Debates of June 2, 2006 (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions this morning are for the Minister of Finance and perhaps FMBS, and this relates to the arrangements that our government has with many non-government organizations in the delivery of services for our government, Mr. Speaker. Very recently, the voluntary sector and our government put together a study on this area and the study poses a number of very useful questions. I think they’d do well to be heard in the Assembly this morning. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask, for instance, what policy or legislative change or program guidelines would enable more NWT departments to adopt multi-year funding arrangements for work done by voluntary groups, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for FMBS, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of multi-year funding agreements with non-government organizations or NGOs, as we reference them, is something that we have looked at and we have worked with departments to try to identify areas of how we improve in this area. We do have an avenue where we can do that. Of course, every multi-year agreement is dependent on the Assembly’s approval of the year’s budget that comes up. We are also looking within our Financial Administration Act to review where we’re preparing to come forward to this House with a rewrite of that act and looking at those areas to see where we can clarify, even, I guess, put a stronger position in that would address that area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Mr. Speaker, it’s encouraging to know that under the FAA review that we’re going to be looking further into it. I guess for now a number of organizations experience a lot of delays and uncertainty in their funding and their stability. Mr. Speaker, how can our funding mechanisms today be streamlined to improve access to funds and reduce administrative time and stress to these organizations and I would venture, Mr. Speaker, to our own civil service? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we proceed forward from a day-to-day basis as all the rules and policies are in place, those organizations requesting multi-year funding can go to the department they are receiving their funding from and on that basis that department would review that situation and proceed from there. If it requires any other decision items, that would come forward to FMB. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Mr. Speaker, it’s about this time of year that the departments, all the departments begin assembling their business plans for the coming fiscal year. In this, especially in the social program envelope departments, Mr. Speaker, are the core or the service agreements with a number of these organizations. Mr. Speaker, is FMBS going to really seriously look at the variances that have been so well illustrated by a number of these organizations and the difficulties they are having in our competitive job market? Are we going to address this for the coming fiscal year, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a specific request as we’d look at variances or the request for further funding, again, each organization would approach the department responsible for the particular area they are delivering a service and put their requirements in. The department would then, as part of their forced growth submission for the upcoming year, include them in their forced growth submission. So, for example, if an NGO was working with the Department of Health and Social Services or a board, one of the health boards out there, they would put in their request and if the board is accepting of that, would move their request forward to the Department of Health and Social Services. If there was agreement there, then it would come forward in overall Health and Social Services requests for forced growth. There lies the problem. On an annual basis would come forward for forced growth requests. They would have to go through our process and get approved and then be put into the business plan submissions. So that goes back to why we have to, on an annual basis, move forward. Even though there may be a multi-year agreement, it ultimately comes back to this process we use. So these organizations that have requested funding increases from the department, it’s included in their forced growth submissions as we prepare for the next budget cycle. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process is well defined and well understood even with some of its problems, but I guess what I am looking for, Mr. Speaker, is a clear understanding and an acceptance of the fact that NGOs are really being squeezed by a tough job market. What is our readiness to step up to the plate and help them continue to survive, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 32-15(5): Funding For Non-Government Organizations

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think all departments as we enter this next phase of business plan preparations come forward for a request for forced growth. There is going to be, I guess, quite a competition between departments as for their request and what gets approved, because ultimately the requests far outweigh the resources we have and we’ll have to make some decisions based on that. We had recognized that NGOs delivering programs on our behalf are impacted and that’s why in a number of organizations, for example, we laid out the third-party accountability framework, which will allow us to move into the multi-year funding stages that are being requested. Secondly, there needs to be recognition that as all departments review these, what areas are a primary delivery of what we call would normally fall under our responsibility and those areas we have recognized in a number of areas and allowed forced growth to come forward as in previous years they have not. In other organizations somewhat removed, it would become more difficult, but they work with each department and those departments would increase or include those in their forced growth submissions. Thank you.