Northern Policy Institute Report
Changes need to be made to the reporting system between First Nation communities and both levels of senior government.
That’s one of the conclusions from a study conducted by the Northern Policy Institute following more than a year of talks with Indigenous leaders.
It finds First Nations face hurdles when it comes to applying for and reporting on funding.
NPI President Charles Cirtwell says on average a First Nation submits over 130 reports annually about the funding they have received, creating a burden on already stretched Band staff.
Cirtwell says the current system is plagued with the duplication of information and requires more, unnecessary work for Band staff.
He adds there is currently a disconnect on what communities are trying to achieve and what the government is looking for.
Cirtwell notes sometimes the true impact of a community project is never assessed or even communicated.
“They would love to have a much richer conversation, not just about the impact of the funds in the particular First Nation community but also how the federal/provincial governments use the information First Nations provide to make programs better.”
The report calls for more culturally relevant data collection and more open, honest conversation with individual First Nations.
Cirtwell says in many cases the funding applications don’t follow the guidelines that are set in “some dark basement in Ottawa or down in Queen’s Park.”
He adds often the applicant doesn’t hear back on the status of their submission.
Chasing Paper: Forms over Function in First Nation Administration was written by Caitlin McAuliffe and to read the full report visit NPI Report
To hear more from NPI President Charles Cirtwell, visit the Audio link below:
