Gender-based analysis plus

Program Goals:

The objective of the Clinical and Client Care (CCC) Program is to provide primary care services to First Nations individuals, families, and communities in remote and isolated First Nations communities. CCC services are crucial in improving the health status of First Nations in communities where primary care services would otherwise be hours away. Key services supporting program delivery include: triage; emergency resuscitation and stabilization; emergency ambulatory care; outpatient non-urgent services (including public health); coordinated/integrated care and referral to appropriate provincial secondary and tertiary levels of care; and, in two communities, hospital inpatient, ambulatory and emergency services.

Investments in Clinical and Client care support health improvements in First Nations communities, which align with the Gender Results Framework pillar "Poverty, reduction, health and well-being". Performance measurement information includes gender-disaggregated data where possible as part of the ongoing monitoring of the program performance. Where appropriate, data is disaggregated by other identity factors (e.g., seniors, youth) to have a better understanding of existing health disparities among First Nations living on-reserve.

Focus Population:

Clinical and Client Care (CCC) services are delivered in 74 nursing stations and five health centers with treatment located across five regions. ISC is responsible for the delivery of services in 50 remote/isolated First Nations communities in multiple regions.

The program serves anyone living in the communities where Clinical and Client Care is delivered; this includes health care professionals and other professionals who live and work in the community (i.e. teachers, police, etc.). Accurate gender breakdown on the entirety of this group is unknown; however, historically health care and education has a higher representation of women.

Distribution of Benefits^{Footnote 1}

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve and in Remote/Isolated regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Individuals may be reluctant to access services in remote and isolated communities, as the services provided within these communities are limited to the extent that an individual may require a medical evacuation outside of the community. This could separate the individual from their support system and could expose them to Anti-Indigenous racism within the medical system.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Key program impact statistics:

The most recent data is available for Fiscal Year 2020–2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused delays in reporting.

Data does not reflect Ontario Home Care statistics due to Gender statistics not being provided for this region.

Other Key Program impacts:

The provision of Clinical and Client Care services is crucial in improving the health outcomes of First Nations in communities where primary care services would otherwise be hours away.

The First Nations populations served by the Clinical and Client Care Program are situated at the intersections of numerous identities that influence their health status, including gender identity, sexual orientation, remote and isolated geography, poverty (including food insecurity and housing need), health issues and disabilities, socioeconomic status, education and other factors.

By definition, the remote communities served by Clinical and Client Care are locations with no scheduled flights, minimal telecommunication services and no road access. Clinical and Client Care exists to provide access to essential health services (including triage, emergency, emergency ambulatory, and outpatient non-urgent services) to remote communities. The program also delivers health care to other persons in the community, such as contract workers, teachers, and other visitors, which has allowed access to health care for all individuals located in these geographically remote and isolated communities that could otherwise struggle to access care.

Outpatient services provided include care that responds to the need of specific subpopulations; for example, pregnant individuals in remote and isolated communities usually have to labor and give birth out-of-community. The nursing stations and staff are equipped to provide prenatal care up to 36 weeks gestation as well as postnatal care. The care is provided with the acknowledgement of the difference in cultural traditions and the challenges of giving birth in an unfamiliar environment. The nursing and health center staff work to support families in ways that incorporate family and kin support and cultural traditions where possible.

Nurses also receive education that informs their practice in relation to trauma-informed care. It is recognized that clients may have experienced intergenerational trauma, and it is necessary for nurses to recognize this when implementing treatment, including medication management.

The impact of intergenerational trauma and the mental health of the client population can also impact nurses working in the community. These topics are also distressing for the nursing and healthcare workforce, and the Clinical and Client Care Program maintains and funds dedicated supports to address these issues among staff.

Finally, another component of GBA Plus that is important to consider within the CCC is that the healthcare workforce is heavily gendered. The essential health services delivered by CCC are not possible without adequate staffing of nurses and other health care providers in the communities. The program is also directing much of its efforts to retain and recruit qualified and compassionate nurses in order to maintain and improve the essential care being provided. Because women are more significantly represented within nursing, they are more likely to benefit from these activities.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The program has limited quantitative data on the national level on these identity factors. While gender is collected in medical records, the lack of a uniformly accessible electronic medical record system prevents aggregate quantitative analyses. The CCC Program's efforts to develop an eHealth "Infostructure" is ongoing with the objective of improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery to First Nations communities through the use of technologies. Some funding is being provided to First Nations communities through contribution agreements to expand the use of electronic medical record applications, which would remain under the ownership of the communities. An information technology project will explore the possibility of aggregate electronic data-sharing arrangements with communities if electronic medical records are in place. This will include a GBA Plus component for aggregate analysis of services provided.

CCC Program is pursuing the accreditation of nursing stations and health centers. This process will provide valuable data and information about the client care experience collected. The process will also guide the creation of policies and plans that will enhance the quality of care.

The essential services assessment has supported the CCC Program to understand the provision of any essential services at a given point in time The program is examining methods to make this assessment of service availability and access more responsive to the current environment in communities and the workforce.

Further, there is a need to be able to collect data/ evidence on:

• Perinatal care
• Care experiences among Two-Spirit and gender diverse individuals
• Mental health, suicide, and substance use stats
• Accreditation or implementing other health service standards in remote and isolated communities

The nursing workforce survey, conducted every two years, provides information on nurses' experience in providing care, such as workload, challenges, satisfaction. While this is a self-selected survey which has a response bias, the results are useful in understanding the experiences of a proportion of the workforce.

The program may be collecting data at a regional or community specific level; however, there is no national strategy to collect and analyze the data – given the current barriers (OCAP, ATIP, data collection methodologies, variation in provincial privacy regulations), the program is currently unable to collect disaggregated data on the various communities which access care through CCC.

While Census data is available, this data is only aggregate data of the various communities, and would need to be further disaggregated to enable the program to better analyze how the diverse sub-populations are impacted.

Program Goals:

The objective of the Community Oral Health Services, which includes Children's Oral Health Initiative and dental therapy services, is to address the oral health needs and reduce oral health disparities experienced by First Nations and Inuit across the lifespan. Community Oral Health Services supports culturally appropriate community-based programs, services, initiatives, and strategies related to oral health. The range of services include prevention and health promotion, outreach and home visiting, treatment and referrals. Community Oral Health Services, in collaboration with other programs such as the Aboriginal Health Start on reserve and Maternal Child Health, facilitate knowledge transfer through health promotion activities such as tooth brushing programs. Community Oral Health Services also collaborates with other professionals within the communities such as nurses, school teachers and directors to promote the importance of healthy practices to approach oral health as integral to holistic health. The program will assist communities in achieving a continuum of care while harmonizing the department's approach to oral health service delivery.

Investments in Community Oral Health Services support health improvements in First Nations communities, which align with the Gender Results Framework pillar "Poverty, reduction, health and well-being". Where appropriate, data is disaggregated by vulnerable groups (e.g., seniors, youth, remote and isolated communities) to have a better understanding of existing health disparities among First Nations living on reserve and Inuit.

Focus Population:

The Focus Populations for Community Oral Health Services include all populations living within First Nations and Inuit communities.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future generations

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals On Reserve or located in Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Services are available in mostly isolated communities or in communities that are without access to other oral health services within.

Community Oral Health Services includes the Children's Oral Health Initiative, which entails focused services for children, their caregivers and pregnant people, while dental therapy services are for all populations living within First Nation and Inuit communities. Services are available in mostly isolated communities or in communities that are without access to other oral health services within.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

There were no differences in oral health outcomes or utilization of services by sex among COHS clients. The burden of oral disease remained relatively high and stable among COHS clients. The 3-year-olds were found to have the highest number of untreated decay and filled teeth per child, which implies that this cohort is also at the highest risk of oral disease, with the highest oral health needs and barriers in access to care, particularly since the vast majority of COHS is school-based.

Other Key Program impacts:

The program collects data on age, biological sex, and the community to which clients belong. This helps identify any differences in utilization of services and oral health outcomes by age and region.

Fully accurate sex breakdown for the entirety of this group is unknown; however, historical data indicates that utilization of services has increased steadily by both female and male clients. However, female clients had a slightly higher utilization rate over time than males. The increase in access to COHI programming resulted in a higher uptake of services among clients over time. Utilization of COHS was highest in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, followed by Quebec, Manitoba and the Atlantic regions, and amongst school-going children between 6-12 years of age.

The 3-year-old cohort is significant for two main reasons (i) it consists of preschoolers with limited access to school-based preventive services, and (ii) it is at this age of development that a child has its full set of primary dentition. For these reasons, it is imperative that 3-year-olds have access to preventive services. The overall burden of dental decay over time for this cohort was 69%, with an average of 8 teeth per child with a history of dental disease. This implies that 40% of primary dentition in First Nations and Inuit children has already been affected by dental disease by the time they turn 3 years of age, which has been a consistent finding from 2007–2020 and is indicative of Severe Early Childhood Caries.

Many of the clientele served are from within the schools where there are dental clinics. In some communities, many children have not returned to school following the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, groups are more difficult to access. Many communities have also lost their COHS staff when COHS services were suspended because of the pandemic and have since had trouble finding people to fill the vacancies.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The program does not collect data on gender but on the biological sex of the individual.

COHS is taking several approaches to improving data quality:

• COHS Data Improvement Working Group to resolve data collection and reporting issues concerning the National Oral Health Dental Database and Enterprise Data and Analytics Services (EDAS); optimize, revise and finalize the COHS Service Delivery Forms; establish scheduled data reporting cycles; review objectives, indicators, and targets for COHS; and, update COHS reporting tools to reflect reporting requirements based on updated objectives, indicators, and targets.
• Calibration Training Implementation to facilitate valid and reliable data collection for all providers, repetition of this training bi-annually, and the development of data entry protocol and training.
• COHS Data Management, including data pulse checks, exploration of options for direct entry of oral health data via electronic forms, collaboration with IM/IT to manage oral health data, and greater collaboration with NIHB to identify gaps in COHS utilization.

Data gaps for the 2022-23 year would have to take into consideration the rebuilding of COHS in many communities following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Program Goals:

The First Nations Individual Affairs Program is the lead program for the government's legislative and administrative responsibilities for registration, membership, status cards, individual trust moneys, estates and band moneys. The work of the program supports the rights of the individual, including supporting the Indian Registrar, issuing registration documents such as the Secure Certificate of Indian Status, issuing treaty annuity payments, administering estates as provided for under the Indian Act, and providing access to moneys held in trust by Canada on behalf of First Nation individuals. The program also contributes to the government's legislative and administrative responsibilities for management and administration of moneys held in trust for First Nation bands. The expected outcome of the program is quality and timely services are delivered directly to Indigenous peoples. The program maintains a current and accurate Indian Register and issues proof of registration which identifies those eligible to receive programs and services. The program also ensures that the Government's responsibilities for estates management under the Indian Act are met.

Focus Population:

First Nations

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Individuals in rural/fly-in communities may have difficulty accessing services to apply for registration and a Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) card.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

This program tracks the number of requests and eligible individuals globally. Data is collected as part of registration activities, which can be extracted and analyzed. As it relates to GBA Plus, the most relevant data would be age, sex at birth and province of residence.

Other Key Program impacts:

Processing time improvements for mail-in registration application and individuals impacted by sex based inequities (S-3) resulted in reduced wait times. This enabled individuals to access programs and services in a timely manner.

The average age for registration under the Indian Act has been increasing since 2011 and the department is seeking to understand why individuals may be choosing to register their children at a later age.

As of July 3, 2023, approximately 63,000 S-3 related applications have been received. Approximately 57,000 applications have been processed, resulting in 43,000 registrations. Since September 2022, the department has been processing requests within its 6 month service standard.

According to Statistics Canada the projected number of registrations as a result of S-3 by December 31, 2022 should have been 33,530, with a resulting 40,236 applications. The department exceeded both projections, having received over 58,000 applications and registering 39,745 individuals.

Supplementary Information Sources:

The census and demographic simulations performed by Statistics Canada inform the anticipated growth of the registered population through 2041 (Projections of the Indigenous populations and households in Canada, 2016 to 2041: Overview of data sources, methods, assumptions and scenarios).

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Recent legislative changes eliminated sex-based inequities from the registration provisions of the Indian Act, and as such, First Nations women and their descendants impacted by the legacy of sex discrimination in historic law and policy are currently a focus for inclusion in ISC's programs and services.

The program collects two forms of data to report on progress. First, the number of registrations processed for those entitled to status under the Indian Act. Second, the number of SCIS issued within service standards. Combined, these data points allow the program to monitor our client service capacities. The department regularly monitors the proportion of women who apply for registration and are successfully registered. Since the coming into force of S-3 in 2017, the proportion had been 51% women.

Regional Offices process a large proportion of the registrations that take place annually. Unlike headquarters, their pending decisions are not captured as in-progress in the database. This limits the ability of the program to rebalance work nationally and measure in-person processing times.

Program Goals:

The Supplementary Health Benefits Program (Non-Insured Health Benefits - NIHB) is a national program that provides registered First Nations and recognized Inuit with coverage for a range of medically necessary health benefits not otherwise covered by other private plans or provincial/territorial health and social programs, regardless of their place of residence in Canada or level of income. These benefits include prescription and over-the-counter medications, dental and vision care, medical supplies and equipment, mental health counselling, and transportation to access medically required health services that are not available on reserve or in the community of residence.

The services and benefits provided through the Non-Insured Health Benefit program advance the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being (reduced poverty and improved health outcomes) goal of Canada's Gender Results Framework. Sustained coverage under the program removes financial barriers for vulnerable First Nations and Inuit clients and contributes to ongoing efforts to diminish the substantial health disparities faced by many First Nations and Inuit individuals. The benefits provided through the program support more years in good health, improved mental health and improved access to health services.

Focus Population:

The Supplementary Health Benefits (NIHB) Program provides coverage to registered First Nation and recognized Inuit clients. A large number of eligible clients live in rural, remote or isolated communities, and face unique challenges in gaining access to medically necessary health services. Similarly, utilization patterns may differ by different sociodemographic factors such as gender. Where demand is less than anticipated, reasons for the reduced uptake are explored, in collaboration with First Nation and Inuit partners, to identify and address any potential barriers that may be impacting access to benefits.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Not applicable - the NIHB Program does not collect income-based data

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: NIHB benefits are nationally consistent and portable, and coverage is provided to eligible registered First Nations and recognized Inuit individuals regardless of residency

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

In collaboration with First Nation and Inuit partners, the NIHB Program works to identify and mitigate potential barriers that may be impacting access to benefits. For example, as outlined in the progress section, the program has specific policy and program interventions designed to address differential impacts and needs including coverage of benefits primarily used by people who identify as women, coverage of age specific benefits, coverage of condition specific benefits and coverage of benefits for people living with a disability. These interventions are designed based on robust data, clinical evidence, and continuous policy analysis/development.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

Examples of specific policy and program interventions designed to address differential impacts and needs include coverage of benefits primarily used by people who identify as women (e.g., medications used for assisted fertility treatments), coverage of age specific benefits (e.g., specialized bottles and teats for children with complex feeding needs), coverage of condition specific benefits (e.g., medications for medical conditions such as asthma, migraine, osteoporosis, psoriasis, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, HIV, cancer, heart disease and Parkinson's disease) and coverage of benefits for people living with a disability (e.g., expanded eligibility for hearing aids and enhanced coverage for low vision aids.

Supplementary Information Sources:

The data collected by the NIHB Program can be disaggregated based on a variety of identity factors for analysis and monitoring purposes at any time, and is used to inform policy development or interventions to address differential impacts. The NIHB program recognizes the importance of representative data and its gender diverse client population. The third generation of the Health Information and Claims Processing Services system, which came into effect in June 2020, includes "Gender X" as a data field, allowing gender data to be further disaggregated.

The program's annual report provides an additional comprehensive source of information for disaggregated administrative data. Highlights of this report include statistics exploring the gender identity, Indigenous distinction group, and age distribution of NIHB eligible clients.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

In 2022-23, the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program continued to identify and implement policy and coverage interventions which take into consideration and/or are designed to address differential health impacts experienced by diverse NIHB clients including First Nations and Inuit women, men and gender diverse people of various age groups. These interventions are designed based on robust data, clinical evidence, and continuous policy analysis/development.

The NIHB Program, through the processing of fee-for-service health benefits claims, regularly collects data related to services claimed by eligible First Nations and Inuit clients of all ages, genders, abilities, income or geographic location in Canada. Only information needed to support the benefits claim is collected, and available for analysis and reporting related to how the program is impacting diverse subpopulations. Other sources of outcomes data, such as survey data, may be referenced when assessing the health needs of diverse subpopulations.

Per the program's mandate, the NIHB Program is not in the circle of care and does not have access to insured health care, diagnostic data or health outcomes data for Program clients. The NIHB Program does not have any administrative data regarding client residency or income levels as the NIHB Program is not income-based, nor does it have access to data regarding the income levels of clients.

Program Goals:

The Assisted Living (AL) program is a component of Canada's social safety net meant to align with similar provincial and territorial programs. The objective of the Assisted Living program is that in-home, group-home and institutional care supports are accessible to eligible low-income individuals to help maintain their independence for as long as possible. This residency-based program provides funding to First Nations, provinces and the Yukon Territory on an annual basis through negotiated funding agreements for non-medical social supports, as well as training and support for service delivery so that seniors and persons with disabilities can maintain functional independence within their home communities. There are three major components to the program: in-home care, adult foster care and institutional care.

Focus Population:

The Assisted Living program is available to eligible individuals who are ordinarily resident on reserve or Status Indians in the Yukon territory who do not have the means to obtain such services themselves.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits seniors or the baby boom generation

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals On Reserve or located in Remote/Isolated regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The Assisted Living program is designed to specifically serve sub-populations of Indigenous people that have unique needs or experience, for example seniors make up the majority of those served, but persons with disabilities are also eligible. The program takes steps to ensure that certain subpopulations are eligible to receive funding and that program elements are suitable and responsive to their needs. For example, for the Spring 2023 call-out for Short-Term Capacity Building Projects, a customized call out of packages were sent to all distinction partners (customized to existing First Nations, Métis and Inuit engagement partners). In addition, GBA Plus considerations were used during the project evaluation process to move toward more inclusive delivery.

The department provides funding so that First Nations organizations can provide equitable access to Assisted Living support regardless of gender identification, based on identified eligibility criteria (in alignment with provinces and territories). Current available data provides limited insight into the extent of a differential impact of the availability of services on women and men. However based on data from provinces and territories and on reserve demographic data, it is assumed that the proportion of women care-givers and beneficiaries who are dependent on assisted living services is high. The department recognizes that Assisted Living supports have the potential for greater positive impact for women, as social, economic, and cultural conditions are likely to create differential impacts on women because they generally shoulder more responsibilities for the care of children, and adults with functional limitations.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

The National Community Engagement in Long term and Continuing Care Report is a critical qualitative source for identifying program impacts, as it has incorporated Long-Term and Continuing Care (LTCC) feedback from First Nation participants via roughly 35 regional engagement reports. The national report summary echoes the importance and existing need for the services offered by the Assisted Living Program, giving qualitative evidence of community members who require and benefit from such services. However, the main focus of the report is to detail the necessity of a program redesign which, partners hope, will bolster equity in service delivery and ensure a more holistic continuum of care than what is currently offered. The report indicates a variety of negative impacts and barriers experienced by partners, further supporting the need for the continuation of the work required to co-develop a new, distinctions-based LTCC framework. The Final Summary Report can be used as a key program indicator to support the ongoing work that the Assisted Living program is doing to make services more equitable. Although many gaps and barriers exist, including important GBA Plus considerations and data collection, the Final Summary Report demonstrates that the various efforts of the Assisted Living program, which are being made to aid in the facilitation of the co-development of policy options, are contributing to a future where fewer gaps exist and program access and delivery is equitable.

Supplementary Information Sources:

The Final Summary Report

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Assisted Living, together with the First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care Programs are working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to co-develop a new and more holistic distinctions-based Long-Term and Continuing Care framework that would cover the full spectrum of programs and services including, but not limited to, supports for people living with disabilities, Indigenous woman's groups, 2SLGBTQI+ peoples, low-income individuals, aging in place approaches, and improvements to facility-based care.

The Assisted Living Program remains a partner to First Nations communities; therefore, GBA Plus consideration within co-development activities is always a suggestion for consideration, but not a mandatory requirement. The following instances are examples of collaboration that resulted in GBA Plus consideration:

• National LTCC Engagement Workshop - Prior to the workshop, a survey was sent to participants as a means of determining workshop themes. The survey collected data specific to the unique needs and experiences of certain subgroups, including those living remotely or isolated, and gender differences between men and women receiving services.
• National Summary Report Proposal Callout - A GBA Plus bonus mark was given during the proposal evaluation process if the proposal directly considered a GBA Plus, equity-seeking group (such as 2SLGBTQI+ community, women, individual with disabilities)
• National Summary Report Validation Exercise - This exercise included an engagement session in which people with disabilities were included to contribute their unique validation of the final summary report.
• National Costing Proposal Callout - Similar to the National Summary Report, the costing proposal request included a bonus point in the evaluation criteria if special consideration was made for proposals that included GBA Plus considerations.
• Short-Term Capacity Strengthening Projects Proposal Callout - This request for proposals in Spring 2023 included a section in the evaluation criteria that awarded 2 points for GBA Plus consideration, and an additional 2 points should the proposal also reference planned use of a pre-existing GBA Plus tool provided by an Indigenous organization (such as the Native Women's Association of Canada).

As co-development with Indigenous partners continues to create a new framework that is more responsive to a variety of individuals, including seniors and those with disabilities, consideration of the program's data collection is a primary concern that must be addressed with partners to ensure data collection and analysis tools better reflect all sub-populations.

Currently, data gaps exist for all subgroups identified under this program. Very little data is currently collected that can aid in better service delivery for these subgroups. These data gaps will be examined and addressed during the co-development of policy options currently underway and the subsequent LTCC framework.

At the conclusion of the Long-term and Continuing Care Engagement and co-development process, Assisted Living will be able to better address the data gaps on groups including youth, 2SLGBTQI+, women, gender-diverse individuals, seniors, informal caregivers, and gender.

Program goals:

The objective of the Communicable Disease Control and Management (CDCM) Program is to reduce the incidence, spread and human health effects of communicable diseases among First Nations living on reserve and Inuit communities. Key activities supporting program delivery include prevention, treatment and control of cases and outbreaks of communicable diseases, and public education and awareness to encourage healthy practices, including infection prevention and control practices. The department funds and/or delivers Communicable Disease Control and Management programming to individuals living on reserve in First Nations communities and people living in Inuit communities.

The CDCM programs recognize the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization that contribute to barriers or access, and gaps in outcomes for First Nations and Inuit, including particular sub-populations within these communities. This information, paired with GBA Plus considerations, helps CDCM programs to support regions in their implementation of direct actions, on collaboration with communities.

It is important to note that factors such as socio-economic challenges including overcrowded housing, malnutrition, and substance misuse are likely to contribute to a disproportionate burden of communicable diseases in sub-populations.

Focus Population:

The Focus Population for Communicable Disease Control and Management programming is for people living in First Nations and Inuit communities in the provinces as well as tuberculosis programming for people living in Inuit communities in the territories.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Somewhat benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Communicable diseases pose risks for all members of a community; however, intersecting health and socioeconomic challenges create additional risk factors and barriers for certain populations within communities that elevate their risk related to communicable diseases. GBA Plus and research has indicated that communicable diseases disproportionately impact groups such as women, children, the elderly, 2SLGBTQI+ people, persons with disabilities, among others.

Each community has unique health needs and resources and the program will continue to work with regions and other federal governments to address persistent public health outbreaks and emergencies in First Nations and Inuit communities.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

In light of emerging evidence of COVID-19 disproportionally affecting the deceased and hospitalized First Nations elderly and First Nations children within newly reported cases the department prioritized efforts to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and increase uptake of primary series vaccines and booster doses.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Gender-based analysis is a critical component of the CDCM programming as the health status and the need for health services may vary based on gender identity, ages, cultures, sexual orientations, and abilities.

Performance measurement information includes gender-disaggregated data where possible as part of the ongoing monitoring of the program performance. Where appropriate, data is disaggregated by vulnerable groups (e.g., seniors, youth) to have a better understanding of existing health disparities among First Nations living on reserve. The program collects sufficient data on many nationally notifiable communicable disease outcomes.

At this time, disaggregated data is unavailable for the statistic "percentage of First Nations children on reserve who are up to date with the Mumps, Measles and Rubella vaccine by two years of age". First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) national reporting of notifiable communicable diseases and immunization updates is primarily presented at an aggregate level due to inconsistencies with data disaggregation across regions. Although some disaggregated data existed prior to the pandemic, its accuracy is impeded by the unreliability of subpopulation denominators. Significant modifications were introduced to the 2022 Communicable Diseases reporting template to enhance the collection of disaggregated data.

Historically, pre-pandemic Communicable Disease reporting has been done at the regional and national levels with templates using aggregate counts of cases and following annual data collection cycle. While communities pursue self-determination and redefine data sharing agreements with federal and provincial governments, availability of health outcome data in the meantime becomes affected. While department officials are engaging with First Nations communities and health authorities to develop new data sharing agreements, the department is investing in the development of real-time community-level integrative case management, contact tracing and surveillance data systems for other notifiable communicable diseases.

There is a lack of data collection systems with the ability to integrate case management, contact tracing and surveillance processes at the community, regional and national levels in real-time, resulting in non-timely collection of data of non-sufficient granularity to allow accurate, timely & comprehensive analyses of burden at sub-population.

Program goals:

The Education Program contributes to the Health and Social Services Core Responsibility by supporting inclusive and quality education for Indigenous students. The program has two components: Elementary and Secondary Education and Post-Secondary Education. The program supports elementary and secondary education for First Nations students, schools, and communities. The Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership with First Nations, on a nation-to-nation basis, to help First Nations and First Nations-mandated organizations establish education systems over which First Nations will exercise control. These systems are intended to provide for the delivery of education services to First Nations students in a manner that respects First Nations' methods of teaching and learning. This includes support for complementary, culturally appropriate, early childhood education on reserve. The program also provides distinctions-based, post-secondary education funding to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students. The program also collaborates with First Nations to develop transformative models, such as regional education agreements, addressing education goals and advancing First Nations control over self-determined education services. These agreements identify First Nations-developed education strategies and commit to supporting First Nations leaders' vision for high quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate education for their students.

Three distinctions-based post-secondary education strategies have been developed to support Indigenous post-secondary education: the First Nations Post-Secondary Education Strategy, the Inuit Post-Secondary Education Strategy, and the Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategy. These post-secondary education strategies provide funding and strengthen governance capacity to support increased access and success in post-secondary education for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students.

Equity goals are supported by the application of GBA Plus to education programs leading to the inclusion of equal opportunities and diversified paths in education and skills development. Initiatives such as the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy supports work experience and career options, providing equal and full participation in the economy, and reduced poverty and improved health outcomes.

Focus Population:

Indigenous youth

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Education (elementary, secondary): Broadly gender-balanced

Education (post-secondary): Benefits more women than men

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future generations

By distinction: Education (elementary, secondary): First Nations communities and/or individuals ordinarily living On Reserve

Education (post-secondary): Benefits First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Education (elementary, secondary): Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, and Northern regions ordinarily living on-reserve

Education (post-secondary): Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Education (elementary, secondary): The Elementary and Secondary Education program is designed to support First Nations students ordinarily resident on reserve to attend school and attain elementary and secondary education. The program seeks to benefit all First Nations students on reserve as it will provide First Nations with predictable, provincially comparable levels of funding for Elementary and Secondary Education. This will allow First Nations to continue to tailor their current levels of programing to their specific realities and priorities, including supporting students with disabilities and students of all genders and sexual orientations. The program's funding also takes into account the realities of students from remote and northern communities by maintaining remoteness factors, which result in higher funding for remote communities to account for the increased cost of goods and services.

First Nations men currently have lower levels of educational attainment than First Nations women.

Subpopulations that may experience barriers of access include: 2SLGBTQI+students, students who are parents, students with accessibility issues and students located in remote communities as they may face barriers in accessing quality elementary and secondary education on reserve.

Education (post-secondary): Subpopulations that may experience barriers of access include: non-Status First Nations, Inuit who are not land claim beneficiaries, Métis Settlements of Alberta, north of 60 Métis, self-identifying Métis, First Nations off reserve/urban First Nations (as they may not have a relationship with their First Nation to access funding), Northerners (as costs such as travel to attend post-secondary are higher), parents (as they may not have access to additional funding for dependents), and persons with disabilities.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Key program impact statistics:

Investments through regional funding formulas for all Elementary and Secondary Education programming for First Nations students ordinarily on reserve have led to an 80% increase in funding from 2015-16.

As of 2022-23, Canada signed 9 Regional Education Agreements with First Nations and First Nations organizations. Discussions are underway with over 50 First Nations and First Nations education organizations to advance education agreements across the country.

Other Key Program impacts:

Elementary and Secondary Education:

Studies have shown that greater education attainment is closely linked to improved health and social outcomes, as education is a social determinant of health. Obtaining a high school diploma results in higher rates of employment for First Nations students, opens the door to pursue post-secondary education and enables higher occupational levels of employment. In 2022-23, ISC continued working with First Nations partners to refine funding formulas, negotiate regional education agreements, and expand access to adult education for First Nations on-reserve who wish to return to high school and complete or upgrade their education. This work, which is based on seeking to address the unique circumstances of the students in their communities, will continue to promote overall educational achievement and will contribute to increased socio-economic growth in First Nations communities, reduced poverty and improved resiliency.

Post-Secondary Education:

Based on program data from previous years, more Indigenous females than males were supported through PSE programming. Based on current available data for 2022-23, more Inuit and Métis Nation female students have been supported than male students through PSE programming. However, more male than female First Nations students were supported through PSE programming for this year, noting that approximately only 40% of First Nations reports have been accepted for 2022-23, which impacts the accuracy of gender-based analysis for this year.

PSE funding includes investments for wraparound supports such as accessibility supports and services for students with disabilities and will also enable students with dependents to cover living expenses, including dependents, and childcare. These supports help mitigate barriers to completing PSE, therefore increasing potential to access post-secondary education and associated benefits, including higher-paying employment opportunities.

Education prepares students to access high-quality and in-demand professional jobs, which has the additional benefit of students returning to their home communities to fill crucial skills gaps, and supporting economic development for Indigenous communities more broadly. Further, obtaining a post-secondary education is an important indicator of generational educational achievement. Children who have a parent with a post-secondary education are more likely to attend post-secondary education.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

ISC is working with First Nations recipients to receive outstanding reports.

Program Goals:

The objective of Environmental Public Health (EPH) Programming is to identify, mitigate and/or prevent human health risks associated with exposure to hazards within the natural and built environments in First Nations communities south of the 60th parallel, and, in some cases, in the North. The needs related to Environmental Public Health are due to various challenges resulting from issues such as: sub-standard housing and living conditions; drinking water quality and poorly operated wastewater systems; a lack of certified water plant operators; climate change; geography; and, numerous socio-economic inequalities. Key Environmental Public Health activities include public education, training, and environmental public health assessments and, the provision of advice and recommendations. First Nations Authorities work with Environmental Health Program Officers to identify Environmental Public Health priorities and address Environmental Public Health risks. Environmental Public Health supports the Communicable Disease and Control Management Program to minimize the spread of communicable diseases through investigations and education sessions.

Environmental Public Health programs and services positively impact First Nations communities on reserve by advancing the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-being goal of Canada's Gender Results Framework. Indigenous woman and children are disproportionately impacted by many environmental public health risks and hazard. The eight environmental public health service delivery lines, at all stages in the policy development stage naturally lend itself to these considerations.

Performance measurement information includes gender-disaggregated data where possible as part of the ongoing monitoring of the program performance. Where appropriate, data is disaggregated by vulnerable groups (e.g., seniors, youth, remote and isolated communities) to have a better understanding of existing health disparities among First Nations living on reserve and Inuit.

Focus Population:

Environmental Public Health Services (EPHS) Regional-based services: All First Nations individuals on reserve south of 60°.

First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program (FNECP): All First Nations individuals on reserve, with a specific focus on youth, Elders and other populations at higher risk of certain exposures.

Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program (CCHAP): All First Nations individuals on reserve, with a specific focus on youth and Elders.

Environmental Public Health Officers: Certified health professionals, employed by ISC or First Nations organizations, delivering Environmental Public Health Services directly to First Nations communities.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Services are provided at a community level, but the individuals that benefit the most are those that are vulnerable to EPH risks, such as children, youth, Elders, or have underlying health conditions. Environmental Public Health Services regional-based services prioritize inspections and incorporate risk considerations into health assessment based on the populations using the buildings (e.g., young children, chest-feeding individuals, and elders). These risks are continually being reassessed as new information becomes available.

In addition when looking at the impacts of climate change in First Nation communities, the Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program (CCHAP) may benefit all community members, but children and youth will benefit the most as they will experience the increasing severity and frequency of climate events over the greatest period of time. CCHAP requires all funded projects to include a youth and Elder component to their work to ensure generational experiences are addressed.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

Using one of the eight Environmental Public Health Service delivery lines as an example, insufficient water and wastewater infrastructure can add a considerable labor burden and impact human health. Access to safe water is crucial for care work such as cooking, laundry and washing and unpredictable access may increase the time and labor necessary to undertake tasks. Improved access to clean, usable water will reduce the time and labor burden on women who predominately undertake extra care duties, which is expected to increase the opportunity to pursue economic and/or educational goals. Research indicates that because of women's gendered roles and responsibilities, they spend more time caring for children, the elderly and people with disabilities. In places where there are drinking water advisories, Indigenous women on reserve may be disproportionately affected as there will be a need to obtain safe water for consumption, bathing, and cleaning. Women, pregnant people, the elderly and children may have trouble securing heavy bottles of water to address water advisories. Literature and evidence has also outlined the traditional cultural roles that women hold in some Indigenous communities as water keepers. Manganese and lead is directly relevant to gender given potential impacts on children and pregnant people. Resolving long-term drinking water advisories positively impacts all members of the community. However, reliable drinking water benefits women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities most. Improving access to safe drinking water and adequate infrastructure such as water and wastewater can be expected to positively impact the health of individuals.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Environmental Public Health Services regional-based services will continue to prioritize inspections and incorporate risk considerations into health assessment based on the populations using the building. These risks are continually being reassessed as new information become available. Environmental Public Health Services records the purpose of the building (e.g. daycare, school, elder lodges) providing general age data. Those locations where specific populations may be found such as infants/children, chest feeding individuals and elders are considered higher risk and prioritized over lower risk locations.

The First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program is planning a series of webinars (summer/fall 2023) to enhance the understanding among researchers of ethical aspects of Indigenous research, and a post webinar survey to evaluate GBA Plus gaps.

The Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program (CCHAP) tracks all communities who have applied to the program and conducts tailored outreach to those who face additional capacity or barriers for diverse groups. The First Nations Selection Committee provides feedback at the annual Selection Committee meeting in the Fall on whether CCHAP is reaching the right population and if additional efforts need to be made.

The Impact Assessment Program is organizing community/Tribal Council and regional First Nations workshops to solicit First Nations perspectives and concerns. Efforts will be made to analyze results based on self-declared GBA Plus characteristics.

As the Recruitment and Retention Strategy continues to be implemented among Environmental Public Health Officers employed by ISC or First Nations organizations, and more Indigenous People and women become certified and available to work, tailored hiring by ISC or First Nation Organizations may be considered to increase their representation in the workforce.

To support self-determination and privacy, reporting requirements are kept to a minimum and CCHAP & FNECP rely on community story-telling to report any GBA Plus considerations beyond youth and Elder engagement. CCHAP is pursuing a three-year phased holistic approach and will be adopting recommendations that come out of the CIRNAC-led Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda after extensive engagement is complete.

ISC provides expertise to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada on First Nations regarding the provision of health services, community health and wellness programs, drinking water quality on First Nation Reserves, and socio-economic determinants of health. In addition, ISC seeks to facilitate better coordination, integration and accessibility of the information pertaining to First Nations health that is available. One of the key goals of the program is to develop a national Indigenous center of expertise in health impact assessment and partner on an ongoing basis with First Nations communities and organizations to facilitate their direct engagement in the development of specific health impact assessment frameworks and approaches, and support First Nations capacity for direct engagement in the regulatory process in the context of Indigenous health impact assessment.

Program Goals:

The Government of Canada works in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous people, and other stakeholders to help address the issue of family violence. The Family Violence Prevention Program provides funding to assist First Nations in providing access to family violence emergency shelter services and prevention activities for women, children, and families ordinarily resident on reserve. The program has two components: operational funding for emergency shelters; and, proposal-based prevention projects such as education campaigns, training, workshops, and counselling to raise awareness on the issue of family violence in First Nation communities. The department provides core operating funding to a network of family violence emergency shelters serving First Nations communities. The program also supports proposal-based prevention services, reimburses Alberta and the Yukon for services provided to women and children considered ordinarily resident on reserve but accessing emergency shelters off reserve, and provides funding to the National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence to build emergency shelter capacity.

The program's Terms and Conditions have undergone significant revisions to support equitable representation of all Indigenous groups. This includes expanded eligibility to violence prevention activities for distinctions-based groups and subpopulations.

Focus Population:

First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Women, Children, 2SLGBTQI+, and Families ordinarily resident On Reserve; Indigenous communities and organizations

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Benefits 60% - 79% women

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The program provides funding for a range of initiatives, including the daily operations of emergency shelters throughout Canada that offer services to First Nations (both on and off reserve), Inuit and Métis women, children, families, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. It also funds culturally-appropriate, community-led prevention projects as well as shelters, transitional (second-stage) homes and their staff through training forums, gatherings and development and distributions of resources and research.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

In 2022-23, the program's call for proposals for violence prevention activities prioritized underrepresented groups (i.e. Métis, Inuit, 2SLGBTQI+ etc.) to attain substantive equality. Eligible expenditures were also expanded to include costs related to the purchase, ownership and maintenance of vehicles to support more access to shelter and prevention services in remote/northern clients and communities.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The program's Data Collection Instrument (DCI) has been redeveloped for 2022-23 with consultation from Shelter Directors and funding recipients, including the National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence, to streamline the data that it is collecting, reducing the reporting burden on funding recipients, and ensuring further GBA Plus analysis can be conducted from the collected information. Due to the nature of the Family Violence Prevention Program, there is a default level of GBA Plus already incorporated into the program's structure; however, as the program continues to expand in scope, including the addition of new shelters and transitional housing, so does the need to capture relevant information. This initiative advances GBA Plus and diversity and inclusion objectives by aligning with efforts to eliminate violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+people, and by responding to the specific needs of those affected by gender-based violence. The objective of incorporating a GBA Plus lens into the results of this initiative is to further identify who is able to access shelters within Indigenous communities and improve services. In addition, identifying violence prevention needs specific to various underrepresented groups, including the 2SLGBTQI+ community. Collaboration with regional and Indigenous colleagues is necessary to effectively capture this data and allow for its disaggregation while respecting privacy of the clients.

The Family Violence Prevention Program is working with Indigenous partners and regional offices to identify culturally-appropriate data collection methods specific to 2SLGBTQI+ People across Canada. Due to sensitivities impacting reporting on 2SLGBTQI+ people, the program will continue to ensure any fields integrated within the Data Collection Instrument are culturally-appropriate and reflective of their unique realities and needs.

Program Goals:

First Nations Child and Family Services contributions are intended to support the safety and well-being of First Nations children ordinarily resident on reserve. The program provides funding to First Nations child and family services agencies which are established, managed and controlled by First Nations agencies and delegated by provincial authorities to provide prevention and protection services. In areas where these agencies do not exist, the department funds services but it does not deliver child and family services. Services are provided by provincially delegated First Nations child and family services agencies, tribal councils, First Nation Bands, and the provinces and Yukon in accordance with the legislation and standards of the Province or Territory of residence within the department program authorities. On January 26, 2016, as a result of a 2007 Canadian Human Rights Act complaint, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found the department's program to be discriminatory, and ordered the department to cease its discriminatory practices and reform the program. The Government of Canada accepted the Tribunal's decision and is working with parties to the complaint and other partners to make immediate and long lasting changes to child and family services on reserve.

Through the reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program, this program supports the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being pillar of the Gender Results Framework.

Focus Population:

First Nations, Children

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Somewhat benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future generations

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

In 2021, Indigenous children represented 7.7% of all children ages 0-14 in Canada, but they represented 53.8% of children in foster care. In 2016, almost 7 out of 10 (69%) of Indigenous children aged 0-14 who were in foster care were registered Indians, 13% were Métis, and 3.6% were Inuit, though these numbers likely underrepresent the Indigenous population in care due to a lack of data collection and reporting.

The socio-economic conditions of an Indigenous parent or caregiver have a significant impact on whether an Indigenous child will be involved in the child welfare system. Canadian children welfare data over time has shown that risk factors stem from systemic poverty, lack of accessible culturally safe services, poor and unsafe housing, substance use or misuse, mental health, and social isolation which are interlinked with intergenerational trauma (First Nations/Canadian Incidence Study [FNCIS]-2008, FNCIS-2019; Ontario Human Rights Commission [OHRC], 2018). However, the "neglect" of Indigenous children is often an expression of structural factors and systems of oppression, and beyond parents' control (as stated in the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health report on "Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Children in Child Protection Services").

Indigenous children are more likely to be living with one parent or caregiver. Indigenous single parents, under age-of-majority, Indigenous mothers, as well as Elders, are overrepresented as caregivers in comparison to their non-Indigenous counterparts. The majority of neglect and maltreatment investigations are conducted within female-led, single caregiver households, and alleged neglect is more likely to be substantiated in homes with a single caregiver, often resulting in the removal of children. Analysts suggest that the high level of reporting of Indigenous single parents may be a result of systemic and individual racism and the related increased apprehension may be a result of systemic discriminatory practices, including underfunding within child and family services, which has exacerbated socio-economic hardships.

Indigenous women are at a far higher risk of gender based violence (61%), including more severe and potentially life-threatening forms of violence, than non-Indigenous women (44%) (Statistics Canada, 2021). For instance, the FNCIS-2008 found that in investigations of child neglect and maltreatment by provincial agencies, 43% of women were considered at risk of harm due to being victims of intimate partner violence, and 30% of substantiated child maltreatment were related to a child's exposure to domestic violence. Therefore, there is a gendered context that must be considered to truly grasp the landscape surrounding the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care and the need for systematic reform.

Moreover, 2SLGBTQI+ Indigenous women (86%) are more likely to experience lifetime intimate partner violence compared with non-2SLGBTQI+ Indigenous women (59%). Similarly, a significantly larger proportion of Indigenous women with a disability (74%) experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime compared with Indigenous women without a disability (46%). Women's experiences of violence and abuse, both as a child or an adult, have an impact on child welfare and the risk of children being removed from the home.

The program also benefits youth and young adults aging out of care in their transition to adulthood, or who may have moved off their reserve and address the gap that would otherwise have been filled (e.g. by parents) for children who were not placed into care.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

Funding for the First Nations Child Family Services Program include neurodiversity services (e.g., special needs assessment and testing) and non-medical services for children with behavioral problems. Sexual and gender identity health supports, community and cultural activities, including ceremonies, gatherings and workshops and peer mentorship are also offered to provide support and help facilitate access to culture in ways that are safe and affirming of First Nations 2SLGBTQI+ children, youth and young adults.

The FNCFS Program continues to strive towards effective delivery of prevention services. On April 1, 2022, as part of the ongoing reform of the FNCFS Program, ISC began providing FNCFS delegated agencies and First Nations with annual prevention funding at $2,500 per registered First Nation resident on-reserve, on Crown land, and in the Yukon. Funding will be adjusted annually based on inflation and population. This prevention funding is shared between the FNCFS delegated agency and the First Nation(s). First Nation communities who are not served by a FNCFS delegated agency receive the entire $2,500 per capita amount. With this funding, First Nations can invest in the types of prevention services that they identify as necessary for their communities based on their unique needs, circumstances, and lived realities.

Fiscal year 2022-23 marked the third year of the five-year commitment of $542 million to support Indigenous groups, communities and peoples wishing to explore readiness to exercise jurisdiction under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act). As of March 31, 2023:

• 107 capacity-building proposals totaling $56 million in funding was approved to support Indigenous governing bodies actively preparing for the exercise of jurisdiction under the Act
• 58 Indigenous governing bodies, representing more than 90 Indigenous groups and communities, have submitted notices and/or requests to exercise jurisdiction under section 20 of the Act; and
• 6 coordination agreements and 1 bilateral agreement related to the exercise of legislative authority over the delivery of child and family services have been completed.

Although the Act was not developed or structured in favor of a particular gender, it is likely to have greater positive benefit for women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people considering how they have been, and continue to be, disproportionately impacted by discriminatory policies.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

As we work to establish new indicators for the FNCFS Program, we will keep in mind data collection to support more rigorous application of GBA Plus in impact monitoring, as well as reporting.

National distinctions-based data and reporting strategies are currently being developed as part of the Indigenous child and family services reform. The CFSR Sector continues to participate in efforts on distinctions-based working groups with Indigenous, provincial and territorial partners to co-develop data and reporting strategies, including gender-based indicators, that provide additional insights to contribute to a better understanding of ways to reduce the over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in care. These measures will be used to ensure equity in the provision of prevention support and services to meet the needs of children, youth and families, as determined by Indigenous communities. ISC continues to work with partners and the Public Health Agency of Canada to determine if information related to Indigenous children, disaggregated by sex/gender, can be included in the development of the Canadian Child Welfare Information System.

In 2022, FNCFS made efforts to partner with various groups such as:

• The Inuit Data Working Group – co-chaired with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami featuring members from all Inuit land claim organizations, various Inuit groups, all 3 Territories, 7 Provinces, as well as the Public Health Agency of Canada – finalized the first-ever data inventory scan related to Inuit children across and beyond Nunangat. The group is now drafting a Discussion Paper featuring next steps based on the data inventory.
• Beginning discussions with the Métis National Council (MNC) to resume the work of the Métis Nation Data Strategy Working Group that was launched in 2021 by ISC and the MNC with representatives from Métis Nation governing members; and
• Awaiting approval from the Joint National Working Group – under the Assembly of First Nations-Canada C-92 Protocol – of a revised work plan for a First Nations Data sub-table to co-develop strategies and approaches focused on capacity building.

The need for new performance measures and data systems to address the unique requirements of child and family services and respect Indigenous data sovereignty is being communicated from communities, agencies and organizations across the country.

Due to the ownership of relevant data remaining with Indigenous groups, data gaps exist. As a result, the government's ability to collect data is dependent on the relationship with partners and safeguards of the government to protect data confidentiality. Partners have specifically raised concerns over the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act's ability to protect information shared. In developing future data collection initiatives, ISC will continue to rely on practices rooted in the co-developed principles of mutual accountability, including co-developed approaches to address gender considerations and data gaps.

This program does not collect sufficient GBA Plus data at this time to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and other identity factors. For example, under the FNCFS Program, the Child and Family Services Maintenance Report (#455917) currently collects information relating to the sex of the child in care, and not their gender. While it does contain options for "Gender", it does not define the term, nor does it note how the determination is made. We intend to discuss ways to provide greater clarity around gender within the DCI, and to add "Another Gender" (or a similar option) as a choice.

Program Goals:

The objective of the Health Human Resources Program is to increase the number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis workers in the health care field at large, and to increase the number of qualified individuals working in health care delivery in First Nations and Inuit communities. The program is delivered through two streams. The first stream provides scholarships and bursaries for Indigenous students pursuing health careers. The second stream provides training and certification for community-based workers, including health managers, to improve the quality and consistency of health care services in First Nations and Inuit communities. The program engages the following stakeholders: federal, provincial/territorial governments; health professional organizations; National Indigenous Organizations; non-governmental organizations/associations; and, educational institutions.

This program strives to ensure qualified Indigenous health care providers are appropriately educated, distributed, deployed and supported to ensure safe, culturally relevant and gender sensitive health care. The goal is to improve the continuity of care for First Nations and Inuit resulting in increased client and provider satisfaction and ultimately to improved client outcomes.

Focus Population:

The work undertaken by the Health Human Resources table has been reflected under the Communicable Disease Control and Management program. (see 2.1 above)

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The program primarily focuses on community health centres and nursing stations located in First Nations communities. An adequately resourced Indigenous health workforce, along with community-focused measures to improve the quality of primary care and patient and nursing safety, aims to help narrow the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

First Nations individuals living on reserve with health issues will benefit from improved access to high-quality, culturally safe, and patient-centred care.

Specific Regions (Remote and Isolated): Geography can contribute to the poorer health outcomes experienced by Indigenous peoples. First Nations living in remote and isolated communities are the focus of parts of the initiative through investments in accreditation, patient safety, nursing security and pharmacy management in nursing stations, which are located in remote and isolated communities.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

To help increase Indigenous professionals in health care, ensure the retention of Indigenous health human resources in communities, and provide cultural competency training for all health human resources, in 2022-23, the program contributed towards funding:

• Indigenous individuals seeking careers in the health sector by funding training and health education programs;
• Existing and new programs with Indigenous-specific programming (determined by need and capacity) at educational institutions; and,
• Training of Community Based Workers and Health Managers to improve the quality and consistency of health services provided in First Nations and Inuit communities.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Data collection for the program is limited to community and organization levels across First Nations communities. Data on gender and other identity factors cannot be collected as part of this program.

Program Goals:

The objective of the Healthy Child Development (HCD) Program is to improve health outcomes for First Nations and Inuit infants, children, and families, and close the health outcome gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. The focus populations for HCD include pregnant people and their families, parents and their infants, and young children (up to the age of six) living in First Nations communities and Inuit Nunangat. HCD supports culturally appropriate community-based programs, services, initiatives, and strategies related to maternal, infant, child, and family health. The range of services includes pre-natal care, pre-conception and reproductive health care, prevention and health promotion, outreach and home visiting, and early childhood development programming. HCD works in collaboration with other FNIHB programs such as the Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative for training and capacity building. Healthy Child Development also collaborates with the Nutrition component of Healthy Living on nutrition policies, programs and services related to supporting maternal nourishment, chest feeding education, and nutrition-related activities.

The HCD cluster of programs are flexible to allow communities to tailor services/supports to the needs of their clients, and could be tailored based on gender, family structure, and age of their members. The home visitation component of the Maternal Child Health program was designed to help reach young and single parents who may feel isolated by bringing services to their home. Home visitors can also provide valuable insight to other community based workers and nurses regarding additional services that young and single parents may need.

The HCD programs also works closely with the Advisory Committee on Indigenous Women's Health and Wellbeing and provides secretariat support.

Services provided through the Healthy Child Development suite of programming advance the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being, Education and Skills, Gender-based Violence and Access to Justice pillars of Canada's Gender Results Framework.

Focus Population:

The Healthy Child Development cluster's Focus Populations are First Nations and Inuit individuals and families living on reserve and in Inuit communities. The primary participants of the programs are those who are or who are aspiring to be pregnant, new parents, and children from birth to age 6.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future generations

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The gender breakdown for distribution of benefits of the Healthy Child Development (HCD) cluster varies by program. For Maternal Child Health and the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program, the audience is predominantly women. The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder program offers preventative programming for pregnant people, but can also provide screening and case management services for children, which are not gender specific. Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve is not gender specific and is aimed at children from birth to age 6 and their families.

The Maternal Child Health program is flexible and allows for pre-and post-natal supports to be tailored to the needs of particular clients, recognizing that First Nation and Inuit parents are often younger and have more children, and are less likely to be married or in common-law relationships, compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Further, families living in rural and remote areas face additional challenges in accessing services.

The four Inuit regions that comprise Inuit Nunangat – Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut – have self-governing agreements that include funding from the HCD cluster of programs. Each region designs and delivers their own programs based on their beneficiaries' unique needs and priorities.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

The program will continue to work with Indigenous partners, including the Advisory Committee on Indigenous Women's Health and Wellbeing as well as through the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Transformation Initiative, to ensure new programming is designed and guided by Indigenous Peoples, consistent with GBA Plus best practice, and that existing programming continues to meet the needs of the people it serves. Narrative data is collected, though systemization could be improved.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Employment and Social Development Canada is leading the co-development of a results framework for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care. This is anticipated by March 2025 and presents an opportunity for greater data disaggregation, as determined by Indigenous partners. It is also hoped that this will lead to improved data collection that is relevant for both the funder and for recipients.

Data collected for the Healthy Child Development cluster is captured through the Community Based Reporting Template (CBRT) and the Regional Health Survey. Healthy Child Development is a transferred program which means that communities are primarily in charge of handling the management and delivery of their programs. As part of the effort to transfer services to communities, flexible funding arrangements are promoted by the national and regional offices. These flexible funding arrangements have less stringent reporting requirements and offer a stable source of funds over a long period of time. While Indigenous communities capture gender/sex information as part of enrollment/client files supporting their service delivery, these are not captured through CBRT reporting.

In recent years, the reporting requirements for Healthy Child Development have been significantly reduced in line with the departmental priorities of decreasing the reporting burden and the eventual transfer of programs to Indigenous control.

For those recipients that report through the Community Based Reporting template, the program cluster collects limited age and/or gender disaggregated data through recipient reporting on prenatal/maternal child health and early childhood development services. This is particular to pregnant people receiving and participating in services and activities by trimester, parents with babies that breastfeed/chest feed, as well as children who have been screened, assessed and diagnosed with special needs.

To overcome these data collection challenges, the department works collaboratively with Indigenous organizations such as the First Nations Information Governance Centre. The Centre oversees the First Nations Regional Health Survey that collects self-reported information on Western and Traditional understandings of health and well-being, on reserve. Although the survey provides sex-disaggregated data that is broken down by age, the data is collected via a self-reported survey and linked to perceived health outcomes. The survey does not report on perceived health outcomes related to health infrastructure. Nonetheless, survey data can help to provide important context and considerations surrounding the regional health status of First Nations, which can support program implementation.

Additionally, a co-developed results framework for Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care, led by Employment and Social Development Canada, and the associated data to be collected by Indigenous partners is anticipated by March 2025. This presents an opportunity for greater data disaggregation as determined by Indigenous partners.

Program Goals:

The objective of the Healthy Living (HL) Program is to address the risk factors and poorer health outcomes associated with chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and injuries among First Nations and Inuit individuals, families, and communities. The HL Program funds and supports a suite of culturally relevant community-based programs and services as well as policy areas directed at promoting healthy behaviors and creating supportive environments in the areas of healthy eating; food security; physical activity; commercial tobacco use prevention, education, protection and cessation; chronic disease prevention, screening and management; and injury prevention. The HL Program consists of the following program and policy areas: Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative; Nutrition North Canada Nutrition Education Initiatives; Canada's Tobacco Strategy; Nutrition Policy; Chronic Disease Prevention Policy; and Injury Prevention Policy. The HL Program works closely with Healthy Child Development, Mental Wellness, Environmental Public Health, and Home and Community Care; First Nations and Inuit partners; other federal Departments; and Provinces and Territories to enhance policy and programs and services that promote healthy eating, food security, physical activity, tobacco cessation, and cultural knowledge and skills transfer.

Healthy Living programs and services are supported by flexible, community-based funding, where communities design and deliver activities based on their unique needs and priorities, and that are tailored to their focus population and sub-populations. Communities can offer community engagement sessions and seek input from the focus populations and sub-populations, to better understand their needs and preferences, which would result in more effective and inclusive outcomes. Communities have the flexibility to tailor their Healthy Living programs and services to ensure accessibility for their priority population and sub-populations. As a result, the community-based Healthy Living programs and services vary from community to community. The flexibility of the Healthy Living program ensures that communities can incorporate their cultural values and preferences in the design and delivery of the community-based programs and services.

Focus Population:

First Nations and Inuit communities

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The primary Focus Population for Healthy Living (HL) programming and services is people living in First Nations and Inuit communities. In addition, the Métis Nation is provided funding to support commercial tobacco cessation activities. Based on community priorities, needs and emerging health trends, programming and services may be tailored to best support demographic groups of specific concern including by sex, gender, age and according to geographic context should funding recipients choose to do so.

Sub-populations that may experience differential impacts related to Healthy Living programs are: youth; single parent families; older adults; persons with disabilities; persons with physical and/or mental health issues; those living in remote communities; individuals with lower income levels; women; 2SLGBTQI+individuals; and, Indigenous language speakers, Anglophones & Francophones.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis: HL programs are community-led, supporting self-determination. The level of cultural competency of service providers can impact overall program cultural safety, reach and efficacy of HL programming within a given community.

Youth: Youth are a priority population for tobacco and nutrition programming. Nutrition programming through the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative and Nutrition North Canada Nutrition Education Initiatives builds individual and family-level awareness, knowledge and skills towards healthy eating behaviours, which are often learned early in life and can impact health across the lifespan.

Persons with physical and/or mental health issues: HL programming includes direct health-related services which explicitly impacts health and wellbeing. Individuals' health issues may impact their ability/capacity to attend, fully participate, or follow through on healthy living recommendations. There are strong links between physical and mental health, as well as social determinants of health; HL programming addresses a small number of social determinants of health but broader systemic drivers of physical and mental health are beyond the scope of the program and may limit its impact.

Persons living in remote communities: The cost of living is often higher, increasing cost of program/activity implementation and creating barriers to participation for individuals (high transportation and food purchasing costs, for example). Availability of supplies needed to effectively run programming may also be limited by geographic location. High costs for goods and services also impacts capacity for individuals to follow healthy living recommendation, e.g., purchasing nutritious foods. Further, it is often hard to recruit and retain staff in remote communities, leading to a shortage or absence of health care providers and community workers to deliver program services.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

In 2021-22, 32,528 participants in isolated northern First Nations and Inuit communities attended nutrition education activities including diverse target populations such as children, youth, women and seniors.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Performance measurement information includes gender-disaggregated data where possible as part of the ongoing monitoring of the program performance. Where appropriate, data is disaggregated by specific demographic groups (e.g., seniors, youth, remote and isolated communities) to have a better understanding of existing health disparities among First Nations living on reserve and Inuit.

The NNC-Nutrition Education Initiatives annual report template has been revised, and beginning in 2022-23 will seek to capture some demographic data for participants, i.e. by gender (male/female/another gender) and age stratification and results will be available next year. Funding recipients are submitting the data that they have collected using the revised reporting template for their activities that took place between April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. Results, including demographic data for participants, will be available next year.

The Healthy Living Program is currently engaging in initial internal discussions on how to improve the relevance and utility of the Community Based Reporting Template for the 2025-26 reporting cycle. Based on the direction of discussions, input may be sought from external partners.

FNIHB's National Office engages regularly with Regional Offices, who have a more direct relationship with communities delivering programming, to get a sense of program successes, barriers, and gaps/needs.

Healthy living program continues to work towards the goal of supporting Indigenous self-determination in service delivery, which may lead to less oversight and reporting requirements.

To support self-determination, and reduce reporting burden on overstretched community program staff, current reporting requirements are kept to a minimum for many programs and do not explicitly seek GBA Plus related data, and therefore Healthy Living rarely receives GBA Plus-related data from funding recipients who choose to collect it. Although FNIHB regional offices may have more regular communication with organizations/ communities delivering Healthy Living programming, they may still be limited by the information they receive from their Funding Recipient reports. Further, in some areas, there are so few recipients by region that, if data was further disaggregated by gender, age, identity, disability and other characteristics, anonymity could not be guaranteed in reporting.

Work is underway to discuss potential updates to the Community Based Reporting Template (CBRT). Discussions with Indigenous partners may provide an opportunity to discuss the inclusion of GBA Plus-related data, but again would be limited because not all funding recipients are required to submit the CBRT. Thus, it is important to note that information from the CBRT reporting mechanism is not representative of all recipient communities nor generalizable.

Additionally, through discussions with partners, there could be potential opportunities to obtain qualitative or narrative GBA Plus-related information, for example, through the Indigenous Community of Practice for Canada's Tobacco Strategy, which is an Indigenous-led knowledge sharing forum that includes participants from a small number of recipient communities. However this type of information would be informal and, again, not representative nor generalizable.

The revised NNC-Nutrition Education Initiatives annual report template, which captures some demographic data for participants, i.e. by gender (male/female/another gender) and age stratification, is still limited in the types of intersectional sociodemographic information it collects. Results will be available next year.

Healthy Living Programs will continue to seek data collected through other data collection tools including the Regional Health Survey and the Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey.

Program Goals:

The objective of the Home and Community Care program is to provide home and community care services to First Nations and Inuit. The needs for services are significant given the high rates of chronic diseases and disabilities, the reliance on home care services when releasing clients from hospital settings, and the overall growth among the Focus Populations. Key Home and Community Care services include: 1) essential services (including client assessments, case management, nursing, personal and supportive care, in-home respite, and linkages and referrals to other health and social services); and, 2) supportive services (that may include rehabilitation and other therapies, in-home palliative care, adult day care, meal programs, and in-home mental health care). Home and Community Care works closely with Healthy Living programming to deliver training to nurses on chronic disease management strategies.

The Home and Community Care program is almost completely transferred with a wide coverage area (98% of First Nation communities and 100% of Inuit communities, in 686 First Nations and Inuit communities), it is up to the program recipient to manage the intake and assessment of First Nations and Inuit people requiring home and community care services. The program's high devolvement to communities is viewed as enabling communities to administer safe, high-quality services to anyone with medical need regardless of age or income, in a way that ensures alignment with their own priorities and includes a suite of essential primary care services provided to First Nations and Inuit people of all ages, including vulnerable seniors and those living with disabilities and acute or chronic illness.

Focus Population:

The Home and Community Care Program is offered to all First Nations individuals on-reserve and Inuit people living in Inuit communities of all ages, including disproportionately impacted seniors and those living with disabilities and acute or chronic illness, who have a need for in-home health care related services. There is no income testing requirement for Home and Community Care services, instead there is a needs assessment based on demonstrated medical need.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: Primarily benefits seniors or the baby boom generation

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

This program works to support men, women, youths, elders, 2SLGBTQI+ community, people living with disabilities, individuals and families with low-incomes, rural/remote geographically dispersed individuals, and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

First Nations: the program is almost completely transferred covering an area of 98% of First Nation communities. First Nations front-line health service delivery staff employed by First Nations are able to self-determine the governance of the program, meet the identified needs of the population they serve, and build capacity to deliver the needs-based identified health services.

Inuit: This program has been transferred, and is delivered in 100% of Inuit communities delivered through the specific provinces and territories of the land claim organizations.

Seniors: This program provides support and care for seniors experiencing acute or chronic disease to prevent and identify exacerbation of diseases leading to decreased ability to function, and therefore remain in their care setting of choice.

Women: Benefits to women receiving care from this program are to maintain health and functional ability to remain in the care setting of choice. Women also benefit from this program as they tend to be the primary informal and unpaid caregivers of people experiencing decreased functioning due to chronic and acute illness. Services can decrease the care burden of providing unpaid care that takes place in the home.

People living with disabilities and acute or chronic illness: Benefits of the program include chronic disease management, prevention and care related to their functional abilities, meeting client's where they are at, and assisting them to maintain or improve functioning in the home.

Youth (25 and younger): While the majority of clients served by First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care are older individuals, the program also serves a significant number of clients who are aged 25 or younger with an assessed need for Home and Community Care services and are supported to remain in their home.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The First Nations- and Inuit-led engagement activities on a holistic Long-term and Continuing Care Framework concluded in 2022 and produced 30+ regional engagement reports that were rolled-up into distinction-based summary reports. Of the First Nations and Inuit engagement reports received, a number of GBA Plus-relevant data has been highlighted. For example, regional reports included an example that 2SLGTBQI+ individuals must leave the community to receive specific services as they are unavailable in their home community. However, they feel unsafe culturally when accessing these services outside their community. The department will use these engagement reports and those to be received in 2024 from the Métis engagement (engagement activities planned for 2023–2024) to influence the development of LTCC data collection instruments.

The long-term health and social impacts of improving programs and services, and access to these, will be measurable using a wide variety of data sources which will be co-developed with Indigenous partners. With this type of data, programs could analyze information about access to health care in under-served and marginalized populations, typically women living on reserve, and about the work force.

In the absence of program specific data, the program will look to other sources for information related to the sub-populations identified earlier. For example: Statistics Canada (Canadian Health Survey on Seniors; General Social Survey – Caregiving and Care Receiving; "Support received by caregivers in Canada" Study; CCHS); CIHI; FNIGC surveys; peer reviewed journal articles, etc.

Program Goals:

The Income Assistance program is a component of Canada's social safety net meant to align with provincial and Yukon income assistance programs. The objective of the program is to ensure that eligible individuals and families residing on reserve receive funds to cover the basic expenses of daily living, as well as pre-employment services designed to help them transition to the workforce. The department provides funding to First Nation communities and organizations, and reimburses the Province of Ontario (as per the Canada-Ontario 1965 Memorandum of Agreement Respecting Welfare Programs for Indians) through funding agreements. The program is delivered in all provinces, and the Yukon (Nunavut and the Northwest Territories deliver their own income assistance programs to all eligible residents). In 2019–2020, the department spent $1.1 billion to deliver the Income Assistance in 540 First Nations, which supported 84,182 clients comprising 150,467 beneficiaries.

The program intends to be inclusive to diverse subpopulations and advances the Gender Results Framework goal of Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-being by providing eligible individuals and families on reserve who are very low-income and likely to be unemployed with Income Assistance funds to cover essential living expenses (i.e., food, clothing, rent, and utilities). The program will continue to work with First Nation partners to better meet the needs of individuals and families on reserve and Status First Nations in Yukon, including those of specific diverse subpopulations.

Focus Population:

Grants and contributions to eligible recipients under the Income Assistance program are intended to provide financial assistance to low-income on-reserve residents to support their basic and special needs and to help them become more self-reliant, in alignment with the rate schedule and eligibility criteria of the reference province or territory.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The Income Assistance program is for First Nations individuals and families of all genders living on reserve, and Status Indians in the Yukon, who do not have sufficient funds to meet their essential needs. In general, Income Assistance clients are low-income, have low educational attainment, and are at a greater risk of having a disability or chronic illness than the overall Canadian population.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

In addition to providing eligible individuals and families on reserve who are very low-income and likely to be unemployed with Income Assistance funds to cover essential living expenses, the program also provides case management and pre-employment supports to help clients transition to education and/or employment, which can lead to long term poverty alleviation. Through personalized plans and by providing access to multiple supports, case management helps address a client's specific barriers and needs (including those of diverse subpopulations) as they move towards self-sufficiency. These supports can be especially important for single individuals and single parent families who may have fewer familial supports to help them meet their needs.

Supplementary Information Sources:

Case management and pre-employment supports are eligibility requirements for all provincial and the Yukon income assistance programs and have proven to be an effective approach that can make a positive impact on an individual's long-term health and social well-being. Since the limited introduction of these supports in 2013, the national on-reserve dependency on Income Assistance has decreased from 34.0% in 2011-12 to 27.7% in 2018–2019. In 2018-19, more than 5,400 clients received case management supports and approximately 1,900 exited Income Assistance (50% exited to employment, 12% exited to education, and 38% exited for other reasons) and the distribution of supports was generally balanced between males (53%) and females (46%).

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The target and date to achieve the target has been revised to be established by March 2024 as part of program reform.

The Income Assistance program's existing data collection system collects sex information and data that is useful in determining impacts for sex and other identity factors, but expansion of the data collection in this area could be beneficial. Consideration of the program's data collection needs can be addressed through the reform options that will be co-developed with First Nations partners to make the program more responsive to the needs of individuals and families and to identify the supports required to help individuals better transition from income assistance to employment and education.

Additionally, the Income Assistance program is currently developing an IM/IT system that will be able to provide valid and timely reporting, allow for linkages to be made with other data, and better measure program effectiveness.

There is always a one year lag in the collection and reporting of IA program data. However, there have been further delays as result of the COVID-19 pandemic, hence 2019-20 is the latest program data available.

There are ongoing limits to program data collection. The Data Collection Instrument currently does not collect information on Indigenous or non-Indigenous status, disability, or gender identity. Additionally, program data does not include demographic information from clients and dependents from Ontario, which shares limited data due to the 1965 Memorandum of Agreement Respecting Welfare Programs for Indians. As well, there is limited data available for New Fiscal 10 year grant recipients.

Program Goals:

Jordan's Principle and the Inuit Child First Initiative (ICIF) aims to make sure all First Nations and Inuit children living in Canada can access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them. Funding can help with a wide range of health, social and educational needs including, but not limited to: speech therapy, medical equipment, education supports and mental health services.

Jordan's Principle is a legal obligation stemming from a 2016 Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) merit decision which ordered Canada to cease applying a narrow definition of Jordan's Principle and to immediately implement its full meaning and scope. The initial implementation of Jordan's Principle focused on jurisdictional disputes involving First Nations children living on reserve with multiple disabilities requiring services from multiple services providers. Subsequent orders issued by the CHRT has evolved the scope and implementation approach to Jordan's Principle.

In order to reduce barriers to accessing services, Jordan's Principle asserts that the government (federal or provincial) or department that first receives a request to pay for a service must pay for the service and resolve jurisdictional issues thereafter; this means that Jordan's Principle and ICFI will adjudicate and fund eligible requests regardless of who normally delivers those services.

The Inuit Child First Initiative was established in September 2018 to address unmet needs of Inuit children and ensure they have access to essential government-funded health, social and educations products, services and supports, regardless of where they live in Canada. The ICFI follows the same delivery model as Jordan's Principle.

Focus Population:

The Focus Population for Jordan's Principle is First Nations children who are in need of products, services and support. This applies to individuals between the ages of 0-18, and 19 in some provinces.

The Focus Population for the Inuit Child First Initiative is Inuit Children who are in need of products, services and support. This applies to individuals between the ages of 0-18, and 19 in some provinces.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future generations

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

First Nations and Inuit children living in Canada, On and Off-Reserve, including Urban, Rural, remote/Isolated, and Northern regions.

Subpopulations reflect the diversity of the populations served by Jordan's Principle and Inuit Child First Initiative and the unique needs for services, supports and products required.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

In April 2022, Jordan's Principle and ICFI implemented a Back-to-Basics approach that is a demand driven, request-based process providing funding for eligible health, social, and educational products, services, and supports aimed at improving the well-being and healthy development of First Nations and Inuit children that is non-discriminatory, centers on the needs and best interests of the child, considers distinct community circumstances, ensures substantive equality and culturally relevant service provision, is simple to access, timely, and minimizes the administrative burden on families. This training was supported by ISC's GBA Plus Responsibility Center and included a GBA Plus unit.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Jordan's Principle and Inuit Child First Initiative currently collects binary sex information. Work is currently underway and being implemented to expand structured data collection within JPCMS options to accommodate a broad, respectful, culturally sensitive range of gender identities that will include the option not to disclose.

Jordan's Principle and ICFI will engage with the GBA Plus Responsibility Center, and with Indigenous partners to ensure that expanded identities and gender options are respectful, appropriate and culturally sensitive, and will recognize Two-Spirit individuals. This will be achieved through updates to internal systems and forms and related training for employees.

Jordan's Principle and ICFI data collection is limited to administrative data that is required for the adjudication of a request, enables output monitoring and reporting on metrics such as the number of approved requests, the number of approved products, services, and supports, and the funding associated with approved requests. Any expansion to data collection must and will be negotiated with the Parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint.

Due to the nature of Jordan's Principle and Inuit Child First Initiative and the way funding is provided, there are limitations in the data collection on outcomes at the community level. Funding for products, services, and supports either flows through contribution agreements to fund group requests or through direct payments from ISC to individuals and service providers. Since structured data collection requirements are not outlined as part of the terms and conditions of the Contribution Agreement, ISC has no mechanism for collecting information on individual outcomes from group funded recipients.

Program Goals:

The objective of the Mental Wellness Program is to support the mental wellness of First Nations and Inuit individuals, families, and communities. The Mental Wellness Program funds Indigenous communities and organizations to provide mental wellness services to primarily First Nations on reserve and Inuit living in Inuit communities to improve mental wellness outcomes. Eligible activities include: promoting mental wellness, preventing and treating problematic substance use, preventing suicide, establishing mental wellness teams, and providing emotional and cultural supports and mental health counselling for those impacted by Indian Residential Schools and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

The Mental Wellness program works in collaboration with other First Nations and Inuit Health Branch programs, notably Supplementary Health Benefits to support improved access to mental wellness services, resulting in improved mental wellness in Indigenous communities. The Mental Wellness program is in the process of consolidating its siloed programs to be more responsive to community needs, and will look to introduce new indicators that better measure health and wellness.

The Mental Wellness Program works closely with Indigenous partners, organizations and communities to support mental wellness services that are Indigenous-led, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and inclusive. This work supports the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being goal of Canada's Gender Results Framework. The program's efforts 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 2SLGBTQI+. By highlighting key Indigenous social determinants of health, including self-determination, equity, and collaboration across all sections both nationally and internationally, these frameworks support all the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework.

Focus Population:

First Nations on-reserve and Inuit living in legally recognized Inuit communities.

Regardless of status or residence Survivors of Indian Residential Schools and their family members; Survivors of Indian Day Schools and their family members; Those affected by the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

ISC provides funding to improve mental wellness in Indigenous communities, primarily First Nations on reserve, and Inuit living in Inuit communities.

Elements of the mental wellness program are intended to provide tailored supports and services to specific groups including:

• Survivors of Indian Residential Schools;
• Intergenerational Survivors of Indian Residential Schools;
• People impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people;
• Former students of Indian Day Schools and their family members;
• Indigenous people impacted by colonial harms;
• Indigenous people who use substances; and,
• Indigenous youth.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

Indigenous Services Canada supported improved mental wellness in Indigenous communities, with an approximate annual investment of $650 million in 2022-23. This investment was made to meet the immediate mental wellness needs of communities by supporting Indigenous-led suicide prevention, life promotion and crisis response, including crisis line intervention services, and enhancing the delivery of culturally-appropriate substance use treatment and prevention services in Indigenous communities. This funding also supported the provision of essential mental health, cultural, and emotional support to people impacted by intergenerational and childhood trauma including Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day Schools, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.

In recognition of the intergenerational nature of trauma from Indian Residential Schools and the profound impact of announcements of unmarked burials, eligibility for community-based trauma informed health and cultural supports (peer counsellors, trained health workers, Elders, Traditional Healers) was expanded to include all Indigenous people in 2022, while preserving specialized supports for Survivors of Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day Schools, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

The department continued to ensure that Survivors of Indian Residential Schools and their family members, former students of Indian Day Schools and their family members, and those impacted by the ongoing tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people would have access to free, professional mental health counselling services. To address potential barriers to access and to ensure that community members are receiving appropriate services, the department worked directly with Indigenous-led service delivery organizations serving 2SLGBTQI+ people, women, youth, and 60s scoop Survivors to develop specialized training for service providers, and build new pathways to access services. In addition, new service providers were funded to meet increasing demand for services related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Outcomes of the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program (IRS RHSP) and other trauma informed programs are outlined in detail in the First People's Wellness Circle's Qualitative Assessment, which found that access to program services had had a profoundly positive impact on Survivors, intergenerational survivors, and community members. The report highlighted cultural connection, family restoration, and healing intergenerational trauma as key outcomes.

Supporting Indigenous youth in improving their mental wellness is a key priority for Indigenous partners, communities, and youth themselves. This is a priority shared by Indigenous Services Canada. Specific funding opportunities for Indigenous youth mental wellness include the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy and the Youth Hope Fund. These two funding opportunities provide flexible funding to support projects, the development for resources, community-based initiatives and other activities that support suicide prevention and life promotion for and by Indigenous youth. Evaluations and narrative reports have shown a positive impact of these investments, although progress is limited by these funding opportunities being under-resourced and/or not universal across communities.

New funding (2021–2022 to 2023–2024) was provided to reflect priorities and respond to the mental wellness needs of Métis in Canada; this funding was used for a variety of initiatives such as enhancement of a regional Métis-specific 24hr mental health and addictions crisis line and development of a Métis-specific Strategy/Framework to address and support Métis-specific mental wellness for women, and 2SLGBTQI+ Métis people.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Mental Wellness programs focus on Indigenous recipients, and programs may be specific to First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis; youth; men and boys; women and girls; and/or Two-Spirit people. However, quantitative data that is disaggregated to gender, age, identity, disability and other characteristics is not always possible due to population size of recipients, and/or as a result of that fact that services are not hinged upon recipients disclosing information. These realities prevent accurate, quantitative summaries in some GBA Plus areas of interest. However, programs are Indigenous-led and rooted in culture and community to enhance relevance and effectiveness.

The Mental Wellness Program will continue to seek data collected through surveys including the Regional Health Survey, Indigenous Peoples Survey, and the future release of the National Inuit Health Survey. The Mental Wellness Program also monitors analyses published by Statistics Canada, who received $172M over five years, starting in 2021–2022, for the disaggregation of data to focus on Indigenous groups, persons with disabilities, women, and racialized groups. Further, the Mental Wellness Program provided feedback to Statistics Canada for the next Census cycle, requesting more disaggregation of data related to Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous partners are working toward data sovereignty and self-determination, building their data capacity, and resources to measure progress. As such, the Mental Wellness Program anticipates less control over what data is requested and retrieved. There is confidence, however, that Indigenous-led data efforts will provide more robust and meaningful data for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities than currently available, and will overlap with GBA Plus content.

Program Goals:

Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP) supports front-line Indigenous Service Delivery Organizations that provide programs and services to urban Indigenous Canadians. It is comprised of six program streams: Organizational Capacity; Programs and Services; Coalitions; and Research and Innovation; Infrastructure; Housing. The Organizational Capacity stream provides core funding to Indigenous organizations, including Friendship Centres that deliver programs and services to urban Indigenous peoples. The programs and services stream provides project funding to organizations for a range of programs and services that focus on six key areas: women, vulnerable populations (e.g. seniors), youth, transition services, outreach programs and community wellness. The Coalitions stream supports local coalitions that bring together stakeholders to identify local priorities, and ensure efficient delivery of programs and services. The Research and Innovation stream provides funding to better understand the urban Indigenous reality, gather information on best practices, methodologies and programming approaches, as well as pilot innovative programs and services. The Infrastructure stream provides funding for infrastructure projects that increase the physical capacity and improve the safety, security, and accessibility of urban and rural Indigenous service delivery organization's facilities to deliver new programming or to respond to increased demand for existing programs. Housing, the most recent stream, is aiming to provide funding for Indigenous housing projects, including purchases, new construction, repairs, and renovations for urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing and service delivery organizations. The department is also working to improve horizontal liaison with federal departments that deliver urban Indigenous programming, through an interdepartmental working group. Through its tailored support, the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples will directly contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic opportunities for urban Indigenous Canadians. Additionally, UPIP's programs goals have been to increase access in services to urban and off-reserve Indigenous Peoples at multiple stages of life across Canada.

Focus Population:

Indigenous Peoples in urban communities

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Somewhat benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located in Urban, Rural, Inuit Nunangut and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

UPIP supports Indigenous Peoples in urban centers, rural communities, and other off-reserve populations throughout the life cycle. UPIP defines an urban center as "at least 1,000 people and a population density of no fewer than 400 people per square kilometer" and some areas that programs serve are considered rural even if they may be housed within an urban center. UPIP deals with programs and services related to rural transfer, and also funds programs that are specifically noted to be geared towards "urban, rural, and off-reserve."

The program's six key areas are: women, vulnerable populations (seniors, persons with addictions, disabilities), youth, transition services, outreach programs, and community wellness.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

UPIP has successfully been building relationships with national and local organizations to better assess and understand the changing needs and a fast growing population of Indigenous people in urban communities.

High success reporting indicates that recipients such as the RIEL Institute for Education and Learning or the Urban Native Youth Council have an almost 100% success rate. In 2021-22, RIEL reported that out of 120 youth served, 21 returned to school and 79 found employment opportunities. The 2022–2023 results will be available in December 2023.

The funding of larger organizations such as the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendships Centres (OFIFC) provides means for individual Friendship Centres to determine their own community needs and serve them accordingly. Communications with these organizations have reflected that serving a single individual also serves the community – showing that program success is determined horizontally across communities and their connections.

The program is also expected to have a positive impact for specific subpopulations in the following ways:

• Funding the provision of transition supports to Indigenous women and girls when they are at their most vulnerable - upon arriving in an urban centre, and while becoming established in a new community.
• Continuing to positively help address the socio-economic needs of its younger, and growing population by supporting Indigenous organizations and providing access to funds to deliver programs and services aimed at educational upgrading, pre-employment services, affordable housing, youth and cultural programming, support for young mothers and lone parent families such as child care and transportation, community safety, and violence awareness and prevention programs focusing on women and girls.
• Continuing to invest in supporting and addressing gaps in services and programs for vulnerable Indigenous individuals and families in urban centres as they transition to urban areas for educational and employment opportunities. The needs identified for this population through engagement activities include transition support, affordable housing, child care, transportation, educational up-grading, mentoring, training, and work experience, and employment services.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The program recently introduced a new data collection instrument (DCI) in 2021, which includes demographic variables such as age group, gender, Indigenous identity, and the location where services were accessed (region/geography) to help capture the impacts of the initiative on diverse subpopulations.

Further development of GBA Plus-related indicators will be completed with Indigenous partners through the performance framework co-development process. This ongoing process is expected to be finalized by fiscal year 2025-26 and will be Indigenous-led. At present, there have been preliminary discussions with the NAFC and the OFIFC to discuss methodologies, logic models, and strategic development. Next steps are being decided upon, with the goal of having Indigenous leadership meet and discuss their goals and objectives for this model. It is also worth mentioning that the current program evaluation will also collect and analyze data from an intersectional/GBA Plus perspective, and the program will work to implement relevant recommendations once made. ISC's GBA Plus Responsibility Center has also provided advice on this evaluation.

Due to challenges with collecting and reporting data, 2022-23 data is incomplete and inaccurate. Many recipients are still struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which has disrupted services and organizational capacity. Staffing challenges and inability to complete workplans has created stress and limited the ability to obtain reports.

With the 2022-23 call for proposals being completed, changing the performance indicators and data collection at this point in time would not benefit recipients and would further disrupt the data collection process. By using existing tools until the end of funding, UPIP had the opportunity to move forward with a co-developed, robust, and comprehensive means of data collection.

Until then, UPIP will continue to record what data is available through the DCI to remain involved with subpopulations and in contact with departments and sectors that can contribute to a growing understanding of population statistics and needs.

Program Goals:

The department is supporting the efforts of Indigenous communities in sustainable economic development, sustainable food, social and green infrastructure, natural resources and environmental management. The Economic Development Capacity and Readiness program contributes by supporting Indigenous people and communities in advancing their business development and economic growth. The program provides support for the development of Indigenous capacity and the building of relationships with partners, through investments in the development of public and private sector partnerships, participation in specific economic development opportunities, planning and economic development services and capacity building supports. These investments result in the leveraging investments, the establishment of regulatory certainty and the capacity to participate in economic opportunities, thereby, enabling Indigenous people and communities to achieve greater self-reliance and sustainable economic prosperity.

GBA Plus considerations are implemented at the program level. Where data gaps exist, recommendations are made to relevant internal stakeholders to collect disaggregated data by gender, age, region and other identity factors that speak to the realities faced by the populations ISC serves.

Focus Population:

First Nations and Inuit community owned businesses

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future gens

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban and Rural regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups. This includes Indigenous leaders, organizations and communities; Indigenous small and medium-sized businesses; and, businesses owned by Indigenous men, women and 2SLGBTQI+ people across a wide spectrum of age groups and geographical regions.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The Economic Development Capacity and Readiness program is striving to integrate decolonial and Indigenous methodologies into program design and delivery, allowing colonial frameworks to be challenged, diverse knowledge systems to be honored, and voices and experiences of marginalized communities to be centered. By doing so, the program is working towards addressing gender-based disparities and gaps in a more inclusive, culturally sensitive, and effective manner.

Indigenous minorities often experience historical disadvantages, including land dispossession, systemic discrimination, and exclusion from accessing economic empowerment. These factors can impact their ability to engage effectively in the Economic Development Capacity and Readiness program and will require specific measures to address historical injustices and promote equitable outcomes. With respect to the Métis Nation specifically, ISC will need to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness of its economic development programming, by providing a better understanding of the structures of collective businesses, which federal programs are available to them and what the gaps are in supports to these businesses.

Program-level data collection and reporting play a crucial role in identifying and addressing the gaps and implications faced by marginalized groups and underserved / under-resourced communities within ISC's programs. By utilizing a GBA Plus lens combined with applied Indigenous Methodologies, ISC aims to ensure that program-level data collection and reporting processes are inclusive and capture the experiences and outcomes of diverse populations. Gaps and implications are reflected in program-level data collection and reporting in the following ways:

• Data disaggregation by various demographic factors such as gender, age, disability status, and Indigenous identity would allow the program to identify gaps in program uptake and utilization, and outcomes among marginalized groups so that interventions could be tailored accordingly. Since there is currently little to no disaggregated data on Indigenous businesses (such as: owned by Indigenous men, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQI+, youth, First Nation, Inuit, Métis), efforts will be made to be inclusive of organizations that represent intersectional identities. ISC is actively working with key Indigenous partners to build on and improve current data strategies. Research is also underway to support building and/or expanding current and future data streams.
• Over the past three years, the department has undertaken rapid prototyping opportunities afforded by short term emergency funding, a User Experience Study with communities and ISC Regional Offices on reporting, and various projects applying Indigenous and decolonizing methodologies to policy, research, data and analytics. Knowledge gained from this work will be applied to this additional program funding. This will include application of findings from previous research related to the specific needs of Inuit communities, other GBA Plus considerations, and efforts to innovate on reporting processes.

Program Goals:

The Education Facilities program contributes to the Departmental Result "Indigenous peoples have reliable and sustainable infrastructure", by providing funding to: plan, design, construct/acquire, renovate, repair, replace, and operate and maintain federally- or band-operated elementary and secondary education facilities (including school buildings, teacherages, and student residences), and related facility services. Provincial school boards are also eligible for funding to plan, design, construct / acquire elementary and secondary education facilities serving First Nation students ordinarily resident on reserves. The program also provides funding to: acquire, replace, and repair furniture, equipment, and furnishing for schools, teacherages and student residences; identify education facility needs and develop education facility plans; and design and implement maintenance management practices.

The impacts of this program support the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework, through the education and skills development goals:

• equal opportunities and diversified paths in education and skills development;
• economic participation and prosperity – Equal and full participation in the economy; and
• poverty reduction and improved health and well-being outcomes
• This program's work also follows from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which called for "equitable access to basic rights such as employment, housing, education, safety, and health care." The report notes "equitable access to high-quality educational opportunities and outcomes from early childhood education," among many other priorities. (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report, p. 545).

Overall, investments in education facilities will help bridge the infrastructure gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada and positively impact all members of the community. It will improve the overall social well-being and economic prosperity of First Nations communities on reserves.

Focus Population:

First Nations children and youth in education facilities (K-12) On Reserve.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: Primarily benefits youth, children and/or future generations

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Improved educational facilities benefit school-aged First Nation children by supporting the creation of quality learning environments that are safe and healthy and 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. Children and youth are not afforded the same opportunity of educational outcome when school facilities are inadequate and/or they must leave their home communities to access public schooling that is not available near their homes either through excessively long bussing or boarding in distant communities (e.g., high schools). Having to leave the community makes youth, in particular young women and 2SLGBTQI+ people, more at risk of experiencing violence.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

First Nations develop their infrastructure plans according to their needs and priorities through the First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plan process and proposed projects are assessed based on the following four priorities:

• Protection of health and safety and assets;
• Health and safety improvements;
• Recapitalization/major maintenance; and,
• Population growth.

In accordance with the applicable program terms and conditions, the provision and management of adequate and safe community infrastructure on reserve is the responsibility of First Nations. As a result, it is difficult to predict the differential impacts this initiative could have on Indigenous women, men, Elders, youth, single parents, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Gender neutral washrooms, ramps and larger washroom stalls for wheelchair accessibility and additional space for high-cost special needs students are all design elements that can be integrated into schools as circumstances dictate. This directly makes schools more accessible for youth, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ people in a way that is difficult to measure.

Supplementary Information Sources:

The longer-term review of the School Space Accommodation Standards to address additional topics such as Inclusive Education needs, the enrolment projection design year, and accessibility standards has been completed. This review was completed in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations, and the revised version of the Standard will be available in April 2023.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The department considers GBA Plus principles as a core component of processes which will lead to investments that support closing the infrastructure gap between non-Indigenous and First Nations communities by improving the overall social well-being and economic prosperity of First Nations children of various identities including, culture, language, sexual orientation, education, ability, geographic location, faith, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. A contract for a consultant was secured in 2022–2023 so that they could assess the existing internal infrastructure planning processes, identify gaps and recommend potential entry points on ways to better integrate GBA Plus.

Due to the lack of data acquired to analyze and assess the immediate impacts of First Nations infrastructure investments, it has been difficult to specify the differential impacts infrastructure investments could have on First Nations women, men, elders, youth, single parents, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ people for each community. However, moving forward for future investments, steps include assessments of impacts on diverse groups.

Program Goals:

The objective of the eHealth Infostructure Program (eHIP) is to improve the efficiency of health care delivery to First Nations individuals, families, and communities through the use of eHealth technologies for the purpose of defining, collecting, communicating, managing, disseminating, and using data. Front-line care providers are therefore able to better deliver health services in First Nations communities through eHealth partnerships, technologies, tools, and services. eHealth Infostructure Program supports and enables public health surveillance; health services delivery (primary and community care included); health reporting, planning and decision-making; and, integration/compatibility with other health service delivery partners. eHealth Infostructure Program shares synergies with other programs such as Clinical and Client Care and external partners. The latter include National Indigenous Organizations (such as the Assembly of First Nations), federal departments, provincial governments, and national and regional associations.

The eHealth Infostructure Program uses GBA Plus to ensure inclusive outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in relation to its core program authorities. Performance measurement information will include gender-disaggregated data where possible as part of the ongoing monitoring of the program performance. Where appropriate, data will be disaggregated by vulnerable groups (e.g., seniors, youth) to have a better understanding of existing health disparities among First Nations living on-reserve.

Focus Population:

First Nations

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

eHIP clinical telehealth sessions helped to remove barriers and mitigate negative impacts for women and pregnant people for reasons such as pre-natal care, where lengthy travel times and displacement away from community and supportive environments can significantly impact someone's decision to seek pre-natal care within community or outside of it.

For youth, eHIP offers benefits in the context of mental wellness (youth may prefer telehealth for mental health services in order to preserve confidentiality) and paediatric care (families are often separated for extended periods of time while a child is receiving medical care in medical facilities in more populated areas of Canada).

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

Services such as clinical telehealth sessions increase healthcare access for First Nations residents in remote and isolated communities, where it would otherwise be very difficult to access. Telehealth and other digital health services also provide access to care within the patient's community, which helps to eliminate issues such as language barriers (patients are able to receive care in their language of choice), extended and costly travel times (especially for remote and isolated communities and older people who might be mobility impaired). It also increasingly ensures that patients are able to remain in their community and receive healthcare services similar to the rest of Canada, reducing health outcome disparity compared to non-Indigenous Canadians.

Telehealth services further provide benefits for gender diverse individuals by providing safe spaces to connect individuals in remote and isolated communities to mental wellness, routine health services and gender affirming care that is often distant and difficult to access for patients otherwise.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

For eHIP, data is largely sourced from Annual Year-end Regional reports based on Recipient Reports, the eHealth Program Evaluation (2017), other sources such as the First Nations Health Authority's Regional Health Survey (completed on a 5 year cycle), and reports such as the "2 Spirit Health Legislation Interim Project" (2 Spirits in Motion). Current data gaps for sex, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and other categories of disaggregated data exist for most focus sub-populations within eHealth's application of GBA Plus. Challenges related to lack of disaggregated data are being addressed with work towards data interoperability with provincial systems. There has also been preliminary work with other FNIHB colleagues to develop a minimum dataset for programs. This work, however, is still in early development and is not yet at a stage where common sets of elements across jurisdictions can be determined. It should also be noted that the eHealth program only covers First Nations people living in community and accessing health care from federal health centers located on reserve. It is important to consider that federal work must follow a provincial government's lead regarding health and each province has different needs, priorities and privacy legislation.

eHIP is engaging with other government departments and partners on the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy specifically regarding interoperability of digital health records. The desired outcome is improved quality of service for focus sub-populations in First Nations communities.

For eHIP sex-disaggregated data is not collected for every digital health component, nor will it be captured in the performance measurement strategy. Collection and analysis of data is limited to the absence of a minimum dataset as a result of a lack of data interoperability between federal and provincial health systems. This data collection and analysis is only accomplished at the program and community level within the limitations of privacy requirements for public health information disclosure and use which creates barriers to the establishment of a minimum dataset.

In addition, the issues between federal and provincial privacy legislation create a barrier for federally employed nurses working in community attempting to access health data held on provincial systems. As federal nurses are not considered Health Information Custodians by many provinces across Canada (a requirement in most provincial health legislation) they do not have permission to collect or access disaggregated data for the clients they serve.

As a result of this inability to access provincial system data, federal nurses working in communities are still using paper-based charting instead of digital records. Adding another layer of data collection to this paper-based system would likely cause undue burden to already understaffed and overworked nurses and could pose a risk to service delivery.

Program Goals:

In April 2014, the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP) became the sole window for First Nations to secure funding for emergency management costs. Through the program, the department supports the four pillars of emergency management – mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery – as well as forest fire suppression activities to ensure that First Nations have access to comparable emergency assistance services available to other residents in their respective jurisdiction. The department also partners with First Nations, provincial and territorial governments, and third party service providers to protect the health and safety of First Nations individuals and their infrastructure from natural or accidental hazards and assists in the remediation of critical infrastructure and community assets affected by emergency events. It is a tailored program that supports all four pillars of emergency management to improve community capacity and resilience to disasters. In doing so, the program contributes to achieving the department's intent to improve social well-being and economic prosperity and contributes to the development of healthier and more sustainable communities.

Focus Population:

First Nations communities

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The program serves whole communities and does not provide funding for individual households or people. Though this program does not specifically support individuals, in the event of emergencies, certain groups within communities are at a higher priority to protect or evacuate, such as children, seniors, individuals with disabilities or chronic health conditions, and others who may be disproportionately impacted by emergency events. One notable disparity is that this program does not apply to First Nation communities off-reserve, Inuit, or Métis communities. This creates a disparity between those living on reserve who can access EMAP services in the event of an emergency and those living off-reserve who cannot access EMAP services and must instead access the services of other emergency management programs.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

ISC supports long-term cultural continuity, family and social stability, wellbeing, access to land for land-based activities and the ability to pursue education, employment, and social opportunities in communities without disruption of emergencies. The establishment of emergency management coordinators in highly impacted communities will result in increased awareness and preparedness for future emergency events in communities, and community-specific knowledge that will serve to address any gaps in services during emergencies within communities. By supporting resiliency-building efforts in the mitigation and recovery phases, ISC can ensure that responses to future emergency events have a reduced adverse effect on on-reserve First Nation communities. In the long-term this will help reduce poverty, improve health outcomes, improve education outcomes, and reduce adverse impacts of emergency events in ways that respect the intersectional needs of diverse individuals.

ISC actively works to ensure that EMAP is able to support groups identified as facing disproportionate impacts (women and pregnant people in particular, children, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, the elderly, the ill, and persons with disabilities) during emergency events. EMAP regularly reviews its terms and conditions to ensure they best reflect equitable support for the abovementioned groups and any potential negative effects are mitigated. EMAP is aimed at being flexible, culturally sensitive, responsive to the unique strengths and customs of First Nations communities, and adaptive to the evolving challenges resulting from emergency events. As such, the EMAP program is consistently working with regional offices, First Nation communities and organizations, and other government departments to ensure that the program is meeting these aims and responding to the diverse needs of the individuals and communities that are served. With respect to the communities identified above as experiencing negative impacts from this program, EMAP is aware that under the current Terms & Conditions, certain First Nation and Indigenous communities are not covered by the program. This gap in services is made up for in part through other programs offered by ISC, CIRNAC, and provincial/territorial programming. Additionally, the program is actively working on developing new indicators while incorporating GBA Plus considerations to enhance our program.

Supplementary Information Sources:

"From Displacement to Hope: A guide for displaced Indigenous Communities and host communities."

This report provides recommendations based on interviews and Talking Circles with First Nations people who had recently experienced an evacuation alert or an evacuation order, as well as findings documented in the research literature.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Due to the concerns around privacy and data collection on individuals and communities that experience emergency events and the time-sensitive nature of emergencies, the collection of disaggregated administrative data by ISC does not take place and thus has resulted in a data gap. Efforts to collect this data will be made where and when possible, and with First Nations' agreement as per the OCAP principles (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession) developed and promoted by the First Nations Information Governance Centre. ISC will continue to work with First Nation partners, third-party service providers, and ISC's Regional Coordinators to review existing policies, identify and address remaining policy and programming gaps regarding emergency management and improve service delivery for First Nation partners while always keeping in mind any GBA Plus considerations. The department is also committed to learning from after-action reports, documents or studies produced by emergency management partners and/or experts and scholars that could inform best practices in addressing GBA Plus considerations as it relates to emergency management and evacuations. These reports provide qualitative data in the form of testimonials that offers a more nuanced understanding of various emergency experiences that can in part mitigate the lack of disaggregated administrative data. When appropriate, departmental officials will encourage the collection of disaggregated data (e.g., by gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, family status), which will assist in understanding how social, economic, and health outcomes are impacted by emergencies.

Program Goals:

The Health Facilities Program aims to enhance the development and delivery of health programs and services through infrastructure by providing funding to eligible recipients for the planning, design, construction, expansion, renovation, and/or repair of community-based health infrastructure as well as contributing to their operation and maintenance, and security services. These investments support First Nations and Inuit to provide health care professionals with the functional spaces required to safely and efficiently deliver health care services in their communities. Health Facilities Program activities support the delivery of Clinical and Client Care Services on reserve, the Mental Wellness Program, the Healthy Living Program and the Healthy Child Development Program (Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve facilities).

The impacts of this program support the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework, through the Economic Participation and Prosperity goal as well as the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being goal.

Focus Population:

First Nations and non-First Nations people living on reserve

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Within First Nation Communities - Investments in health infrastructure through the expansion, renovation and/or new construction of on-reserve health facilities will 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 their members, thus increasing opportunities for individuals to access care without having to leave their communities. Many First Nations communities suffer from disproportionately high rates of chronic disease, and other factors, such as overcrowding, can exacerbate the spread of diseases. Investments in health facilities and other health infrastructure are crucial to mitigating against the effect of chronic disease and future health crises.

Increasing the quality of and constructing new health infrastructure supports communities to offer a broader range of health services locally, including prenatal and post-natal care services, mental health services, counselling, and other specialized programming. Local service delivery approaches improve access to services by reducing the amount of time that individuals need to spend away from their communities and family obligations.

Health infrastructure investments facilitate communities to design and deliver their health care programs and services in a way that is culturally-relevant. Improved health care infrastructure would help to increase rates of recruitment and retention for nurses in First Nations healthcare facilities. Better infrastructure, and therefore better working conditions can attract a vast untapped labour market. This is important to address the challenge of staffing healthcare professionals in remote and isolated communities.

Key Program impacts on Gender and diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

New and expanded health infrastructure and associated buildings are recommended to be designed to permit safe access by all individuals. This includes those requiring mobility assistance devices, or possibly child strollers. Additionally, the HFP encourages that consideration be given to enhancing the physical accessibility of existing health infrastructure when renovating existing buildings, to ensure equality in care is available. The application of accessibility considerations is at the discretion of the community.

The program supports communities to incorporate culturally relevant design principles into the planning and design of their health infrastructure projects. These elements may help promote wellness and provide a more welcoming atmosphere. Utilizing this opportunity is optional and at the community's discretion.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The HFP has been enhancing its pre-capital planning process to engage with First Nation recipients more directly on the expected outcomes associated with new health infrastructure projects, including how infrastructure improvements are expected to address current health service needs. This will allow HFP and First Nation recipients to better identify potential GBA Plus considerations related to health infrastructure projects, and which relevant data could be collected by First Nations to track performance. This activity is ongoing and is continuing to be applied.

The multi-jurisdictional complexity of Canada's health care system creates challenges in gathering comprehensive Indigenous health data. Many key indicators of health come from systems held by provinces and territories, and it is not possible to identify Indigenous-specific data within these systems due to First Nations guidelines around ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP) of all information about their peoples, and the absence of ethnic identifiers. Consequently, health status information routinely available for Canadians is not available for Indigenous peoples.

At the community level, ISC does not require communities to report on building access / building usage statistics or other social data related to health facilities and thus ISC cannot analyze and assess the impacts of ISC-funded health infrastructure investments.

Program Goals:

The Health Planning, Quality Management and Systems Integration Program administers contribution agreements and direct departmental spending to increase the capacity of First Nations and Inuit to design, manage, evaluate, and deliver health programs and services. In particular, the Health Services Integration Fund (HSIF) is a proposal-based program that funds time-limited projects that facilitate collaboration of multiple jurisdictions as a means to improve the effectiveness, accessibility and relevance of health services provided to First Nations and Inuit. Examples of funded projects include integration models for improving linkages between services or access to other local services in mental health and addictions, primary/continuing care, and/or systems management. This program also works to foster the uptake of accreditation in nursing stations and health centres providing services to First Nations communities. It shares synergies with other First Nations and Inuit Health Branch programs such as Clinical and Client Care, Healthy Living, Healthy Child Development and Mental Wellness, as well as with external partners. It works closely with National Indigenous Organizations, federal departments, provincial governments and national and regional associations.

The Health Planning, Quality Management, and Systems Integration Program supports the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being pillar by improving First Nations and Inuit capacity, governance and control over health care services, which should have a positive impact for First Nations and Inuit who are currently receiving health services and programming through both the federal and provincial governments.

Focus Population:

First Nations communities and institutions

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The health planning program provides guidance to FNIHB regions, who in turn work directly with First Nations communities to help create health and wellness plans. The program provides funding for these plans through funding agreements with First Nations communities, and collaborates with the First Nations Health Managers Association to supplement planning and capacity activities for FNIHB staff and communities.

The program also supports improving health services and programming by incorporating quality improvement activities in health programs (e.g., accreditation and evaluation of health programs). It primarily serves community health centres and nursing stations located in First Nations communities. An adequately resourced Indigenous health workforce, along with community-focused measures to improve the quality of primary care and patient and nursing safety, aims to help narrow the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

First Nations individuals living on reserve with health issues will benefit from improved access to high-quality, culturally safe, and patient-centred care.

Specific Regions (Remote and Isolated): Geography can contribute to the poorer health outcomes experienced by Indigenous peoples. First Nations living in remote and isolated communities are the focus of parts of the initiative through investments in accreditation, patient safety, nursing security and pharmacy management in nursing stations, which are located in remote and isolated communities.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

GBA Plus has been considered in a funding formula that includes rural and remote communities servicing vulnerable populations. The health status of Indigenous populations is below the Canadian average, and Indigenous access to health services is limited, especially for those living in remote and/or isolated communities. The program includes a strong focus on rural and remote communities, as these communities are particularly underserved and experience unique challenges and inequities.

Implementation of accreditation activities can help establish health service delivery standards for community health providers on the delivery of health services, which then relate to GBA Plus by considering potential barriers for vulnerable populations and meeting their unique health needs. Accreditation Standards are clear in the identification and removal of barriers for distinct populations which experience limited access, including gender diverse, Two-Spirit and rural communities. The Public Health and Primary Care Standards are designed to be inclusive and provide directives in establishing equitable access to health services and supports for vulnerable populations such as Two-Spirit, Gender Diverse and rural/isolated/remote communities. Communities have embraced accreditation and many new organizations are now seeking accreditation. However, there is no funding source for new organizations to pursue accreditation at this time due to no increases to budget levels since 2017.

HSIF supports partners in First Nations and Inuit health to integrate health programs and services funded by the federal government with those funded by provincial or territorial governments so they are more coordinated and better suited to the needs of First Nations and Inuit. Through HSIF, ISC is working with other provincial, territorial and First Nations and Inuit organizations to:

• Improve First Nations and Inuit access to health services through cross-jurisdictional collaborative initiatives;
• Improve the service-level integration of federally, provincially and territorially funded health programs and services for First Nations and Inuit;
• Adapt the respective territorial or provincial governments' health programs and services to better serve First Nations and Inuit;
• Integrate traditional First Nations and Inuit healing methods and cultural practices into the health system;
• Support the collaboration of First Nations and Inuit with partners in the planning, delivery and management of health programs and services; and,
• Build the capacity of Indigenous peoples to control the design, delivery and management of health programs and services.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Data collection for the program is limited to community and organization levels across First Nations communities. Data on gender and other identity factors cannot be collected as part of this program.

To overcome these data collection challenges, the department works collaboratively with Indigenous organizations such as the First Nations Information Governance Centre. The Centre oversees the First Nations Regional Health Survey that collects self-reported information on Western and Traditional understandings of health and well-being, on reserve. Although the survey provides sex-disaggregated data that is broken down by age, the data is collected via a self-reported survey and linked to perceived health outcomes. The survey does not report on perceived health outcomes related to health infrastructure. Nonetheless, survey data can help to provide important context and considerations surrounding the regional health status of First Nations, which can support program implementation.

Health plans are not tracked as a distinct data point in GCIMS or other corporate repositories. This presents a barrier to streamlined data collection and requires the use of funding approach data as a proxy. Using funding approach data as a proxy for the number of First Nation communities that have developed a community-led health plan allows the count to be derived efficiently and avoids potential gaps resulting from incomplete arrangement document profiles in GCIMS due to omissions or time lag.

The accuracy and completeness of the data on funding recipients are crucial. Incomplete or inconsistent funding approach data could lead to incorrect conclusions about the number of First Nation communities that have developed a community-led health plan. Data gaps could arise from recipient funding migrating between funding approaches not being properly captured. The relevance and suitability of funding approach data must also be monitored to ensure it continues to have a causal link with health planning requirements.

Program Goals:

The First Nations On-reserve Housing Program provides funding for First Nations to: plan and manage housing needs; design, construct and acquire new housing units; as well as renovate existing housing units. Working in partnership with First Nations, this program seeks to increase the supply of safe and affordable housing to achieve better housing outcomes for on-reserve residents. The program supports First Nations in their efforts to have reliable and sustainable infrastructure. Decisions on project funding are built around the First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plan process in which communities outline their infrastructure needs. The department regional offices align those needs with program terms and conditions, criteria, priorities, and resources; and the department headquarters ensures accountability and the allocation of funds to regions.

The impacts of this program support the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework, through the Economic Participation and Prosperity goal as well as the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being goal.

Focus Population:

The First Nation On-Reserve Housing Program helps provide more and better quality housing in First Nation communities in Canada. The Housing Program supports First Nations Communities and First Nations organizations to undertake new construction, repairs, lot servicing, capacity and innovation. Data on benefits cannot be disaggregated by gender, income or age group.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Access to adequate housing is a predeterminant of many socio-economic outcomes. Despite recent advances, First Nations on-reserve experience lower socio-economic outcomes, than other Canadians. Intersectional impacts of poverty, intergenerational trauma, racism, sexism and homophobia are attributable to the effects of colonialism. Increased economic self-sufficiency, self-determination and a self-reliant economic base, supported by programming which improves housing conditions and ultimately transfers the control and management of housing services to First Nation, is expected to have positive impacts on the type of housing, housing conditions and availability, and on all community members, regardless of age, gender and ability, and geographic location.

Access to safe and adequate housing can provide positive benefits for First Nation members in on-reserve communities. Additionally, this program is expected to positively impact those considered most vulnerable (e.g. women, children, persons with disabilities, etc.).

The Government does not collect sex or gender-disaggregated data on Housing, under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program, for the performance framework. Each community develops their infrastructure plan according to their needs and priorities. Program data is collected annually via the self-reported Data Collection Instrument. The Census also provides important data on overcrowding and the incidence of homes in need of major repair.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Recent census results measuring the rate of crowdedness show that the share of First Nations people on reserve that live in crowded housing fell at a faster rate between 2016 and 2021, compared with First Nations people living off-reserve (-.6% vs -.2%). Further, First Nations people living in a dwelling in need of major repairs on reserve fell at a faster rate between 2016 and 2021 than the share of their counterparts living off-reserve (-6.5% vs -1.4%).

Other Key Program impacts:

The program is increasing the number of adequate housing units on reserve. Since 2016 and as of March 31, 2023, 16,999 homes in 5444 First Nations communities are being built, renovated or retrofitted. ISC is also supporting First Nations to acquire and service 2,614 lots.

Addressing housing needs on reserve is about more than bricks and mortar. Since 2016 and as of March 31, 2023 ISC has supported 1,509 housing-related capacity development and innovation projects in First Nations communities. Through Budget 2022, ISC is providing additional funding that First Nations can use to subsidize housing manager positions.

Positive impacts on all members of communities are expected. Access to safe and adequate housing can provide benefits for all members of a First Nation on-reserve community, particularly those considered most vulnerable (e.g. women, children, persons with disabilities, etc.).

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

In 2022-23, ISC introduced the Housing Capacity Enhancement Initiative, which provides dedicated funding to strengthen First Nations housing management on reserve. Aligned with the First Nations National Housing and Related Infrastructure Strategy, these investments will support First Nations' capacity for planning and managing housing, including data collection and analysis, paving the path for the transfer of care, control and management of housing.

As part of its On-Reserve Housing Program, ISC requires funding recipients to complete and validate a data collection instrument each fiscal year. The DCI collects information about the number of houses on reserve, the number of building renovations and the overall percentage of housing deemed adequate. Moving forward, ISC will disaggregate DCI data along regional lines.

The Government of Canada does not currently collect sex or gender-disaggregated data on Housing, under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program, for the performance framework. Each community develops their infrastructure plan according to their needs and priorities.

To address some of these challenges, ISC has contracted a consultant to assess existing internal infrastructure planning processes to identify potential entry points on ways to integrate GBA Plus considerations into the planning, data collection and performance reporting practices for First Nations infrastructure programs, including housing which will:

• Support improved integration of GBA Plus considerations and performance measurement information into the planning and delivery of infrastructure programming across the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program's four main infrastructure programs (Water and Wastewater, Housing, School Facilities and Other Community Infrastructure);
• Establish reporting tools, building on existing mechanisms, that will enable ISC to assess or report on the differential and immediate GBA Plus impacts of infrastructure investments; and,
• Conduct a program-specific GBA Plus analysis that assesses the direct, indirect and unintended impacts of infrastructure investments on different demographic groups.

ISC will use the results of these components to continue advancing broader and longer-term objectives outside of the scope of the present statement of work, including continuing to increase awareness of and strengthening capacity of employees to apply culturally-relevant GBA Plus to their programs.

ISC will also support on-reserve housing capacity enhancement, innovation and pilot projects that include data collection and analysis, and report on the housing needs of First Nations community members, including the needs of women, men, Two-Spirit people, youth, elders, and people with disabilities. The focus of these projects will be on supporting First Nations communities and organizations to collect data that can inform their self-determined priorities with respect to housing.

Although limited data is available, anecdotal evidence continues to mount regarding the added vulnerability of Indigenous women to being trafficked when adequate housing and economic supports are absent. Shelters are not often able to accommodate women with disabilities because the buildings themselves are not accessible, and/or staff are not equipped to manage their complex needs. Male-identified or non-binary victims of violence may be less likely to seek out shelter services. Métis and urban Indigenous populations do not benefit from shelters on reserve, identifying a gap in available supports.

Program Goals:

This Program supports Indigenous entrepreneurs who would otherwise have difficulty accessing capital to create and expand a business due to legislative and market-based barriers. The program provides access to capital, support services, and business/procurement opportunities including federal contracts contributing to higher levels of economic prosperity for Indigenous Peoples.

The distinctions-based delivery of the program is facilitated through separate agreements with National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) and the five Métis Capital Corporations (MCCs) to ensure that both Métis and First Nations have sufficient access to the program. ISC is currently engaging in exploratory work with the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on the potential of implementing an Inuit-specific delivery of the program.

This program also contains the Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Initiative. The Initiative mirrors the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program but tailors support to women entrepreneurs based on identified barriers. The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association has also set a goal of increasing the number of Indigenous women entrepreneurs accessing financing through the IFI network by 50% by 2025.

Focus Population:

The access to capital stream of the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program (AEP) supports First Nations, Inuit and Métis entrepreneurs' access to business financing. The AEP also has a Business Opportunities stream that is dedicated to supporting the growth of Canada's Indigenous business sector.

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Benefits 60% - 79% men

By income level: Strongly benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations, Inuit, Métis communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located in On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Indigenous women entrepreneurs face more barriers including lower average financial literacy, greater family responsibilities and negative interactions with mainstream lenders and financial institutions. In addition, ISC prioritizes using a distinctions-based approach to deliver the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program Access to Capital stream. Currently, the Métis Capital Corporations ensure that Métis- entrepreneurs are able to access the program.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

NACCA research found that, though Indigenous women entrepreneurs may have smaller businesses, they have a significant impact within their families and communities. Indigenous women entrepreneurship increases self-sufficiency and raises their families' quality of life, e.g. increased food security. The benefits extend into the community as entrepreneurship creates and maintains jobs in the communities, and women entrepreneurs have been shown to provide training and education opportunities, resulting in mentoring, supporting new entrepreneurs and taking leadership roles in the communities. Furthermore, Indigenous women entrepreneurs are shown to be good credit risks. The Indian Business corporation reported amongst their loaning activity, Indigenous women entrepreneurs had only 5% loan write offs compared to 18% for indigenous men entrepreneurs.

Supplementary Information Sources:

Indigenous Women's Entrepreneur Program

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The NACCA provides results disaggregated by gender in their Annual Reports, which include the percentage of businesses supported by the Indigenous Financial Institutions and Métis Capital Corporation network that are owned by Indigenous women.

In 2019-20, the NACCA conducted a survey of Indigenous women entrepreneurs to begin to identify gender specific barriers to entrepreneurship. Recognizing that women face additional barriers to entrepreneurship, NACCA launched the Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship (IWE) initiative and has set a goal of increasing the number of Indigenous women entrepreneurs accessing financing through the Indigenous Financial Institutions network by 50% by 2025. The Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative will report on uptake of the program by Indigenous women entrepreneurs. This initiative will also help expand the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program's capacity to monitor and report impacts on gender. The IWE was stared in March 2022 and the results will be reported in NACCA's annual report this year.

The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program (AEP) now delivered using a distinctions-based approach with Métis Capital Corporations delivering tailored supports to Métis entrepreneurs. The reporting requirements for the Métis Capital Corporations are similar to the current requirements for the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association and Indigenous Financial Institutions. However, their reporting is focused on Métis-specific indicators.

The federal government, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association and Métis Capital Corporations will continue to co-develop effective indicators and measures for the collection of data based on sex, gender and other intersecting identity factors, such as age (youth and seniors) and rural/remote populations.

Under the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee Economic Development and Procurement Working Group and its corresponding task teams, ISC is working collaboratively with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and other government departments and Regional Development Agencies, towards greater Inuit self-determination in economic development. There are also plans to work with Inuit to develop a distinctions-based approach to Inuit economic development, which could include the development of a data reporting framework. Once an approach will be is established, ISC will co-develop Inuit specific indicators with Inuit-led financial institution and economic development organizations.

Existing data collection has proven useful in determining impacts for gender identity factors, but expansion of the data collection in this area could be beneficial. As programs undertake co-development approaches with Indigenous partners to develop and reform policies and implementation frameworks, programs will remain committed to collecting more robust gender data, to support a responsive approach to the needs of Indigenous individuals and business in the future.

The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program- Access to Capital Stream is currently undergoing an evaluation and redesign which is set to be completed in the fall of 2023. ISC will continue to work with partners to ensure that the design, delivery, and reporting are consistent with the above identified GBA Plus gaps and impacts.

Currently, data is being collected on Indigenous women-owned businesses as part of the IWE program. Gaps in data still exist with respect to other identify categories, or anyone who does not identify as a woman. Data is not collected on 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs. Data collection is completed by NACCA and provided where possible while respecting the devolved nature of the AEP and IWE. Data beyond the AEP and IWE funding requirements are at the partner's discretion and based on their capacity. As a devolved program, NACCA and MCCs retain the rights to their own data collection and measurement strategies.

Qualitative data is used to supplement existing data and fill in some of the data gaps. For example, NACCA heard from Indigenous women entrepreneurs and Indigenous youth entrepreneurs the specific barriers they faced. This led to further research which resulted in the women and youth-specific supports. Research on diverse groups of non-Indigenous Canadians is also used to draw reasonable assumptions e.g., challenges and supports for non-Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ and youth entrepreneurs are likely to be mirrored for Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ and youth entrepreneurs to a certain degree and can provide direction for more tailored research, engagement, or monitoring.

The data gaps are well known to partners and other actors in the field. Different organizations are researching these areas e.g., Women's Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) and Pauktuutit. Opportunities to support and collaborate with external and internal partners on addressing these gaps are also being explored.

Program Goals:

Indigenous Services Canada supports the development of strong and sustainable First Nations, and Inuit communities through the Indigenous Governance and Capacity programs which include : Band Support Funding, Employee Benefits, Tribal Council Funding, and; Professional and Institutional Development. Effective and efficient Indigenous governments and institutions support their members, attract investment, and strengthen the fabric of Indigenous governments across Canada. The program also oversees initiatives aimed at supporting capacity development such as comprehensive community planning and Indigenous Community Development Training. The Indigenous Governance and Capacity programs contribute to operational costs of Indigenous governments and institutions while also providing tools and support for governance capacity initiatives.

Focus Population:

First Nations and Inuit

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: 60 per cent - 79 per cent men

By income level: Somewhat benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations and Inuit communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

• Individuals occupying elected leadership positions
• Individuals occupying administrative governance positions
• Working-aged individuals
• 60 years old+ (retirement age)
• Men
• Women
• 2SLGBTQI+

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

The Indigenous Governance and Capacity (IGC) sub-programs provide governance capacity and community development supports for Indigenous governments and organizations that support capacity building. Impacted groups include First Nation and Inuit communities, and the populations they serve and represent. Individuals that hold elected and administrative governance positions are most likely to be directly impacted, while indirect beneficiaries are among members of the First Nations and Inuit communities.

There is a likelihood that investments for the IGC sub-programs may skew towards benefitting working-aged men, as they occupy a higher percentage of leadership positions. This mirrors gender-based elected trends throughout the Canadian population, and may indirectly benefit the interests of men in First Nation and Inuit communities. Canadian patriarchal and colonial structures and policies (e.g., the Indian Act) have had a disproportionately negative effect on Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQI+ people. As many Indigenous positions of power mirror the Eurocentric male-dominated world views through policy and social norms, diverse groups have been distanced from governance positions.

On the other hand, program engagement in 2008 and 2018 indicates that the administrative apparatus in these communities is more diverse than the councils they may serve, who also stand to benefit from the IGC sub-programs. Data from self-government agreements also suggests that as governance supports are increased, certain barriers to diversity and inclusion can be reduced for women and 2SLGBTQI+ people, through community consultations and engagements, greater investment in diversity and inclusion initiatives, and overall greater access to programs and services.

Furthermore, IGC sub-programs provide funding for eligible employers to match their employees pensions and benefits. There may be a modest disproportionate benefit to individuals in older generations, who likely occupy senior leadership roles. This is specific to pensions, as generational impacts on people over 60 or of retirement age receiving their pensions would be positive. Lower income employees may also receive modest benefits in a relative sense, especially when considering the income disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.

Supplementary Information Sources:

The Facts | Women in Leadership | Canadian Women's Foundation

Give Us Good Measure – Assessing the value of federal funding for First Nations governments

Gender Results Framework placemat - Women and Gender Equality Canada

National Action Plan

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Progress to modernize the Indigenous Governance and Capacity (IGC) sub-programs thus far has included the collection of disaggregate data to benchmark salaries through Statistics Canada (completed as of March 2023). Applying the self-government model and co-development activities, the data collection showed that 21 occupational classes (related to governance functions ) were identified for analysis. Through Statistics Canada, the analysis compared average salaries of the occupational classes for First Nations (on reserve and off-reserve) with the general Canadian population, separated by remoteness. The study found that First Nations' average salaries on-reserve were 28% less than non-remote Canadian communities and 21% less than remote Canadian communities.

Further exploration is needed to understand how ISC can better support First Nation governments in achieving their goals with respect to offering competitive salaries, diversity and inclusion. Additional research on governance and capacity through partner-led research is on-going, which is expected to be completed by the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year. However, it is yet to be determined if GBA Plus information can be drawn from this broad spectrum of research, as this research belongs to Indigenous partners and is primarily focused on governance. It is important to note that while funding for governance and capacity is provided to Indigenous governments, organizations, and communities, it is their agency to prioritize governance activities as they see fit, as they possess the greatest expertise on their own needs and how to best address them.

Impacts related to governance investments on diversity and inclusion across diverse sub-populations (considered thus far) within First Nations and Inuit communities have not yet been officially or sufficiently measured and tracked at ISC.

Specifically, ISC does not currently collect comprehensive demographic data related to First Nation administrative staff (those not elected to the local government apparatus or hereditary representatives) nor individual-level impacts from Indigenous governance investments. Data gaps continue with respect to several identity factors including gender, employment position, income level, 2SLGBTQI+ identity, and age.

Ongoing efforts to modernize the Indigenous Governance and Capacity (IGC) sub-programs will continue to look at approaches to address data needs across the various identify factors related to governance investments impacts.

Program Goals:

This program works with First Nation communities to develop innovative policy, process and system improvements to enhance conditions to increase the reserve land base, support sustainable management of land, environment and natural resources that leverages community and economic development opportunities and facilitates greater First Nation independence/self-sufficiency in managing these assets. This program provides support to First Nation governments, as well as Indigenous institutions and organizations through core and targeted funding to improve the environmental conditions of First Nation reserve land by strengthening policies, processes and tools to support stronger environmental management on reserve. This includes solid waste management, assessment and remediation of contaminated sites, environment review, and conservation and protection of habitat and species at risk. The Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Management program also provides support for communities through planning, capacity building and training to effectively manage land, natural resources and environmental activities. It modernizes land administration tools, systems, procedures and practices for First Nations operating under the Indian Act, addresses legal obligations, community growth and economic development through the additions of lands to reserve, and modernizes the Indian Oil and Gas Act and Systems to attract further investment on Reserve Lands.

Focus Population:

First Nations and individuals residing on reserves

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: Somewhat benefits low income individuals

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The Focus Population for the Lands and Environmental Management activities is First Nations people living on reserve or in close proximity to reserve lands. Within that focus population, subpopulations who may face differential impacts from, or experience barriers of access to, these programs include children, elderly people, people with disabilities, mobility and health issues, people experiencing mental health difficulties, pregnant and breast/chest feeding people, women, 2SLGBTQI+ people, low income people, and people living in rural or isolated communities.

First Nations individuals living on reserve (or in proximity of reserve lands) south of 60° parallel are the focus population of the Contaminated Sites on Reserve (CSOR) program. Associated risks from contaminated sites vary based on location and type of contamination; however, biological and physiological differences lead children, elderly, women, and pregnant people, to experience greater health impacts related to contamination. Effects of contaminated sites are exacerbated in rural and remote communities due to lack of readily available remediation resources and infrastructure. Additionally, First Nations living on reserve have a median income which is approximately half of the median income of non-Indigenous Canadians. This income disparity puts First Nation peoples at a disadvantage by limiting their ability to relocate away from environmentally hazardous areas, resulting in them continuing to experience adverse health effects.

For the First Nations Waste Management Initiative (FNWMI), subpopulations that may experience the Initiative differently are persons with disabilities and health issues, elders, those living in remote communities and individuals that identify as a gender other than cis-male. Remote communities could be accessing more funding as their needs often require more costly solutions. Funding support for solid waste management is especially needed in First Nations in northern and remote regions since they face unique challenges in waste management associated with climate, geology, population size and distribution, socio-economic factors, and access to services and facilities.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

Effective land management enables First Nations to more readily prepare land for economic development. First Nation land managers trained in implementing community-led land use plans help ensure that community needs are represented in future development. Improved land use planning and management benefits both community members and people living in neighboring municipalities, by reducing potential downstream impacts of future economic and infrastructure development on water and air quality and by increasing First Nation communities' capacity to monitor and respond to environmental hazards and emergencies. Land management capacity and land use planning can also create new opportunities for cultural and traditional practices and connections to the land.

Contaminated sites often result in socio-psycho stresses within affected communities that can be related to human health risks (e.g. uncertainties surrounding safe drinking water and uncontaminated food sources). Remediating contaminated sites can increase social wellbeing, for instance, by ensuring the community that their food and drinking water sources are protected. In addition, several academic studies have reported the positive impacts of soil remediation on health impacts of the general population, and children in particular.

Program modifications have been made to Reserve Land and Environment Management program (RLEMP) to promote accessibility. Level one of the Professional Land Management Certification (PLMCP) Program has been offered in both English and French since 2021–2022, and Level two should be offered in both English and French by 2024–2025. Level one of the program has expanded to partner with four universities in four provinces to offer training in as close a proximity to as many participants as possible. There is ongoing discussion with partners discussing collecting demographic data on PLMCP participants.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

No reliable aggregated or disaggregated GBA Plus data is currently available for the CSOR Program as remediation projects, although funded by ISC, are First Nation led and owned. Going forwards, CSOR will look for opportunities to work collaboratively towards the collection of GBA Plus relevant data where appropriate and the program is expecting to have better and more accurate data on these indicators in future years. That being said, since 2022, CSOR regional offices are working very closely with their First Nations partners to explore their interest and willingness to co-develop and incorporate such indicators into the new remediation contracts. Being cognizant of the administrative reporting burden on First Nations partners, performance measurements and indicators of the program for emerging GBA Plus impact will be encouraged within the existing reporting structure for First Nations, but not imposed by CSOR. The department will look for opportunities to work collaboratively towards collection of GBA Plus relevant data where appropriate and where First Nation partners are interested in doing so.

First Nations Waste Management Initiative (FNWMI) is working toward addressing the lack of a GBA Plus lens in program design and delivery including how the initiative impacts elders, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with health issues. The FNWMI will engage with its National Advisory Committee in June 2023 where additional input will be sought regarding barriers to access, negative impacts, and gaps in outcomes for subpopulations. Approaches for addressing these considerations will be shared and will help to develop and inform a FNWMI GBA Plus Guidance document. The FNWMI is also supporting the work of an external GBA Plus consultant (in partnership with infrastructure programs) that will provide a report on how best to apply GBA Plus considerations to the FNWMI. A guideline document is planned to be developed in Fall of 2023.

Disaggregated administrative data is not currently being collected by Lands and Environmental Management programs. The current reporting relationship with Indigenous partners does not stipulate the collection of disaggregated data as a requirement; therefore, ISC has a limited ability to collect data due to the administrative burden on communities and partners, and its wish to respect communities' self-determination. Discussions may take place to look into this area on a go-forward basis.

The FNWMI program indicators are determined though the regional quarterly tracking of projects and correspondence with regional officers. This tracking does not have specific requirements for regions to enter impacts on subpopulations for each project. It is at the discretion of the region to include information in the project description and the degree of detail is often dependent on what the First Nation has included in their report. Taking a qualitative approach to data collection would be better suited as to how this initiative tracks success, as collecting quantitative data would increase the reporting burden on First Nations communities. The Indian Lands Registry (ILR) measures registry of lands instruments without regard to demographics.

There is also a significant data gap when it comes to tracking how the FNWMI impacts elderly people, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with health issues. Approaches to addressing these data needs will be identified following engagement with partners and will inform the FNWMI's GBA Plus Guidance document.

PLMCP participant data is not tracked or reported by partners at a level of granularity that would support GBA Plus Analysis. There is ongoing discussion regarding the willingness and feasibility of tracking the gender identity, sexuality, age, disability status, and educational attainment of PLMCP students prior to program participation.

There is currently little to no disaggregated data on Indigenous businesses (such as: owned by Indigenous men, Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous youth, First Nation, Inuit, Métis); therefore, efforts will be made to be inclusive of organizations that represent intersectional identities. It is important to note that ISC is actively working with key Indigenous partners to build on and improve current data strategies. Research is also underway to support building and/or expanding current and future data streams. The directorate is also implementing decolonial and Indigenous methodologies to enhance reporting mechanisms to overcome challenges related to lack of information with GBA Plus indicators to disaggregated data via gender, age, among other variables.

Program Goals:

The Other Community Infrastructure and Activities program provides targeted funding for general community infrastructure projects on reserve. The goal of the program is 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 eight types of infrastructure in line with the Other Community Infrastructure program, including: roads and bridges, connectivity, culture and recreational facilities, fire protection, energy systems, planning and skills, and structural mitigation. First Nation communities identify priorities and needs in their First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plans and funding is then allocated for projects based on a national priority assessment. Project proposals are submitted by the First Nations communities to the regional offices and evaluated at the national level to determine the priority projects to be funded.

The impacts of this program support the pillars and goals of the Gender Results Framework, through the Economic Participation and Prosperity goal as well as the Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being goal.

Focus Population:

First Nations Peoples and communities where funding is provided through the Capital Facilities Maintenance Program and the First Nation Infrastructure Fund for Other Community Infrastructure and Activities (Cultural and Recreation Facilities, Planning and Skills, Structural Mitigation, Administrative buildings, Energy Systems, Fire Protection, Connectivity and Roads and bridges).

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Rural, Remote/Isolated regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Local and community-driven infrastructure projects improve the overall social well-being and economic prosperity of First Nation communities on reserve and supports First Nations in their efforts to develop healthier, more sustainable communities. The Other Community Infrastructure component of this initiative can provide investments in roads and bridges, connectivity, cultural and recreational infrastructure, fire protection, energy systems, planning and skills development, administrative buildings, and structural mitigation against natural disasters. Currently, each First Nation develops their infrastructure plan according to their needs and priorities and proposed projects are assessed based on four priorities: protection of health and safety and assets; health and safety improvements; recapitalization/major maintenance; and population growth.

Overall, investments in community infrastructure will help bridge the infrastructure gap between First Nations and the rest of Canada and positively impact First Nation communities.

Key program impacts on gender and diversity

Key program impact statistics:

The program does not currently directly collect disaggregated data (or other socio-economic data) to analyze and assess the immediate impacts of ISC infrastructure investments on demographic groups or identity groups which may experience inequitable outcomes from program interventions that are not specific e.g., First Nations in particular regions or sub-regions. A GBA Plus consultant was hired via an external process to assess existing internal infrastructure planning processes, identify gaps, and recommend potential entry points on ways to better integrate GBA Plus considerations into First Nations infrastructure program planning and performance measurement.

Other Key Program impacts:

The Fall 2018 Report from the Auditor General of Canada concluded that accessibility to broadband high-speed Internet continues to lag behind for certain population groups in Canada, notably communities in rural and remote areas, which includes First Nation communities. The World Bank report titled Making Infrastructure Work for Women and Men (1995 - 2009) states that this could limit education and economic development opportunities for Indigenous women and girls. An increase in connectivity allows women to access support network and can provide a platform for health-related education. It can also give women access to a supportive network of other women with similar experiences. Improved connectivity could lead to improved primary and secondary education and new opportunities for post-secondary education, training, and lifelong learning. It provides youth with access to online resources and connects them with others, allowing them to share information and collaborate. Improved connectivity also allows remote communities to access a wide range of entertainment products and services, provides opportunities to develop new forms of cultural expression, and provides the tools to explore traditional languages and cultures. This is critical for children and youth, as they are developing their individuality and their sense of self.

The program is committed to helping First Nations bridge the digital divide, as reliable high-speed internet is an essential tool. The department continues to support communities through funding for connectivity projects via the First Nation Infrastructure Fund, but also coordinates closely with federal partners to leverage other sources of funding, when possible.

In some areas of Other Community Infrastructure, Indigenous Elders, women, people with disabilities, youth and children are likely to benefit more from these investments, such as investments in cultural and recreational facilities, fire protection, and cultural and recreational facilities. Fire protection particularly benefits people that are disproportionately impacted by fire incidents – lower income on-reserve households, unemployed First Nations, lone parents, people with disabilities, children under the age of six, and seniors over the age of 65 – simply by reducing the number of fire-related incidents. Culture and recreation facilities help to ensure Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people have safe, no-barrier, permanent, and meaningful access to their cultures and languages and help contribute to building identities and vibrant cultures. Research shows that cultural and recreational centers and similar facilities are used mainly by women for child care, skills training, counseling, peer learning, literacy and rights education, etc. Improved cultural and recreational infrastructure could have a larger positive impact on the lives of women than men in Indigenous communities. (CSICP, 2023).

Supplementary Information Sources:

The Fall 2018 Report from the Auditor General of Canada concluded that accessibility to broadband high-speed Internet continues to lag behind for certain population groups in Canada, notably communities in rural and remote areas, which includes First Nation communities.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The contract for a GBA Plus consultant was secured in 2022–2023 so that they could assess the existing internal infrastructure planning processes, identify gaps, and recommend potential entry points on ways to better integrate GBA Plus considerations into First Nations infrastructure program planning and performance measurement.

ISC Infrastructure Programs for First Nations on reserve does not directly collect sex or gender-disaggregated data (or other socio-economic data related to GBA Plus) to analyze and assess the immediate differential impacts of ISC infrastructure investments.

First Nations develop their infrastructure plan according to their needs and priorities through the First Nations Infrastructure Investment Plan process and proposed projects are assessed based on the following four priorities:

• Protection of health and safety and assets;
• Health and safety improvements;
• Recapitalization/major maintenance; and
• Population growth.

In accordance with the applicable program terms and conditions, the provision and management of adequate and safe community infrastructure on reserve is the responsibility of First Nations. As a result, and due to the lack of data required to analyze and assess the immediate impacts of diverse groups within First Nations infrastructure investments, it has been difficult to specify the differential impacts infrastructure investments could have on First Nations women, men, elders, youth, single parents, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ people for each community.

The community infrastructure program also does not currently directly collect disaggregated other socio-economic data to analyze and assess the immediate impacts of ISC infrastructure investments on particular demographic groups which may experience inequitable outcomes from program interventions that are not specific e.g., First Nations in particular regions or sub-regions.

Program Goals:

The program has at its foundation the administration of the governance provisions of the Indian Act, and the First Nations Elections Act, which includes: Training and supporting electoral officers in the conduct of First Nation elections held under the election rules of the Indian Act and the First Nations Elections Act; Receiving, reviewing, investigating and making recommendations on appeals of elections held under the Indian Act (which is required by the statute); and, Supporting First Nations in developing and ratifying their own community election codes under the Conversion to Community Election System Policy. In administering these responsibilities, the program provides the support First Nations require to hold solid, open and transparent elections in accordance with the rules and procedures established in the statutes. With solid uncontested elections, First Nations governments have the legitimacy and one of the foundational elements to govern effectively and make decisions for the good of their communities. The program also supports First Nations in examining alternative electoral systems (First Nations Elections Act or community election codes).

Focus Population:

First Nations and individuals residing On Reserve

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: 60 per cent - 79 per cent men

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

While there may be statistical gender disparity in terms of position distribution between men and women for elected officials in First Nation governments, proper interpretation of results will be required in years to come. Standalone gender parity (or lack thereof) results may not be a result of specific barriers to holding office or barriers to participating in governance activities. While access to elected office and law making may, at face value, appear to be influenced by factors such as age, sex and gender or sexual orientation, one can't assume or reach conclusions on statistical split alone. In fact, electoral data may not be the accurate measure at all for participation rates. Better census data and questionnaires directed at First Nation populations could reveal other answers.

Answers are therefore undoubtedly more complex. For example, there is less of an income gap in First Nations when it comes to candidates attaining elected office. There is a marked elimination of financial benchmarks and requirements found elsewhere in Canadian electoral systems (municipal, provincial, federal). In fact, nomination provisions found both in the Indian Act and First Nations Elections Act do not impose candidate entry fee requirements, fundraising requirements, or submission or release of personal financial information. This eliminates a financial barrier that can be found elsewhere, including custom election regimes where Indigenous Services Canada has no legal standing. More importantly, there are no gender exclusion provisions that impede men or women from seeking elected office. Lack of legislative or bureaucratic limitations also presents an opportunity for young adults of any gender identification to step forward and seek elected office given freedom from generally accepted or colonial electoral restraint. It's also possible that age, gender and sexual orientation are reflected in the numbers based on community, societal, or electoral choice and preferences.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

The sub-program has had an impact on diverse sub-populations of the focus population by providing training on both electoral and law making subject matter in Governance Operations available to all persons. This is in accordance with the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Invitation to courses and seminars are fully open, transparent, inclusive and are issued to support all peoples working in Governance Operation settings. All Indigenous peoples are invited and welcome to attend whether it be through their Band Office, tribal council or regional office.

With the First Nations Elections Act and Regulations now in effect in First Nations communities, women make up more than a quarter of First Nations councilors. The percentage of women elected as councilors has increased since reporting began in 1992, from 21 percent to 27 percent in 2019 with a peak of 31 percent in 2008–2009. Also, close to one in five chiefs in First Nation communities are women. In 1992, 12 percent of chiefs in First Nation communities were women. Although the proportion increased to 20 percent by 2008, it declined slightly over the next several years and has remained relatively stable for more than a decade.

The Government of Canada recognizes that 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, ISC works with First Nation leadership to facilitate the transition away from the Indian Act, a federally imposed governance system that does not take into account the specific circumstances and integral matters surrounding the culture and traditions of individual communities. Through this new electoral process ISC is never involved in elections held under community or custom election processes, nor will it interpret, decide on the validity of the process, or resolve election appeals. However, the process for Custom Codes requires a departmental review to ensure that the Codes put forth abide by, and comply with, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and jurisprudence related to First Nation elections.

While work remains to achieve gender parity in leadership roles within First Nation communities, elections held under a Custom Community Code allow participation by any individual seeking leadership during the electoral process. This electoral system enables greater accessibility for electors whom may be affected by barriers such as geographical distance and physical disability, and provides flexible timeframes in which voting is made possible.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The program is working to ensure that all attendance lists provide for identification of gender.

Collection of gender data in training and certification will provide statistics which can then be compared with success rates of those seeking office and their ability to participate in law making, public administration and management of Indigenous communities.

Gender has not been previously tracked for provision of electoral and by-law training. Band Governance Management System data is only as reliable as the level of regional office input recorded into the system.

As the department does not currently have any processes for tracking gender identities or sexual orientation of candidates, there is currently no data to reflect the number of 2SLGBTQI+ candidates. At this time, the Band Governance Management System has been updated to include Two-Spirit as an option under Gender for those elected officials who choose to identify themselves as such. This will allow for a further disaggregation of data as time goes on.

Program Goals:

The Water and Wastewater program contributes to the Departmental Result "Indigenous people have reliable and sustainable infrastructure", by providing funding to plan, design, construct, acquire, operate and maintain water and wastewater systems, including the treatment and distribution of water and the collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater. More specifically, the program provides funding to: coordinate training and capacity building for activities related to water and wastewater facilities; identify on-reserve water and wastewater infrastructure needs; develop water and wastewater infrastructure capital plans; and design and implement management practices for water and wastewater facilities maintenance. The goal of the program is to support First Nations in their efforts to have reliable and sustainable water infrastructure that meets health and safety standards and provides residents of Indigenous communities with a level of service comparable to Canadians in non-First Nations communities. First Nations identify priorities and needs and present project proposals to the department.

Overall, access to essential community infrastructure like water and wastewater systems positively impacts all members of the community. While all members of a First Nations community experience negative impacts of not having access to clean and safe water and treated wastewater, the negative impacts on vulnerable peoples, such as women, elderly, children, and low income peoples, are notably amplified when gendered roles and responsibilities are taken into consideration.

The program recognizes the under-representation of Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, non-binary, and other gender diverse groups in the field of water and wastewater operations and is working to identify barriers (identify gaps in resources, training, and supports) and increase awareness of the field and the role of water operators in the community.

Focus Population:

All Peoples living On Reserve in a First Nations community

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Overall, essential community infrastructure like water and wastewater systems positively impacts all members of the community. All members of a First Nations community experience negative impacts of not having access to clean and safe water and treated wastewater.

Reliable water and wastewater infrastructure can particularly benefit people with disproportionately greater needs for clean water due to health impacts, such as pregnant people, seniors, people with disabilities, children, and caregivers. In addition, when gendered roles and responsibilities are taken into consideration, the negative impacts on vulnerable peoples, such as women, elderly, children, and low income peoples, are notably amplified. Research (Human Rights Watch, 2016; Haworth-Brockman, 2009) has shown that primary caregiving responsibilities often fall to Indigenous women; inadequate quality water can add hours to simple caregiving tasks, such as bathing and other personal hygiene, cleaning, cooking, preparing infant formulas, and/or doing the laundry.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

As reliable water and wastewater infrastructure can benefit all members of a First Nation community, the key impacts become difficult to quantify – including the impacts on diverse subpopulations of the focus population.

The department does not collect gender-disaggregated data or socio-economic impact data in the performance framework for its First Nations Water and Wastewater Program. However, the program recognizes the under-representation of Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, non-binary, and other gender diverse groups in the field. Currently, the department monitors Key Program Impacts through the collection of annual performance data on water and wastewater systems, tracking funding investments for infrastructure projects, as well as tracking funding support for operations and maintenance.

Supplementary Information Sources:

The department is conducting a review and analysis of 2021 Census data from Statistics Canada.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

To address under-representation and enhance diversity in the field of water and wastewater operations, the department is currently working to understanding barriers (gaps in resources, training, and supports) and increasing awareness of the field and the role of water operators in the community. Moreover, the program is exploring ways to incorporate a GBA Plus lens into routine and annual reporting for its water operator support program, the Circuit Rider Training Program.

Starting in 2022-23, ISC has taken steps to better understand the support measures needed for water and wastewater operators, as well as characterize potential barriers to training and workforce participation. ISC has started conducting workforce demographic analyses (2022-23 to present), as well as assessing how gender-based reporting and data collection measures can be incorporated into its annual reporting which began in 2021. To diversify, build capacity, and enhance recruitment measures for water and wastewater operators, the department has been providing funding support for tailored engagement initiatives for youth and women, including:

• The Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation's Technical Youth Career Outreach Program (TYCOP) (2020-21 to 2024-25);
• The Native Women's Association of Canada's Water Carriers Project to gather perspectives of women and gender diverse people on their roles, experiences, and access to clean water (2022-23 to 2023-24);
• A one-year pilot project with Clan Mothers Turtle Lodge to provide water operator training for trauma survivors (2022-23); and,
• A Call for Proposals for capacity building initiatives of up to two years (2022-23 to 2023-24).

The majority of capacity building initiatives, recommended for funding by a committee, are ongoing and included tailored initiatives such as community outreach and awareness raising, youth internship programs, youth education and outreach, and development of a variety of training materials which is expected to be complete in Spring 2024.

ISC is also currently undertaking a review of all its GBA Plus indicators and assessments for infrastructure programs, in order to establish a plan to improve monitor performance going forward. This work includes analyzing current practices to better integrate intersectional considerations into reporting processes, as well as analyzing the impacts of funding investments on different demographic groups. A GBA Plus consultant was identified in the Spring of 2023 to aid in this work. Further analysis and recommendations are anticipated in the Fall 2023/Winter 2024.

On reserve, the provision of safe drinking water is a shared responsibility among First Nations communities and the Government of Canada. The department provides advice and financial support for water services and infrastructure, including the construction, upgrade, operation and maintenance of water treatment facilities on reserve. First Nations are responsible for the planning, design, procurement, construction, and operation and maintenance of the infrastructure.

The department acknowledges that much work must be done to address the existing data gaps relating to the direct, indirect, and unintended impacts of water and wastewater funding on diverse specific demographic subpopulations of First Nations communities on reserve. To this extent, the department is undertaking a number of initiatives in 2023-24 to better quantify and qualify the impacts, positive and/or negative, of access to clean water on underrepresented members in First Nations communities through its current work with the Native Women's Association of Canada on the Water Carriers Project, and GBA Plus consultant on intersectional considerations and performance indicators.

Program Goals:

The British Columbia Tripartite Initiative consists of an arrangement among the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, and British Columbia First Nations. In 2011, the federal and provincial Ministers of Health and British Columbia First Nations signed the British Columbia Tripartite Framework Agreement on First Nation Health Governance, which committed to the creation of a new province-wide First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) to assume the responsibility for the design, management, and delivery/funding of First Nations health programming in British Columbia. The federal government remains a funder and governance partner but no longer has a role in program design/delivery. The program objective is to enable the First Nations Health Authority to develop and deliver quality health services that feature closer collaboration and integration with provincial health services.

The FNHA 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 BC, leading to just and equitable treatment. The FNHA states that they are "committed to making room for everyone, and are inclusive in their communications, information-sharing, and discussions." Furthermore, the FNHA's Draft Multi-Year Health Plan 2022-23 to 2026-27 indicates that its vision and 7 Directives support the traditions of their matriarchs, as well as lift up their 2SLGBTQI+ leaders working to decolonize gender and reclaim the important roles they hold in many First Nations cultures.

Focus Population:

First Nation Communities (Health Transformation is applied to all First Nations living in British Columbia and is not aimed at a specific gender, income level or age group)

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, and Remote/Isolated regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The First Nations Health Authority has raised key issues relating to cultural safety and humility in the health system which has shaped the experiences and health outcomes of First Nation women which could contribute to health issues, including chronic health conditions, mental issues and substance abuse issues.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

In 2023, the BC FNHA Canada Funding Agreement was renewed for 10 years, totaling $8.2 billion (starting in fiscal year 2023-24). This renewal will provide sustainable funding to the FNHA to further address existing disparities and inequities in health care, as well as the continued redesign of health system innovations and the delivery of new or redesigned health and wellness programs. In addition, funding will support the FNHA to work with communities, the Province, and the federal government to respond to the social determinants of health over this 10 year period. This work will continue to respond to the FNHA's commitment to inclusivity.

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

The First Nations Population Health and Wellness Agenda report expands the original suite of the FNHA's seven indicators to monitor progress and health improvements into a broader set of 22 indicators and targets that will be monitored over the next 10 years. These expanded indicators are grounded in First Nations teachings and guided by reconciliation and relationship building. This data will be disaggregated by sex (male and female). Indicators will be updated to reflect this report and data sets and will inform performance indicators as it relates to short, medium and long- term results on accessing culturally appropriate and improved health services for BC First Nations communities.

All operational responsibilities for the management and delivery of health programs and services for First Nations in British Columbia were transferred to the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) as of October 2013. Since that time, all decisions relating to health program activities and funding allocations are determined by the FNHA in accordance with their Multi-Year Health Plan, which is a forward- looking document and covers a five- year period. As a result, Canada does not have any service delivery responsibilities and has no control on how the funding is allocated in British Columbia. Consequently, it is challenging for Canada to directly qualitatively assess the potential impact of this initiative on sub-populations among First Nations in British Columbia, including diverse groups of women, youth, gender-diverse individuals, Elders, persons with disabilities, and people living in remote or isolated communities.

Canada is currently working with the First Nations Health Authority on designing an approach to evaluate the Tripartite Framework Agreement. Of the themes being framed for the evaluation, the two areas that stand where performance indicators will be developed to evaluate the success of BC Tripartite Health Governance are, "building an Integrated Health System in BC" and "Improving Health Determinants and Health Outcomes". Partners will be developing Indicators to inform the outcomes of whether BC First Nations have improved access to health services and if BC First Nations have access to integrated health services. The aim would be to collect data to inform these indicators that could also inform gaps in access from a GBA Plus perspective.

Program Goals:

The purpose of the program is to support First Nations to improve social and health outcomes by providing enhanced flexibility and predictability of funding, in a context of mutual accountability. The grant is a funding mechanism used by the New Fiscal Relationship (NFR) program, to be sourced from existing reference levels. Funding for the Grant is sourced from the following categories of programs: funding related to core and ongoing services; funding currently provided through block funding arrangements; funding not constrained by a special purpose allotment; and, funding not targeted to a specific project. The Grant should provide important benefits including: greater opportunities for long-term planning; flexibility in allocating, managing and using funding to better accommodate local needs and changing circumstances and priorities; ability to retain unexpected funds; and, reduced administrative and reporting burdens.

The 10-year grants advance the self-determination of First Nations and thereby advance the Gender Results Framework goals of economic equality, full participation in the economy reduced poverty and improved health outcomes.

Focus Population:

First Nations

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

The NFR Grant provides funding to First Nations for 11 core services, which are then designed and delivered by communities in accordance with their priorities and values, and thus it is difficult to specify how the grant might have direct differential impacts on specific identity-based groups. First Nations have the flexibility to be responsive to the diversity within their communities, including gender, age, disability, sexuality and other identity factors.

Nonetheless, there may be differential impacts or barriers of access related to the capacity of various communities to be eligible for or to fully implement the flexibilities of the Grant, which may vary between Northern/remote and urban communities and level of economic prosperity.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

ISC regional offices hold annual meetings with NFR Grant recipients and gather informal information on the results of the Grant. For example, the flexibility of the Grant and upfront funding allowed First Nations to respond more quickly and effectively to the emergency situations.

Additionally, while governance capacity can affect the ability of First Nations to join the Grant, 17 First Nations that were formerly in default have been able to join indicating that existing mitigation factors are at least somewhat successful in reducing barriers of access related to existing governance capacity.

Supplementary Information Sources:

Statistics Canada

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

An evaluation of the Grant is planned to begin in 2023-24. The evaluation will include questions related to: the extent to which the NFR Grant contributes to the adoption of more responsive and culturally competent service delivery approaches amongst First Nations, and whether the NFR Grant aligns with First Nations' priorities related to equity across intersectional identity factors, including but not limited to: gender, identity, age, (dis)ability, health condition, etc.

The National Outcome-Based Framework (NOBF), which is a key component of mutual accountability in the New Fiscal Relationship, will seek to provide disaggregated information, including by gender and other factors, such as age, geography and income, on the socio-economic gaps between First Nations and non-Indigenous Canadians. The type and level of disaggregation will vary with each indicator included in the framework, depending on the availability of data. The framework will first be validated by First Nations through a First Nations-in-Assembly resolution. The framework will contribute to discussions with First Nations across ISC programming on priorities for addressing socio-economic gaps and represents a major opportunity to improve the quality and consistency of GBA Plus application across the department.

The Grant is based on the principle that First Nations are primarily accountable to their members and thus reporting to ISC was reduced by over 90%. As First Nations provide strategic plans and annual reports to their members and decide how best to collect and provide information and data on specific subpopulations, which is consistent with the principle of First Nations data sovereignty. These principles limit the availability of gender and diversity data collection.

To help improve the disaggregation of indicators included in the NOBF, ISC has been contributing to the priority setting process for the allocation of funding provided to Statistics Canada through the Transformative Approach to Indigenous Data initiative to improve the availability of disaggregated data related to Indigenous Peoples.

Program Goals:

The Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data (TAID) supports First Nations (on- and off-reserve), Inuit, and Métis Nations with suitable age group, gender and geographic disaggregation. ISC is supporting Indigenous Peoples to build the data capacity they need for Indigenous-led data strategies and data sovereignty that will enable them 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. Indigenous Peoples have called for the Government of Canada to support Indigenous data sovereignty and to improve the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in Canada's national statistics by producing data that are culturally relevant and robust enough to be broken down along multiple (intersectional) lines. Disaggregated data and Indigenous-led, distinctions-based approaches are key to GBA Plus, where the "plus" acknowledges all individuals have multiple identity factors like race, ethnicity, age, etc., which intersect to shape their outcomes and lived experiences.

Focus Population:

Indigenous Peoples

Distribution of Benefits

By gender: Broadly gender-balanced

By income level: No significant distributional impacts

By age group: No significant inter-generational impacts or impacts generation between youth and seniors

By distinction: Primarily benefits First Nations communities and/or individuals, but also services Inuit and Métis communities

By geography: Benefits Indigenous communities and/or individuals located On Reserve or in Urban, Rural, Remote/Isolated, Inuit Nunangat and Northern regions

Specific Demographic Group Outcomes:

Supported by $81.5 million announced in Budget 2021, ISC is proceeding with Phase 1 (FY 2022-23 to 2024-25) of a Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data (TAID). The initiative as a whole is expected to take a minimum of three phases and six years of development, and will culminate in First Nations-, Inuit-, and Métis-led statistical capacity in the form of distinctions-based institutions, organizations, or functions.

To support the inclusivity of diverse populations within each distinctions group, ISC is encouraging each of the Indigenous Delivery Partners to engage with national Indigenous women's organizations, Friendship Centres and other organizations serving urban Indigenous Peoples, Elders, seniors, youth, and individuals with a variety of gender identities, expressions, and abilities. ISC is also encouraging the Indigenous Delivery partners to address the question of what specific populations their respective statistical organizations will serve, so that any potential gaps (e.g., urban populations) can be effectively addressed in later phases of the TAID.

It is expected that, as part of their design of the statistical institutions/functions, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis will begin defining their own tailored approaches to GBA Plus that reflect their unique circumstances and intersections that impact the lives of their Peoples.

As a complement to the data strategy work being undertaken by the Indigenous Delivery partners, ISC is facilitating data sharing with Indigenous partners as a first step towards the eventual transfer of departmental data assets to Indigenous control, and Statistics Canada is supporting Indigenous partners' work to advance data sovereignty and play a lead role in efforts to improve the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in Canada's national statistics.

ISC's work on data sharing may disproportionately benefit First Nations, as First Nations data makes up a high percentage of ISC's data holdings. No other differential impacts of this work are currently anticipated, but will be monitored.

Statistics Canada's work to improve the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in Canada's national statistics will have an overall positive impact on GBA Plus, as the work will focus on improving the availability of distinctions-based data and more granular data to support intersectional analysis. However, this work will have less benefit for First Nations living on reserve and potentially Inuit in the north, as Statistics Canada's household surveys are typically not conducted on reserve and northern coverage is less robust owing to high cost and respondent burden.

Key Program Impacts on Gender and Diversity

Other Key Program impacts:

The Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data (TAID) initiative focuses on advancing Indigenous data capacity to support the inherent strengths, resilience, and knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples as a foundational component of Indigenous self-determination and will culminate in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis-led statistical capacity in the form of distinctions-based institutions, organizations, or functions that are structured and governed according to the unique needs and perspectives of each distinctions group. As a complement, ISC is facilitating data sharing with Indigenous partners as a first step towards the eventual transfer of departmental data assets to Indigenous control, and Statistics Canada is supporting Indigenous partners' work to advance data sovereignty and play a lead role in efforts to improve the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in Canada's national statistics.

The initiative supports representation across the distinctions groups through the distinctions-based design of the initiative, which includes separate First Nations-, Inuit-, and Métis-led streams, which reflect their different contexts and aspirations, as well as the extent to which their visions for data governance are developed and ready to be implemented. Improving Indigenous data capacity supports reconciliation and nurtures government-to-government and nation-to-nation relationships, not only by providing better data to support resource allocation, service delivery and accountability, but also by providing the means for Indigenous Peoples to tell their own stories and demonstrating the Government of Canada's commitment to Indigenous self determination, in alignment with An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Supplementary Information Sources:

First Nations Data Governance Strategy

Strengthening the Availability of First Nations Data, a 2019 study commissioned by the AFN-ISC Joint Advisory Committee on Fiscal Relations

National Inuit Strategy on Research

GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:

Although ultimately the focus of the Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data is institutional development, KPIs to be collected in the intermediate and ultimate terms are flexible for GBA Plus integration. ISC meets with the Indigenous Delivery Partners regularly and will continue to encourage them to work with diverse groups and to articulate their vision for GBA Plus into reporting under their Contribution Agreements, and in final deliverables. Due to the strong distinctions-based focus of the initiative, which is reflected in the performance indicators, ISC will have a strong sense throughout the course of the initiative of differential impacts of this initiative on distinctions groups.

In addition, Statistics Canada's work on improving the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in Canada's National Statistics has culminated in an investment plan to collect new distinctions-based data, as well as a suite of projects to be co-developed with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners.

ISC's work on TAID to better facilitate data sharing with external partners is primarily about the process of data sharing. ISC is working to better integrate GBA Plus considerations into the data sharing KPIs that will be collected to measure on intermediate outcomes, as well as in the data sharing trackers that the department manages (e.g., breaking down data requests by distinction, on/off reserve, etc.).

Efforts will be made to improve the line of sight on GBA Plus relevance in data being shared externally. The further development of departmental data sharing will enable KPIs to better integrate GBA Plus into reporting.

Additionally, as the Indigenous Delivery Partners develop their data strategies, ISC is planning to work with them to help articulate their own understandings and visions of GBA Plus for the statistical institutions/functions that will be formed under the initiative. It is likely that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners will express GBA Plus in a different form than the Government of Canada, as well as between the distinctions groups, therefore developing a coherent and succinct story of GBA Plus for this initiative may present a challenge.

The Audit and Evaluation Sector

• Took steps to ensure that activities within the sector were more inclusive to allow for increased diversity and perspectives in the group, and foster a work environment that encourages varying perspectives, allowing everyone to be heard in sector decision making.

The Administrative Services Branch

• System upgrades that will enable universal characters for Indigenous Employees who wish to have their Indigenous name on their departmental ID Cards, and the ability to identify procurement contracts by sub populations.
• Ensuring inclusive service provision for external partners (under contract) in the delivery of relocation services.
• Updated and revised relocation questionnaires that must be answered by all employees seeking relocation services to include more inclusive GBA Plus language.
• Introduced a pioneering building standard to foster an inclusive work environment, including the incorporation of universal, gender-inclusive (gender-neutral) washrooms in departmental workplace modernization projects providing there are no base-building constraints or infrastructure limitations.
• Working with the departmental 2SLGBTQI+ network on a process that will allow 2SLGBTQI+ departmental employees to have their chosen name displayed on their departmental ID Cards.
• Made a significant effort toward meeting the Government of Canada's target to have 5% of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses.
• Custodial Real Property Services that are focused on the divestiture and/or demolition of property holdings sought to ensure that all decisions and processes where there was any possibility of impact on communities were made with significant community consultation and that in most cases, processes were community led.

The Information Management Branch

• Further enhanced an inclusive work environment by continuing to adapt and improve technology systems and tools to maintain accessibility for all employees, irrespective of their abilities, gender, age, or cultural background.
• Providing ongoing support for remote work technology which continued to promote diversity and inclusion as it enabled participation from employees in various locations, including remote Indigenous communities.
• Ensured a more data-driven approach to inclusive decision-making by pursuing data analysis and reporting related to GBA Plus, which in turn provides consistency to insights and enables disparities among different sub-populations to be identified and addressed.
• Worked to ensure that future software and tools are analyzed for accessibility, in order to enable all employees, regardless of their abilities or location, to access and benefit from them.

Communications and Public Affair Sector

• The application of GBA Plus was welcomed by employees and had a positive impact on the work environment and the quality of communications products developed, particularly when applying GBA Plus in conjunction with cultural competency and ISC's distinctions-based approach, as it enhanced ISC's ability to develop sensitive and attuned messaging for specific audiences, including raising public awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and supporting ISC's nurse recruitment campaign. These communications products were developed to appeal to specific groups and in some instances are designed to serve Indigenous communities specifically.
• To support the application of GBA Plus the Communications Sector codeveloped, alongside the GBA Plus Responsibility Center, a specific GBA Plus communications toolkit and training which includes case studies aimed specifically at applying GBA Plus to ISC communications activities and products. This training is meant to enhance the ability of sector employees to apply GBA Plus at all stages of the communications planning process with a view to overcoming barriers to access for various demographic groups.
• Given the nature of the ISC mandate, GBA Plus has been embraced by the majority of sector employees. However, the GC communications function is highly mobile and employee turnover requires a well-organized approach to ensuring new employees understand how to apply GBA Plus to ISC communication activities.
• Culturally Competent GBA Plus is beginning to be more rigorously applied in program creation, maintenance processes and effective strategic considerations and the delivery of key messaging and communications. This is particularly important to ensure communications products reach specific audiences including First Nations, Inuit and Métis as well as ISC Employees. A GBA Plus lens is inherent to the development of strategic communications for our program partners.

Human Resources and Workplace Branch (HRWSB)

• Helped increase diversity among employees, including senior public service leaders, contributing to a culture of inclusion that will combat racism and remove systemic barriers.
• Feedback and expertise provided by Human Resources and Workplace Services on the Return To Worksite Toolkit for Managers and Employees resulted in critical discussions on how to better integrate GBA Plus methodology across the various branch files in the future, including integrating this methodology into project management practices.
• With respect to the mandated return to the office, Human Resources and Workplace Services made efforts to enhance the well-being of specific groups, when possible, by:
  • Analyzing the impact of the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace on employees.
  • Creating an interdisciplinary group comprised of Internal Services partners to coordinate and prepare employees and worksites to the new Direction, along with a virtual suggestion box to allow employees to share their thoughts.
  • Providing information sessions on the implementation of the on-site presence to managers.
• Supporting the Positive Space Initiative to offer sessions to employees.
• This branch continues to work to increase expertise and stabilize the team supporting the application of the GBA Plus lens within the HRWSB.

Audit and Evaluation Sector—ISC Audit Services

• Internal Audit considered applicable elements of GBA Plus approaches to interviews with clients, assessment of risk, and the content of deliverables, including the framing of report content. Recommendations resulting from this approach have helped to foster inclusion and ensure advice considers the impact on Indigenous people and are not solely focused on departmental process and outcomes.

The Departmental Planning and Management Practices Branch (DPMP)

• DPMP's planning, reporting, and performance management portfolios continued their close collaboration with the GBA Plus Responsibility Center to collect information about the department's GBA Plus work and advance the department's application of GBA Plus in planning, performance measurement, and reporting.
• DPMP is preparing to refresh program performance measurement strategies through the update of Performance Information Profiles (PIP) in alignment with Treasury Board policy. The requirement and templates for PIPs have been revised, in partnership with the GBA Plus Responsibility Center, to better include GBA Plus considerations and more fully document disaggregated data needs and sources.
• Reporting templates to capture departmental planning activities and reporting results were enhanced with more prompts and language to help sectors and internal services better identify and document the application of GBA Plus to their everyday work.

Information Management Branch

• The Information Management Branch deploys accessible technologies and software that can aid in the integration of GBA Plus in all departmental operations. This includes providing platforms for GBA Plus training, ensuring all software used is gender-neutral and accessible. The deployment of select software also has the ability to assess the accessibility of documents and presentations.
• The IM/IT branch can provide crucial data analysis and visualization tools that support evidence-based decision making in line with GBA Plus. This will enable the department to track disparities among different groups and assess the impact of its initiatives.
• Corporate Information Management Directorate (CIMD) held an open session for staff with the GBA Plus Responsibility Center to further educate and inform employees on applying Gender-Base Analysis Plus in their work.
• Despite their efforts, existing software and technology platforms may not fully support the incorporation of unique cultural identifiers, like Indigenous characters, or individual preferences like pronoun choices. This limitation presents a challenge in creating a completely inclusive digital environment. Although, this limitation is being taken into consideration with the Administrative Services Branch can positively impact the department as a whole should system upgrades enable universal characters.
• An additional limitation the Information Management Branch is experiencing is that while their recruitment efforts focus on diversity and inclusivity, finding candidates from diverse backgrounds with the necessary technical skills can be difficult. This can slow down their progress in ensuring their workforce reflects the communities ISC serves and in developing more inclusive solutions.

Strategic Research and Data Innovation Branch

• As an internal service, one of the priorities of the Strategic Research and Data Innovation Branch is to ensure that program and policy areas have data, information and research to inform decision-making. In order to do this, the Statistical Services team manages the Indigenous and Northern Statistics (INSTAT) client enquiries function and is the focal point of contact within ISC for demographic and socio-economic statistical information and analytical advice related to Indigenous peoples. This team provides intersectional data to support GBA Plus being undertaken by ISC programs and policy areas. The team processes over 1000 requests for data every year to assist with many inquires including those related to GBA Plus. In addition to this, the team has worked with ISC's GBA Plus Responsibility Center to inform their needs over the past years and to increase awareness relating to data availability to support GBA Plus, and actively promotes these services through collaboration with the GBA Plus Responsibility Center.
• Some challenges the branch faces includes lack of awareness relating to data availability for GBA Plus analysis, limitations of quantitative data for small populations, and responding to urgent or last minute requests with limited time to assist clients.

Evaluation

• ISC Evaluators are applying the GBA Plus approach in their work, weaving its processes into evaluations to understand how diverse groups of people may be affected differently by ISC policies and programs. To the extent possible, ISC evaluators are applying an intersectional, distinctions-based lens to the whole evaluation cycle, starting at the design phase, through data collection and analyses, and in the generation of findings and recommendations.
• ISC Evaluators employ a distinctions-based lens to design evaluation Technical Advisory Committees and ensure that representation on the committee reflects the diverse knowledge and experience of partners involved in the program.
• ISC Evaluation is also supporting two multi-year evaluation innovation projects with Indigenous partners, which seek to balance Indigenous epistemologies federal evaluation requirements. In all evaluations, ISC Evaluators include a gender-based analysis to inform recommendations aimed at improving ISC programs.
• ISC Evaluation strives to include diverse voices in its evaluations by employing multiple data collection methods tailored for various groups, such as Elders, Youth, Women, and 2SLGBTQI+. Some Policy barriers have been discovered, such as a lack of mechanisms to support a caretaker or helper to accompany a key informant or expert advisor to Working Group and Technical Advisory Committee meetings. ISC Evaluation is working with ISC Senior Management and external Indigenous partners to find avenues forward and address these challenges.
• Given challenges in accessing sufficient disaggregated data at the program level in some ISC Evaluations, the Evaluation team employs a mixed-methods and multidisciplinary approach to research, triangulating evidence from multiple lines of inquiry to reach conclusions and develop recommendations.

Administrative Services Branch

Accommodations: The National Accommodations Directorate (NAD) implemented an internal Occupancy Instrument reporting system for universal, gender-inclusive (gender-neutral) and fully accessible washrooms to track departmental implementation across the country. This will ensure compliance with accessibility regulations and also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and equal access for all individuals within departmental workplaces.

Security: The Security and Emergency Services Directorate (SESD) is currently engaged in the implementation of the aforementioned security card initiative, consulting internally with the relevant employee networks and functional heads and with other government departments to exchange information on best practices.

Procurement: 100% of procurement officers completed the required Indigenous procurement training to support the implementation of the Indigenous Procurement targets. Material and Assets Management Directorate collects Indigenous procurement data through the SAP financial system where significant efforts have been made over the last year to improve the coding in order to be able to track progress. Contracts issued in the Nunavut Settlement Area are reported separately as required by policy.

Relocation: No formal engagement processes were undertaken. However, a user survey is being developed for 2023/24 which will include input from the GBA Plus Responsibility Center.

Real Property: No formal data collection is used for projects under real property, however, given that communities have the attention of the political level, they do have an avenue to provide feedback at senior levels. At this time there are no perceived barriers to applying GBA Plus for Real Property files.

Departmental Management and Management Practices

Although no formal engagement processes were undertaken in the in the Major Projects and Management Practices directorate, improvements to data collections efforts will continue. This can be seen in the development of a survey for 2023-24 with GBA Plus as a component.

Information Management Branch

Through the establishment of the Data Stewardship Network and the development of data resources like the data request intake form, data sharing glossary, and the data learning center, the IM/IT function has facilitated a more informed application of GBA Plus principles. By doing so, it supports data-driven decision making that can support and work in tandem with GBA Plus.

The IM/IT function's sustained investment in the Enterprise Data Hub and analytics tools, including user-friendly and accessible platforms, has expanded the use of data and analytics across the organization.

The decision to invest in the modernization of data management and stewardship indicates the department's commitment to utilizing data for evidence-based decision making including the application of GBA Plus.

The development of an information sharing agreement inventory and the implementation of the data learning center show the steps taken to ensure future monitoring and reporting of the department's impacts on staff, and in supporting others to apply GBA Plus.

Corporate Accounting

In an effort to obtain data on client satisfaction, Corporate Accounting has made training surveys available for clients to provide feedback on services received. The branch has indicated that there are challenges in locating inclusiveness training on how to communicate in a client services environment in the ISC Learning Portal. Some divisions of the branch planning to take training on inclusiveness to support, provide awareness and guide employees communication with internal and external clients.

Communications

Some GBA Plus relevant impacts on sector employees is assessed through the Public Service Employee Survey. The sector also uses a variety of qualitative mechanisms such as individual and group discussions. Impacts on external audiences are assessed through a mix of data regarding reach and engagement and qualitative feedback received from National, Regional and local Indigenous organizations such as the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Assembly of First Nations, Native Women's Associations of Canada and our regional teams. Some examples of data/evidence collection and use in decision-making include:

• The ISC nurse recruitment campaign which resulted in more than 14 million impressions and 56,053 web visits during the campaign period, and resulted in the majority of the 1200 nursing applicants.
• Specific media monitoring reports in place related to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis. Analysis of these reports allows an assessment of the effectiveness of messaging and for adjustments to be made where needed.
• Currently, the Communications and Public Affairs Sector is routinely analyzing PSES data and formulates action plans to address areas where improvements are warranted. Workforce data collection will be enhanced through the use of pulse surveys and additional employee engagement mechanisms going forward.

Human Resources and Workplace

HRWSB collects and responds to data about potential barriers of access or negative impacts of policies and procedures relevant to its functions in many ways, including:

• A virtual suggestions box to provide a space for employees to share their feedback and suggestions on various topics related to the return to worksites was established early in this journey. The comments received were analyzed by each functional authority, including HR who actioned most items.
• Consultations with various sources of expertise, including the GBA Plus team, were made in order to assist with developing responses for enquiries to the virtual suggestion box and implementing actions. The HRWSB are working to increase expertise and stabilize the team supporting the application of the GBA Plus lens within their branch.
• A new self-identification form is about to be launched by TBS and it will provide data that will enable ISC to take more focused action to improve the well-being of the various groups that make up and strengthen the ISC workforce.

HRWSB is an active member of the ISC Inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility leadership council who is responsible for discussing, validating, promoting and enabling departmental strategies, policies and activities that strengthen an organizational culture of diversity and inclusion, equity and anti-racism that contributes to improving the well-being of ISC employees.

Evaluation

ISC Evaluation includes questions on GBA Plus in every evaluation conducted. This supports programs to understand how their services are experienced by diverse populations. ISC Evaluation will continue to do this for every evaluation conducted.

Evaluation will continue gathering data on and analyzing the impacts of ISC programming for Indigenous peoples with a focus on women, children and families, youth, elders, and 2LGBTQI+ populations where possible. ISC Evaluation can continue to seek opportunities to ensure that there is ongoing communication with partners and communities regarding the application of GBA Plus processes in programs and policies, building on recent feedback.

ISC Evaluation seeks information from various and diverse sources to help bridge the gaps when data is insufficient to conduct a GBA Plus analysis, and is increasingly emphasizing models of co-development and co-creation with Indigenous partners in all evaluation projects. ISC Evaluation is hoping to expand its innovation work to include building the capacity to bring a stronger distinctions-based lens to evaluation work as well as expanding the ability to weave the invaluable insights from traditional Indigenous knowledge keepers directly into evaluation processes.