Terms and Conditions - Aboriginal Community Safety Development Contribution Program (ACSDCP)

1. Authority

The Minister's authority to make transfer payments is section 6(1)(c) of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act, S.C. 2005, ch.10. The Aboriginal Community Safety Development Contribution Program (ACSDCP) for the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (the Department) supports capacity and project development through funding allocations to eligible recipients defined in Section 4 of these Terms and Conditions.

2. Program Description, Objectives and Eligible Initiatives

Program Description:

This program provides contributions to Indigenous organizations (on and off-reserve), Indigenous governments and municipalities in collaboration with Indigenous organizations and or communities to develop tailored approaches to community safety that are responsive to the concerns, priorities and unique circumstances of Indigenous communities. Becoming more responsive requires engaging Indigenous communities in identifying issues and developing solutions; building the capacity of Indigenous communities to develop and deliver projects; addressing funding issues; and ensuring that relevant programs are adaptable to the diverse needs of Indigenous communities.

The ACSDCP includes two initiatives:

1. Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative (ACSPI); and
2. The Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative (ICCI).

The objective of the ACSPI is:

• To enhance or improve Indigenous communities' ability to support the development and/or implementation of community safety plans.

The objectives of the ICCI are:

• To support the development of alternatives to incarceration projects; or
• To provide reintegration support.

The program contributes to the achievement of departmental legislative, policy development, and consultative objectives.

This program, through transfer payments, is structured to link community solutions with policy development. The starting points are appropriate community-based projects taking into account:

1. Under the ACSPI, the safety needs of Indigenous communities, including Indigenous women and girls' safety; and
2. Under the ICCI, the successful community reintegration of Indigenous offenders.

The end points for both are increased knowledge within communities and government as well as effective and appropriate government policies.

Eligible Initiatives:

The program provides funding for:

• Knowledge building
• Knowledge sharing
• Capacity building
• Implementation readiness
• Project implementation

There are two key elements that support these objectives:

• Providing support to communities to enhance willingness, capacity and readiness to implement projects; and
• Supporting the development and implementation of effective projects.

3. Eligible Recipients

Contributions may be provided to the following classes of recipients, only if they have the legal capacity to enter into an agreement in support of the objectives of the ACSDCP:

• Indigenous not-for-profit organizations (on and off-reserve, First Nation, non-status Indian, Métis, Inuit and urban);
• Municipal and other local governments working in collaboration with Indigenous organizations and or communities;
• Indigenous governments including:
  • A "council of the band" within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act, R.S.C. 1985, c.I-5; and
  • A government of a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit community established or acknowledged by an act of Parliament or a legislature.
• Canadian universities and colleges.

An Indigenous not-for-profit organization is one that has been designed and developed by Indigenous people or Indigenous governments.

Crown Corporations, for-profit groups and individuals are not eligible for funding under the ACSDCP.

4. Stacking Limits

The maximum level of total Canadian government funding for any project funded under the ACSDCP is 100% of total eligible expenditures. Projects will be encouraged to find additional sources of funding.

The ACSDCP will require all recipients to disclose all confirmed and potential sources of funding for a proposed project before the start and at the end of a project.

5. Proposal Requirements

The following will be required of all proposals for consideration:

• Applications must clearly demonstrate how their project is either an ACSPI project or an ICCI project;
• The proposal must clearly describe the activities and desired outcomes of the project.  These must relate to the mandate of the department;
• A detailed project description including the anticipated reach and expected results and how it meets the objectives and priorities of the Program;
• The amount of funding requested under the Program;
• An itemized budget for the entire project, disclosing all revenues from all sources (confirmed and potential), including in-kind support, as well as all expected expenses over the life of the project;
• The names, titles and telephone numbers of persons responsible for managing the project; and
• A commitment to provide information on the results.

In addition, to prevent the risk of conflict of interest, the recipient must:

• Disclose any apparent, actual or potential conflict of interest in compliance with Treasury Board policy and disclosing the involvement of any former public servants under the Value and Ethics Code for Public Servants;
• Register lobbyists as required under the Lobbyists Registration Act (applicants shall provide assurance that, where lobbyists are utilized, they are registered in accordance with Treasury Board policy and that no actual or potential conflict of interest exists nor any contingency fee arrangement);
• Comply with the conditions of the Parliament of Canada Act; and
• Discuss the role of a departmental official if a departmental official is to participate on an advisory committee or board. Such involvement must not be seen to be exercising control on the committee or board or on the use of the funds.

6. Selection criteria

Projects will be reviewed against selection criteria set out under each category below.

• Knowledge Building
• Knowledge Sharing
• Capacity Building
• Implementation Readiness
• Project Implementation

a. Knowledge Building supports issues of community safety, reintegration and public policy through identification of information gaps and assemblage of information as a priority area for community safety or reintegration (36 months maximum).

Review Criteria:

For ACSPI projects:

1. The extent to which the project contributes information on community safety development.

For ICCI projects:

1. The extent to which the project contributes information on alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support; and
2. The extent of integration in the criminal justice system that the organization seeking support has.

For both ACSPI projects and ICCI projects:

1. The extent to which the project identifies knowledge gaps and contributes to the development of a knowledge base; and
2. The project does not exceed 36 months.

b. Knowledge Sharing supports the dissemination and communication of knowledge and information to enhance community readiness and capacity prior to the development of Indigenous community safety programs, alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support projects (12 months maximum).

Review Criteria:

For ACSPI projects:

1. Will the project inform the development of community-based safety programs?

For ICCI projects:

1. Will the project inform the development of community-based alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support projects?

For both ACSPI projects and ICCI projects:

1. The extent to which the project contributes to augmentation of knowledge, skill development and capacity enhancement in Indigenous communities;
2. The extent to which the project can be disseminated to a diverse audience;
3. Will the activity(ies) undertaken contribute to public safety; and
4. The project does not exceed 12 months.

c. Capacity building supports the development of abilities and competencies in Indigenous communities to address Indigenous community safety development, alternatives to incarceration or reintegration support (24 months maximum).

Review Criteria:

1. The extent to which the project provides opportunities for communities to seek expertise, training and activities that leads to a strategic response to community safety; and
2. The extent to which the project will lead to the development of an implementation project, model or strategic plan.

1. The extent to which the project provides opportunities for communities to seek expertise, training and activities that leads to a strategic response to alternatives to incarceration and reintegration support; and
2. The extent to which the project will lead to the development of an implementation project or model.

1. The extent to which the project leads to community buy-in; and
2. The project does not exceed 24 months.

d. Implementation Readiness supports the development of community safety implementation plans that will support the development of networks and relationships (24 months maximum).

Review criteria:

For both ACSPI projects and ICCI projects:

1. The extent to which the project promotes internal and external partnerships;
2. The extent to which the project leads to community readiness;
3. The extent to which the project supports federal government horizontality approaches; and
4. The project does not exceed 24 months.

e. Project Implementation supports integrated safety responses including alternatives to incarceration and reintegration support that can involve multiple partners including federal, provincial and community governments and organizations (60 months maximum).

Review criteria:

For ACSPI projects:

1. The extent to which the project provides community-led responses to the safety of Indigenous women and girls.

For ICCI projects:

1. The extent to which the project supports alternatives to incarceration; and
2. The extent to which the project provides reintegration support to offenders returning to the community.

For both ACSPI projects and ICCI projects:

1. The extent to which the project contributes to promising practices and tools that can be developed and widely circulated to other interested Indigenous communities; and
2. The project will not exceed 60 months.

7. Evaluation Procedure

The Department will ask recipients to submit copies of any literature, reports or other products produced in the course of the project, and to provide a statement of the previous year's accomplishments, financial statements, and current and/or future year's budgets.

It will be the responsibility of the PS project manager to monitor the progress of approved projects and prepare an end of project report on the extent to which projects met the funding objectives.

To assist in determining the effectiveness of the contributions relative to the Department's objectives, the manager will review and document the overall activities of the applicant during the previous year, and file relevant copies of reports, proceedings of conferences and special studies or projects undertaken.

8. Type and Nature of Expenditures

Funds may be used only for expenses directly related to the activities of the project identified in a budget approved by the Department. 

PS may consider reimbursement of eligible pre-execution expenditures incurred prior to the signing of the Contribution Agreement on an exceptional basis. Such exceptional basis entails the potential loss of critical project resource(s) or the delivery of the project will be jeopardized.

8.1 Flexible Contribution Funding

PS will consider utilizing a flexible contribution funding approach for multi-year funding agreements where a recipient has demonstrated the capacity to manage transfer payments. A flexible contribution approach can be used for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis recipients when they have demonstrated capacity to manage transfer payments.

This approach enables the recipient to redirect funding among the cost categories established in the funding agreement. It also allows the recipient to carry over unexpended funding remaining at the end of each fiscal year for use in the next fiscal year to further achieve results toward the funding objectives.

Before PS initiates agreements including this approach, the funding manager will consider the recipient's:

• governance structure;
• organization for purposes of funding and activities management, financial and administrative experience, and capacity to deliver activities;
• management processes, procedures and controls; and
• accountability mechanisms for transparency, disclosure, responsibility and redress.

All unspent contributions at the termination or expiry of a contribution agreement, unless it is renewed, will constitute a debt due to Canada and will need to be reimbursed.

8.2 Eligible Expenditures

Eligible expenses include expenditures such as:

1. Fees and disbursements;
2. Salaries and wage for permanent or temporary professional, clerical, technical and administrative services, including contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Commission, the Canada Pension Plan, the Workers' Compensation Board, the Provincial Pension Plan or other Employee Benefit Plans;
3. Services for personnel administration, accounting and bookkeeping, processing lawyers' accounts and audit fees;
4. Rent, normal utilities such as electricity, heat, water and telephone, maintenance of offices and other buildings, insurance and taxes, where these expenses are directly related to the project and are not core or ongoing expenses;
5. Office equipment and minor capital acquisitions net of disposal. Minor capital acquisitions are defined as less than $10,000 per acquisition. The maximum expenditure threshold will be set at the time of Contribution Agreement development;
6. Program supplies and materials;
7. Travel and living expenses related to the delivery of the project, including transportation rental fees in accordance with the National Joint Council directive on Travel;
8. Training programs;
9. Administrative expenses should not exceed 15% of the total contribution provided by the Department for a specific project, if not already included within other line items. If administrative expenses are already included in other line items, then the percentage will be reduced accordingly;
10. Honorarium. In Indigenous communities in Canada, it is deemed culturally inappropriate to "sell" knowledge as this knowledge cannot be owned by any one individual or institution. As a result, in Canada, Indigenous communities provide honorariums as a token of appreciation for services involving, or contributing to, cultural, traditional, or spiritual activities for which custom and/or propriety forbids a price to be set. Historically, Indigenous people were honoured with the gift of food, clothing or other necessities. In contemporary times, monetary gifts may be presented if it is given in the spirit of a gift, and not that of payment, in exchange for a culturally relevant service. Honoraria will be considered in line with accepted practices for a particular region;
11. Computer services, library expenses, research costs and collection and analysis of statistics;
12. Public awareness and educational activities consistent with the project's objectives;
13. Translation and simultaneous interpretation activities;
14. Shipping charges, postage, licenses, and other fees;
15. Printing and distribution activities; and
16. Hospitality, based on the following criteria:
    In Indigenous communities in Canada, a great deal of the work that is done takes place in a communal setting – often, this takes the form of gatherings or ceremonies that have practical uses as well as fulfilling some of the spiritual and cultural needs of participants. Often more can be accomplished during a day-long gathering or ceremony than can be done in several meetings that take place on a regular basis or back to back. This is true for a number of reasons:
    • events take place that interrupt meetings
    • meetings are necessary for the purpose of doing business with government but not considered culturally important
    • gatherings and ceremonies involve more than just professionals and garner widespread community buy-in and support
    The sharing of food with participants, particularly at events with a cultural or spiritual element, is seen as an integral and important part of Indigenous protocol and culture. As a result, for Indigenous communities in Canada only, hospitality will be considered as an eligible expense for:
    • gatherings
    • feasts
    • ceremonies
    • circles
    Hospitality in this case takes the form of food and drink but does not include alcohol.

8.3 Ineligible Costs

• Capital costs, such as land, buildings, vehicles and most other capital costs (more than $10,000 per acquisition);
• Hospitality, including alcohol, that does not meet the eligible expenses criteria;
• Core or ongoing operating expenses;
• Travel for delegates or participants not directly related to the project, invited by others, or voluntarily attending; and
• Profit, defined as an excess of revenues over expenditures.

9. Maximum Amount

A review committee will examine activities and eligible expenditures and determine the minimum level of assistance required to attain the objectives. It will examine costs and take into consideration similar projects as well as the remoteness factor of communities.

The maximum amount of contribution payable to each recipient will be limited by the vote appropriated for this purpose and the foregoing criteria and will not exceed $1,000,000 per recipient, per year. The assistance is provided only at the minimum level to further the attainment of the stated transfer payment program objectives and expected results.

10. Basis and Timing of Payment

Transfer payments will be paid to recipients in the form of reimbursement of eligible expenditures incurred based upon the receipt and acceptance by the Department of financial and project reports that outline the activities completed and expenses incurred to date.

Advance payments will be provided based on assessed risk and the cashflow requirements of the recipient.

As per the Policy on Transfer Payments, no organization will be allowed to retain any profits driven from the project. Profits are to be reimbursed by recipients to the Crown.

11. Expected Results and Performance Indicators

The expected results of this program are:

For ACSPI projects:

• Indigenous communities with increased capacity to respond to community safety issues, including alternatives to incarceration and reintegration support;
• Indigenous communities with developed community safety plans; and
• Community Safety Plans, components of Community Safety Plans, community safety and wellbeing projects, and knowledge building and sharing projects are implemented in Indigenous communities.

For ICCI projects:

• Alternative to incarceration projects developed; and
• Reintegration support projects developed.

The following is a list of performance indicators that will assist in measuring and monitoring the progress of the ACSDCP:

ACSPI:

• Number of communities with trained participants;
• Number of community safety plans developed;
• Number of projects funded;
• Number of tools developed;
• Number of partnerships supported between communities and other organizations;
• Change in community members perceptions of community capacity to address safety priorities; and
• Number and percentage of communities that receive support who successfully implement projects, community safety plans, and/or components of community safety plans.

ICCI:

• Number of projects funded;
• Extent to which community members or organizations perceive an increased community capacity to address the needs of Indigenous offenders returning to communities;
• Communities that receive training utilize training to deliver alternative to incarceration projects or reintegration support plans/projects; and
• Improved knowledge of what works in community reintegration.

12. Information Required by Recipients

Recipients will be required to provide financial and performance measurement reports in support of immediate and intermediate outcomes

Financial reports, including cashflow statements, interim financial statements, and, final financial statements will be used to ensure funds are used for the purpose allocated, are used appropriately and are an efficient use of resources. Information on results achieved will include quarterly and annual reports that articulate the progress to date in the achievement of articulated objectives.

13. Intellectual Property

If a project produces intellectual property, the Recipient retains copyright for any work produced under the contribution agreement. However, in situations where the Department wishes to use the intellectual property produced by a Recipient, the following optional clauses may be included in a contribution agreement (based on advice from Legal Services):

• The Recipient retains copyright for any work produced under this agreement;
• The Recipient gives the Minister a royalty-free, permanent and non-exclusive license to produce, reproduce or publish, in any way, the original work or an adaptation, in any language, for use within the federal public service and for non-commercial distribution, including the evaluation research design, data collection instruments and all interim and final evaluation reports; and
• The Recipient agrees to provide the Minister a copy or copies of any property produced in a format identified by the Minister.

14. Official Languages

All public information materials and professional training materials produced will be made available in both English and French, as required under Part IV of the Official Languages Act.

PS will work, through contribution agreements, with Indigenous communities and organizations in their preferred official languages. All information published or made available as it relates to the new contribution program will be made available in both official languages and posted on the Department's website in both official languages.

The Program's overall objectives are to be implemented within the broader context of the linguistic duality of Canada by supporting projects that will serve official language minority communities while being mindful of gender and diversity issues.

In their proposals, applicants will be required to demonstrate the ways by which their proposed services and programs will respond to the needs of the official language minority communities and the impact their projects may have on these communities.

Date modified:

2022-06-30