagement with diverse groups, greater investment in diversity and inclusion initiatives, positive social determinants of health outcomes for varied groups within communities, and greater overall access to programs and services offered by First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments. Those First Nations (inclusive of gender, age, disability, sexuality and other identity factors) who have already moved or will move to the New Fiscal Relationship Grant, area provided with predictable and flexible funding, and the autonomy to design and deliver services in a manner that reflects community priorities and mitigate colonial barriers to self-determination. This contributes to improved socio-outcomes where First Nations leverage flexibilities under the Grant in order to be more responsive to community needs and priorities, including with respect to being responsive to diversity within communities.

All relations with Indigenous Peoples need to be based on the recognition and implementation of their right to self-determination, including the inherent right of self-government. As such, the department is working with First Nation leadership to facilitate the transition away from the Indian Act with consideration of any measures that would negatively impact Charter rights. The traditional governance structures of many nations included women, elders, and youth in decision-making processes. For many communities, traditional leadership even followed a matriarchal line. With the imposition of the Indian Act, the leadership roles of women, elders, and youth could have been undermined. Since the 1951 amendments to the Indian Act allowing women to participate within the governance structure, many legislative and regulatory initiatives have supported the restoration of women's roles in decision-making and greater diversity of voices in Indigenous governance.

ISC is also supporting Indigenous Peoples to build the data capacity they need to tell their own stories and to design and deliver programs, policies, and services that reflect their unique histories and multidimensional lived experiences. Although primarily oriented to supporting Indigenous self-determination, this will also support a stronger, more inclusive national statistical system, and improve the availability of Indigenous data, including data that can be disaggregated by key factors like gender and distinctions-group. The Census of Canada, which, despite its narrow scope, remains the cornerstone of distinctions-based data on Indigenous Peoples, demonstrates clearly the significant differences in outcomes among sub-groups of the broader Indigenous population, highlighting the need for disaggregated data.

• In 2015, the median income for non-Indigenous, working age Canadians was $42,930, compared to $32,553 for Registered Indians living off reserve and $20,357 for Registered Indians living on reserve. Regional differences are stark, and gender differences are also apparent.
• The 2016 Census shows that the gender disparity in unemployment between non-Indigenous men and women is only 1 percentage point. The disparity is vastly larger among Inuit, where the unemployment rate among men is 25%, compared to 33% among women.
• While men in Canada typically have significantly higher incomes than women, Registered Indian women living on reserve and Inuit women actually have a median income that is $6,000 - $7,000 higher than men.

Through the Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nations are supported in developing in advancing distinctions-based data strategies to realize their respective visions for data sovereignty. This will facilitate data sharing with Indigenous partners as a first step towards the eventual transfer of departmental data assets to Indigenous control.

Key Risks for the Governance Service Area

ISC is working to ensure that Indigenous communities have governance capacity and support for self-determination.

There is a risk that a lack of predictable, sufficient and sustainable funding for Indigenous Governance and Capacity will limit the ability of Indigenous governments to maintain and advance their governance capacity. To mitigate this, the department will continue to explore avenues for increased supports through the modernization of the Indigenous Governance and Capacity Program, in particular the Band Support Funding program.

There is also a risk that government programming may not adequately respond to community development needs, as identified by Indigenous communities. To mitigate this, the department will continue its efforts to support community-led planning and holistic wrap-around approaches to community development, that put First Nations visions and priorities at the forefront.

Planned Results for the Governance Service Area

The following table shows the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023-24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Performance information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Budgetary Spending for the Governance Service Area

The following table shows budgetary spending for the Governance Service Area for 2023-24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Financial information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned Human Resources for the Governance Service Area

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department will need for the Governance Service Area for 2023-24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Human resources information for Indigenous Services Canada's program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.