Goals, Objectives, Key Strategies and
Performance Measures
Ministry Goal 1: Strong, Safe and Healthy Communities
The ministry supports strong, safe and healthy communities by working collaboratively with other ministries, local governments, inner-city communities, community agencies and the private sector to build communities' capacity to meet their diverse and changing needs now and in the future. The risks to achieving this goal are the many socio-economic factors outside the ministry's control that impact B.C. communities, such as: the mountain pine beetle epidemic; mill closures; trade issues; high growth; and the strength of the economy. The ministry focuses on areas where it can have the greatest impact and achieve significant, measurable results, such as: providing support to local governments to meet the needs of their citizens, to plan for growth, and to maintain safe water and waste-water infrastructure; and developing partnerships to revitalize inner cities through urban development agreements.
Through these efforts, the ministry directly supports the three Great Goals of leading the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and best fisheries management, bar none; of building the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk and seniors; and of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada. The ministry also indirectly supports the two Great Goals of making B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction in the continent; and leading the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness, by supporting communities to achieve these goals.
Achievement of the ministry's first goal falls primarily within the responsibility of the Local Government core business area, as well as the Inner-City Partnerships branch in the Seniors', Women's and Community Services core business area.
Objective 1: Effective, collaborative and accountable local governments
Local governments are vital to ensuring strong, safe and healthy communities. The ministry supports local governments by providing a modern legislative, regulatory and policy framework, expert advice, problem-solving expertise and best practices tools for governance. This ensures local governments have the tools to effectively meet the needs of their communities. In achieving this objective in 2005/06, the ministry undertook the following strategies.
Strategies
1. Supporting local governments to address community needs by using the powers provided by the Community Charter. The Community Charter provides local governments in B.C. with broad, enabling powers that allow municipalities to be innovative in meeting the needs of their communities. There has been a fundamental shift in the role of the Province from a prescriptive regulator to that of an advisor, recognizing that local decisions are best made locally. The ministry works with local government stakeholders to develop materials and provide advice to build local governments' capacity to effectively use their broad powers. Support to local governments took several forms in the past year, including printed materials, web-based information, workshops, legislative changes and one-on-one consultations.
2. Working with regional districts to develop regional growth strategies. A regional growth strategy in a high growth region benefits communities by anticipating and preparing for future growth in a sustainable way. The ministry works collaboratively with local governments to ensure that planning policies are in place to respond effectively to significant population growth.
3. Assisting local government with incorporations, amalgamations and boundary extensions. Local government incorporations, amalgamations and extensions of existing local government boundaries help ensure that citizens receive efficient, cost-effective services from their local governments, and that they have the form of government they want in their community.
4. Facilitating productive relationships between local governments and the Province. This enables the Province to achieve its objectives while supporting local governments in achieving theirs. Dispute avoidance and resolution techniques help maintain and improve good working relationships among and between the various levels of government, supporting local governments in their efforts to be effective, collaborative and accountable.
5. Developing strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with the federal government. The Province, federal government and Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) successfully negotiated two major agreements in 2005/06: the $635.5 million New Deal for Cities and Communities which transfers gas tax revenues to B.C. cities and communities to support local government infrastructure projects that will lead to cleaner air, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner water for British Columbians; and the Transit Agreement which provides funds for: refurbishing and replacing fleets, terminals and garages; investing in new light rail, subway and bus rapid transit systems; replacing and rehabilitating tunnels, stations and other structures; and improving services for passengers and operators. The federal government, the Province and UBCM will collaborate to implement the terms and conditions of the New Deal and Transit agreements. An evaluation will be conducted in 2009.
6. Facilitating productive relationships between First Nations and local governments. Collaboration between First Nations and local governments can strengthen communities by building mutual trust, confidence and respect, consistent with the Province's New Relationship commitments. The ministry facilitates this collaboration by: maintaining close relationships with UBCM and its First Nations Relations Committee to understand key treaty and non-treaty issues and concerns for local governments, including participation on related working groups; providing annual funding ($50,000) to UBCM and the First Nations Summit to administer the local government-First Nations Community to Community Forum program, which supports 30 – 50 regional forums per year, and a province-wide technical workshop or forum in alternating years; participating in treaty table discussions and workshops with provincial, federal and First Nations negotiators to raise awareness about the local government system and local government interests in treaties; and funding, leading and/or participating in research studies on issues affecting local government-First Nations relations (e.g., Treaty Settlement Land: the Fiscal Impacts on Local Government).
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- The ministry produced numerous resources for local governments, including: the Regional District Tool Kit, developed in partnership with UBCM, and the Bylaw Adjudication System Toolkit (and accompanying legislation) with the Ministry of Attorney General; three best practices guides — Development Cost Charges (DCC) Best Practices, DCCs for Elected Officials, and Reaching Agreement on Service Withdrawal Disputes; four subject-specific informational guides — the Candidate's Guide to Local Elections in B.C., Voter's Guide to Elections in B.C.(available in French, English, Chinese and Punjabi), Improvement District Manual, and Explanatory Guide to Regional Growth Strategies; numerous web-based resources; two regulations — the Electronic Meetings Regulation and Bylaw Adjudication System Regulation; and two surveys — the Community Charter Survey and Election Survey — to gather feedback which will inform future ministry work.
- The ministry delivered five "Sharpening Your Policy Skills" workshops through a partnership with UBCM and the Local Government Management Association.
- The Regional District of Central Okanagan and the Greater Vancouver Regional District began conducting the required five-year reviews of their regional growth strategies. Progress was made on developing regional growth strategies for:
- the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District;
- the North Okanagan Regional District; and,
- The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
- The Village of Queen Charlotte was incorporated in December 2005, bringing the total number of municipalities in the province to 157.
- Restructure grants totaling approximately $1 million, restructure assistance and implementation funds totaling approximately $350,000, and restructure planning grants totaling approximately $250,000 were provided to six projects. A total of 29 regulations, including 17 boundary extensions and one incorporation, were approved by Cabinet.
- Four formal service reviews or withdrawals from service were completed, resulting in renewed service partnerships and improved local government relationships.
- Negotiations were successful in achieving agreements related to the federal/provincial/local New Deal for Cities and Communities. These are described above as part of Strategy 5.
- More local governments and First Nations applied for Community to Community funding, and reported that the regional forums it supports are the best opportunity to meet and work together.
- There was increased awareness at treaty tables of local government issues and concerns, and more efforts were being made at the provincial level to engage local governments in treaty discussions earlier and in an ongoing manner, including through grants from the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of regional districts in identified high population growth areas that have completed regional growth strategies | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 in progress | 2 in progress | Target met |
| Selection Rationale The ministry chose this measure because growth planning is a critical issue that impacts local governments' effectiveness, requires their collaboration and affects their sustainability. A regional growth strategy is a tool to hold local governments accountable for future planning. In 1995, as part of the development of the Regional Growth Strategy, three high growth regions were identified: Vancouver Island (four regional districts), Okanagan (three regional districts), and Lower Mainland (three regional districts). The number of regional districts in these high growth regions that have completed growth strategies is a measure of the ministry's success in assisting communities to plan for growth effectively, and demonstrates effective local government systems (in that local governments are anticipating the effects of growth and taking action to ensure infrastructure and services have the capacity to meet future needs). When a regional growth strategy (RGS) is adopted, it demonstrates that the regional district, member municipalities and provincial government agencies have worked together to develop a strategic approach to growth and that they intend to work together to implement the strategy. Once a strategy is adopted, accountability for implementation is required under the Local Government Act through annual reporting and a five-year review. While the Province has established the legislative framework and may require an RGS in very specific circumstances, the preparation of an RGS is initiated by the regional district board and must be accepted by its member municipalities. Initiation and successful completion are dependent on the will and capacity of local governments to undertake the process. This is a local government-driven process and there are shared risks to achieving targets. Targets can be impacted by political and socio-economic changes within the region that may speed, slow or halt the process. As well, the process requires those involved to agree to solutions to regional and local issues. |
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| Variance Explanation No variance. | ||||||
| Data Sources and Issues Ministry staff who support work on growth strategies regularly track progress for each of the three high growth regions. The population data associated with each regional district is supplied by BC Stats and several calculations are made from that data to determine the population in the high growth region. The first calculation is a simple total of those B.C. regional districts having an RGS. The second assesses how many of those are in the high growth regions (a sub-set of the provincial total). A third calculation looks at the total number of British Columbians living in an area covered by an RGS (expressed as a percentage) and the final calculation looks at the total number of people in the high growth region covered by a regional growth strategy (expressed as a percentage of the high growth region). British Columbia's regional district system is unique in North America; therefore, there are no comparable jurisdictions that could be used to do comparative analyses or develop a benchmark. |
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| Changes to the Measure This measure was dropped in the 2006/07 Service Plan in favour of other measures that relate to local government financial health and viability. The measure does not evaluate the content of strategies, nor does it measure the impact of these strategies, particularly as to whether they are achieving desired outcomes because of the long horizon for RGS to take effect and the many factors that influence these outcomes. |
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Ministry Goal 1: Strong, Safe and Healthy Communities
Objective 2: Communities are economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable.
The ministry provides program funding to local governments to develop and implement capital infrastructure contributing to community health and sustainability. Local governments are encouraged to adopt the principles of environmental stewardship when planning for and utilizing local resources such as water. The allocation of funds for "green" infrastructure projects protects human health and enhances the quality of the environment.
Risks to achieving the objective include high demand for limited financial resources. For example, in 2005/06, the BC Water Improvement Program received 320 applications from 161 local governments, requesting more than five times the amount of available program funding. Ultimately, 68 local governments received funding for 87 projects with total capital costs of $122 million. The projects were selected on the basis of the local government's fiscal capacity to fund its share, the technical merit of the application or proposal and the project's sustainability.
Ongoing incremental changes to design and administration of capital and planning (study) grant infrastructure programs ensure that programs reflect current policy and legislation as well as social, economic and environmental issues, and are moving the ministry toward achieving its goal and objectives. In 2005/06, the ministry undertook the following strategies to achieve the objective of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable communities.
Strategies
1. Encouraging efficient and effective use of public funds to maximize the impact of capital infrastructure funding. The ministry works on a number of inter- and intra-agency initiatives that support local governments through the development of policy and advisory information and tools. In addition, internal review and improvements are continually being implemented in regard to the development and implementation of both capital and planning (study) grants.
2. Managing sewer and infrastructure capital funding programs. The Canada/BC Infrastructure Program (CBCIP) and BC Water Improvement Program (BCWIP) form the basis of the ministry's water and sewer infrastructure funding program. Since its inception in October 2000, the CBCIP has invested $800 million in public infrastructure with Canada and B.C. each contributing up to one third of program funds, and the final third being contributed by local governments. A minimum of $600 million has been allocated to "green" local government infrastructure (water and waste-water systems, water management, and capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of local government-owned buildings). This component is managed by the Ministry of Community Services. The program runs until March 31, 2008, when all funded projects must be completed.
The BCWIP builds on the CBCIP. It provides grants covering two thirds of eligible capital costs for projects to improve drinking water and waste-water management for B.C. communities.
3. Negotiating the extension of federal-provincial infrastructure capital grants programs. With the CBCIP coming to an end in 2008, the Province began negotiating a new federal/provincial infrastructure funding agreement in 2005/06, called the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, and is working with the Union of BC Municipalities to finalize the agreement for implementation in 2006/07.
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- To encourage the efficient and effective use of public funds, the ministry collaborated with many partners to develop Water Bucket, a website providing made-in-BC information regarding the development and implementation of sustainable infrastructure; the Water Balance Model tool for storm/rain water management; a Green Infrastructure Partnership that produced green design guidelines for municipal construction; and a Low Impact Development Bylaw that provides alternative standards for sub-division development.
- To maximize the impact of capital infrastructure programs, add value and measure performance, the ministry developed tools such as the Water Conservation Calculator and the Benchmarking Tool, which were piloted in 2005/06. These tools will aid local governments and the Province in ensuring that capital infrastructure projects are cost effective and that future operations and maintenance are improved.
- Virtually all CBCIP funding was allocated to 189 "green" projects with a provincial contribution of $201.5 million, and to 127 "non-green" projects with a combined provincial contribution of $64.5 million. About 2.7 million people will benefit from the CBCIP expenditures to improve the quality of their drinking water and another 15,000 will be connected to a municipal water service when the "green" projects funded by the program are completed.
- BCWIP funding was allocated to 68 local governments for 87 projects. When projects funded through the program are completed, almost 211,000 people will have their sewage treated to a higher standard and another 18,600 will have their household sewage disposal systems connected to a municipal waste-water collection/treatment system. In addition, about 236,000 people will benefit from improved water quality.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of population served by drinking water systems that use filtration where necessary and ultraviolet treatment in addition to disinfection | n/a | 3% | 16.67% | 17.8% | 17.8% | Target met |
| Selection Rationale Provincial, federal and local governments work in partnership to achieve desired outcomes around safe drinking water. This measure demonstrates that communities are building infrastructure that contributes to their social, economic and environmental sustainability. The measure uses current regulatory standards within North America for the treatment of surface water. The figures represent those populations served by new water treatment facilities that meet emerging standards. The measure does not include groundwater, nor does it capture the percentage of the provincial population using privately-owned infrastructure. The target was chosen in anticipation of the completion of the $4.4 million Kelowna water treatment facility, which proceeded as planned and came on line in late 2005. The risks to achieving targets for this measure stem from factors in the broader economy. Labour and material shortages, delays in construction and increased costs impact local governments' ability to complete projects. While there is little the ministry can do about these risks, all infrastructure projects must meet stringent program criteria, and only those with the highest net benefit to the community, and well-defined plans, are funded. |
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| Variance Explanation No variance. |
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| Data Sources and Issues British Columbia is unique in that 75% of its drinking water is from surface sources. The majority of other Canadian jurisdictions access groundwater sources for drinking water; therefore, there are no comparable Canadian figures to set benchmarks. Data are not available prior to 2003 when the Canada-BC Infrastructure Program was created. Contractual requirements between the Province and grant recipients include quality progress reports, tied to quarterly claim payments, which are tracked within a grants database. Population data are provided by BC Stats and is subject to any inherent limitations. The percentage is calculated by adding the total population being served by new infrastructure to the existing total. |
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| Changes to the Measure The measure has been changed in the 2006/07 Service Plan to include those projects that move community water supply from a surface source to a groundwater source. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of population served by sewer systems which either meet Liquid Waste Management Plan requirements or incorporate secondary or higher levels of treatment | 74% | 74% | 74.3% | 74.3% | 74.3% | Target met |
| Selection Rationale Ensuring local governments have infrastructure systems that are environmentally and economically sustainable contributes to strong, safe and healthy communities. The measure demonstrates that local governments are building this infrastructure, and that it meets existing standards under the Waste Management Act (permit to discharge) and the Municipal Sewage Regulation, as well as standards approved under a Liquid Waste Management Plan, to ensure the protection of environmental and public health. The measure does not capture investments made in infrastructure improvements to existing secondary treatment facilities that do not meet current Municipal Sewage Regulation standards; nor does it capture the percentage of the provincial population using privately-owned infrastructure. As with water infrastructure, the targets are sensitive to broader economic forces such as labour and material shortages and costs. While there is little the ministry can do about these risks, all infrastructure projects must meet stringent criteria, and only those with the highest net benefit to the community, and well-defined plans, are funded. |
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| Variance Explanation No variance. |
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| Data Sources and Issues It is difficult to compare this measure with those of other Canadian jurisdictions as legislated standards and enforcement vary considerably across the country. B.C. is considered to have one of the higher standards (Municipal Sewer Regulation) for sewer discharge into fresh water. Most large local governments in B.C. discharging into fresh water are now meeting or exceeding the MSR standards. The figures represent the provincial population served by secondary waste-water treatment facilities or facilities operating under a Liquid Waste Management Plan. Population data are provided by BC Stats. The percentage is calculated using the number of connections to new infrastructure; i.e. existing connections plus new connections and how many people they serve. Contractual requirements between the Province and grant recipients require quality progress reports, tied to quarterly claim payments, which are tracked within a grants database. |
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| Changes to the Measure This measure will no longer be used by the ministry. The program only applies to local government infrastructure systems, not to private systems that serve the approximately 25% remaining of B.C.'s population. Therefore, the Province has achieved the maximum result for this program. |
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Ministry Goal 1: Strong, Safe and Healthy Communities
Objective 3: Improved collaboration on inner-city issues to support safe, healthy and economically vibrant inner-city communities across British Columbia.
Collaboration among federal, provincial and local governments, business, community agencies and communities is critical to address inner-city issues such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, public safety, addiction and other health issues, and economic revitalization. An urban development agreement (UDA) is a tripartite agreement between federal, provincial and municipal governments that effectively aligns their programs and services to increase economic growth, improve social and health conditions, enhance community capacity and provide job opportunities, in an environmentally responsible manner. Ultimately, this provides a better quality of life for residents. By working together, the three orders of government, businesses and community groups are able to design tailor-made solutions for each city. This collaboration also allows for more effective use of human and financial resources, by identifying service duplication and gaps. An example of a UDA is the Vancouver Agreement. The ministry undertook a number of strategies in 2005/06 to support improved collaboration.
Strategies
1. Increasing the capacity of government and communities to address issues facing inner cities in B.C. The vision of the Vancouver Agreement is a safe, healthy and sustainable place to live and work for all residents. Provincial, federal and municipal governments work with community stakeholders to coordinate strategies that promote and support sustainable economic, social and community development. In 2005/06, the ministry was in discussions with other B.C. communities interested in urban development agreements.
2. Implementing the Inclusive Inner-City Commitments with partners. The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games provide an opportunity to include Vancouver inner-city residents, community organizations and businesses in the potential benefits flowing from the 2010 Games while minimizing adverse impacts on inner-city communities. The Inclusive Inner-City Commitments relate to a wide range of areas, including housing, employment, business development, cultural and arts services, health and physical fitness, accessibility and the environment.
3. Facilitating the employment of at-risk youth through the BladeRunners program. BladeRunners benefits at-risk youth and the economy by contributing to the Province's human capital resources in the construction sector. Most of these youth are from inner-city communities.
4. Facilitating systematic policy change that results in improvements for residents and businesses in inner-city communities. The ministry collaborates with its Vancouver Agreement partners to identify barriers to the goals and objectives of urban development agreements, and recommend policy changes to ensure success.
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- The Vancouver Urban Development Agreement was renewed.
- An extensive public engagement and partnership development process resulted in a draft agreement for a Victoria Urban Development Agreement.
- A Surrey Urban Enrichment discussion was initiated; a draft framework and terms of reference were developed; and an advisory group was established.
- The municipalities of Kelowna, Burnaby and Prince George expressed interest in an urban development agreement approach for their communities.
- With community engagement, an organizational structure and a responsibility matrix were developed to implement the Inclusive Inner-City Commitments related to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
- Two partnerships were established with Aboriginal service providers for province-wide BladeRunners program coordination, and to support a pilot project with participants from Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of partnerships focused on inner-city revitalization with British Columbia cities | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 new (total: 2) | 1 in process (Victoria) |
Target mostly achieved. |
| Selection Rationale The ministry works with partners to establish and support tri-partite urban development agreements (UDAs). Increasing the number of UDAs dedicated to improving socio-economic conditions in inner-city neighbourhoods supports the ministry's goal of strong, safe and healthy communities. In 2005/06, the ministry intended to work with the City of Victoria and the federal government to complete an urban development agreement for the City of Victoria. |
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| Variance Explanation The ministry established the target based on past experience with the Vancouver Agreement (VA). The UDA process involves extensive community engagement and collaboration; and the success of UDAs is dependent on reaching an agreement amenable to all parties. Local, provincial and federal governments are interested in improving the outcomes of these agreements by using lessons learned from the VA. This has resulted in the need for more time for planning to achieve the best result. As this is a shared responsibility with local government and the federal government, the achievement of the target was influenced by the federal election as well as time needed for the City of Victoria to conclude their community consultations. A number of steps have been completed towards establishing an urban development agreement for the City of Victoria, including: a Memorandum of Understanding with all parties (federal and provincial governments, and City of Victoria); a draft strategic plan identifying five priority areas; and public consultation processes across all sectors. The UDA is pending approval of the steering committee representing the federal, provincial and local governments. |
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| Data Sources and Issues UDAs are still relatively new in Canada. At this time, the UDA model is only being used in Western Canada. Currently, there are three other UDAs in the Western provinces: in Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon. |
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| Changes to the Measure The measure has been reworded slightly in the 2006/07 Service Plan for clarity. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new revitalization initiatives for Vancouver's Downtown Eastside | N/A | 3 | 8 | 11 new | 25 | +14 |
| Selection Rationale Through the Vancouver Agreement, funding is provided for revitalization initiatives that support a safe, healthy and economically vibrant inner-city community in the Downtown Eastside. These initiatives focus on health, safety and security, economic development, employment and vulnerable populations. As part of the tripartite management committee, the ministry is involved in assessing and, where appropriate, approving applications for funding. |
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| Variance Explanation The target was based on an assessment of each Downtown Eastside revitalization strategy and its anticipated implementation process. The target was exceeded because, due to partnership development, three private sector organizations provided extra funding for new initiatives, valued at more than $2 million. |
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| Data Sources and Issues The Vancouver Agreement Coordination office provides quarterly reports to the ministry on the number of initiatives funded. Any comparisons with other jurisdictions would be complex as each UDA is negotiated separately with different processes and objectives, depending on the needs of the community. |
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| Changes to the Measure This measure was dropped in the 2006/07 Service Plan because the number of initiatives funded depends on all UDA partners and is influenced by many outside factors. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of BladeRunners participants moving into employment | N/A | 70 | 80 | 120 new | 161 | +41 |
| Selection Rationale The BladeRunners program supports the ministry's work to establish partnerships that support safe, healthy and economically vibrant inner-city communities; most of the participants are at-risk youth from inner cities. The measure is effective as it demonstrates program outcomes. |
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| Variance Explanation Previously the program was based in urban areas. In 2005/06, a pilot project was initiated in small towns and rural areas of B.C. to increase opportunities for at-risk youth in Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet. The target was set based on past participant results. Enrollment in the 2005/06 pilot project and dramatically increased activity in the B.C. construction industry resulted in increased uptake in the program. |
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| Data Sources and Issues Data is collected and reported by contracted service providers. At this time, no comparative data is being collected, nor is benchmarking underway for this program. |
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| Changes to the Measure None. |
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Ministry Goal 2: Seniors' and women's full participation in their communities
Seniors' and women's full participation is achieved when they have equal opportunities to participate socially and economically in their communities. Violence, lack of employment opportunities, inadequate housing, social isolation and inadequate health care are just some of the issues that affect the ability of seniors and women to participate fully in their communities.
To achieve this goal, the ministry must work with other provincial ministries and agencies, federal and local governments, community agencies, the private sector and citizens as success depends on many partners and factors, and requires change at societal and individual levels.
To effect positive change for seniors, the ministry is supporting the Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors' Issues and providing information to the public on services for seniors and their families.
The ministry focused on two key areas for women — violence prevention and intervention, and economic independence — with support for women who have experienced abuse, and their children, community initiatives to raise awareness of and prevent abuse, and a mentoring program to assist women entering, re-entering or transitioning in the workforce.
Through these efforts, the ministry supports Great Goals Two, Three and Five of leading the way in North America for healthy living, building the best system of support in Canada, and creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
Achievement of this goal falls primarily within the responsibility of the Seniors', Women's and Community Services core business area.
Objective 1: Women and their children are supported to deal with their experience of abuse.
Women are still more likely than men to be victims of crime committed by someone they know, such as a partner, spouse, relative or ex-spouse. The ministry delivers services to women who have experienced abuse, and their children, to support them in dealing with their experience of abuse. These services are intended to assist women and their children to leave violent situations, to heal from their experiences, be independent and more fully participate in society. In 2005/06, the ministry received additional funding of $12.5 million to support shelter, counselling and outreach services for women. The following strategies to achieve this objective and move toward the goal were undertaken.
Strategies
1. Delivering shelter programs to women and their children leaving abusive relationships. The ministry provides access to temporary shelter, providing an immediate, safe refuge. While at a transition house, a woman has access to crisis intervention, emergency counselling and referral to other services and programs. The ministry also supports safe homes and second stage housing.
2. Delivering counselling services to women who have experienced abuse and their children. Women who have experienced abuse have access to individual and group counselling to help them deal with the trauma of the experience. Children who witness abuse and their adult caregivers (in most cases the mother) also have access to counselling to heal and learn about healthy relationships.
3. Making outreach services available to women. Outreach services, including multicultural outreach for women whose first language is not English, help women identify and access the services they need. Outreach also includes public education to raise awareness of violence against women.
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- Two new transition houses and nine new safe homes were funded, bringing provincial totals to 63 transition houses in 57 communities, nine second stage houses in six communities, and 26 safe home programs in 25 communities.
- Thirty-one additional beds were opened in transition houses for a total of 647 beds, with child support services in transition houses increased.
- Approximately ninety-five per cent of women in British Columbia now have access to service within an hour's drive of their homes.
- There are 21 new Stopping the Violence counselling programs for a total of 102 programs in 86 communities, and 34 new Children Who Witness Abuse counselling programs for a total of 89 in 86 communities, with additional hours.
- There are 43 new outreach services for a total of 54 in 54 communities. Nine new multicultural outreach services were also added, for a total of 13 in 10 communities. Multicultural services are provided in 20 different languages.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of women and their children sheltered through transition house services1 | 10,741 | 11,403 | 11,318 | 11,800 | 12,446 | +5.5% |
| Selection Rationale This measure captures client use of a demand-driven service. Over time, it establishes a trend and assists the ministry in determining ways to meet demand for transition house services to achieve its objective of supporting women and their children to deal with their experience of abuse. |
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| Variance Explanation The target was based on analysis of trends, including the previous five-year period of use, and an increased capacity to provide services due to new funding for two new transition houses and 31 additional beds. Service is demand-driven. |
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| Data Sources and Issues Third-party service providers collect data and are required by contract to submit monthly and quarterly statistical reports to the ministry. An information management system allows online data entry by service providers. This improves the accuracy of service data, since online submission is only possible if the data collection form is completed correctly. Transition house usage statistics account for approximately 95% of usage data. |
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| Changes to the Measure None. |
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| 1 | Transition house services include transition houses, safe homes and second stage housing. |
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of women and their children counselled to address the effects of domestic violence | 8,788 | 8,404 | 7,809 | 9,000 | 9,633 | +7% |
| Selection Rationale The ministry funds individual and group counselling sessions to support women and their children to heal and begin to break the cycle of abuse. Over time, the measure establishes a trend in the need for services and assists the ministry in determining ways to meet demand. Due to the sensitivity and confidentiality of services, it is difficult to measure the longer term impacts of this service. |
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| Variance Explanation Counselling is provided as needed. In 2005/06, demand exceeded estimates. Additional funding meant that more women and children could be served. However, it was not possible to accurately predict the final numbers. It is also difficult to determine whether increased demand corresponds with an increase in violence against women or an increased awareness of services available or changes in societal attitudes towards violence. |
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| Data Sources and Issues Third-party service providers are required by contract to submit monthly and quarterly statistical reports to the ministry. An information management system allows online data entry by service providers. This increases the accuracy of reports since online submissions are only possible if the form is completed correctly. |
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| Changes to the Measure This measure was dropped in the 2006/07 Service Plan, though the information is still tracked internally. It was determined that the first and third measures for this objective were more critical. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of outreach services used by women and children | N/A | N/A | N/A | 12,800 | 16,819 | +24% |
| Selection Rationale This new measure was introduced in the 2005/06 Service Plan Update, September 2005. The ministry funds outreach workers to assist women at risk of abuse or recovering from violence to access services that lead to longer term supports, such as employment, housing and treatment, to be able to leave abusive relationships. Over time, the measure establishes a trend identifying the need for services and assists the ministry in determining ways to meet this need. The service is demand-driven. |
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| Variance Explanation The variance is the result of an increased demand for services and improved capacity to meet demand due to an increase in funding. As it was the first year of additional funding for outreach, and the first year of using this measure, the target was more challenging to establish. |
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| Data Sources and Issues Third-party service providers are required by contract to submit monthly and quarterly statistical reports to the ministry. An information management system improves the accuracy of these reports as the data can only be submitted online if the form is completed correctly. |
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| Changes to the Measure The language used to describe the measure in the 2005/06 Service Plan is clarified in the Annual Report. The measure is intended to report on the number of services used, rather than the number of women and children accessing these services. This reflects that outreach programs provide a number of services in each of the following categories: Outreach support, referral and accompaniment/advocacy support. |
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Ministry Goal 2: Seniors' and women's full participation in their communities
Objective 2: Women's options for participating in the economy are enhanced
The ministry is committed to promoting and supporting women's participation in every facet of life in British Columbia. Women continue to face challenges to full participation in the economy. Some of these are due to care-giving responsibilities, absences from the workforce and/or work choices (e.g., traditional versus non-traditional job streams). Mentoring is an effective tool to support job seekers and transfer knowledge. The ministry implemented the following strategies in 2005/06 to support this goal and objective.
Strategies
1. Designing a mentoring program for women entering or re-entering the labour force. To enhance women's participation in the economy, the ministry developed a pilot mentoring program in 2005/06 to address challenges faced by women starting or changing careers, particularly due to lack of experience and training, an absence from the labour market or being new to Canada. "Empowered to Work" was implemented in 2005/06.
2. Developing resources to enhance women's awareness of options for participating in the economy. Providing information to women on careers and work opportunities raises awareness of options to participate in the economy.
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- The Minerva Foundation, Grant Thornton Hiring Solutions, the YWCA of Vancouver and the Women's Enterprise Centre made a commitment to deliver mentoring programs to more than 400 women between the ages of 18 and 60 in 2006/07.
- The ministry published, in partnership with the Women's Enterprise Centre, Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue, Growing Your Business: A Guide to Resources for BC Women. The Guide provides practical advice and resources on five priority areas to sustain or grow a business, with information for and about women from different regions and industries. It is a companion to an earlier publication, Starting Your Business: A Guide to Resources for BC Women, published in 2004. Both are available on the ministry's website.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mentoring program for women entering or re-entering the labour force established |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Program design complete and implementation begun | Pilot program implemented | Target met |
| Selection Rationale Mentoring is a key tool in assisting women to participate in the workforce. The ministry established the "Empowered to Work" mentoring pilot program in 2005/06 to offer career support to women re-entering or transitioning in the workforce as well as those entering for the first time. |
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| Variance Explanation The ministry is piloting projects with four organizations. This supports flexibility in program design and accommodates women of various ages and labour market experiences. The pilot projects will be evaluated in 2006/07. |
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| Data Sources and Issues The service providers are collecting data on the program and will provide reports to the ministry. |
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| Changes to the Measure The measure is revised in the 2006/07 Service Plan to capture the number of women who enter employment after participating in the program. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new resources to enhance women's awareness of options for participating in the economy | N/A | 1 new | 1 new | 1 new | 1 new | Target met |
| Selection Rationale The 2004 publication Starting Your Business: A Guide to Resources for BC Women was well received. It has been accessed online more than 10,000 times and more than 5,000 print copies have been distributed, with an additional 5,000 printed in March 2006. The Growing Your Business companion guide, published in October 2005, is expected to be equally successful and further supports women's options for participating in the economy. |
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| Variance Explanation None — target met. |
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| Data Sources and Issues None. |
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| Changes to the Measure The ministry will continue to develop resources. However, the ministry has reduced the overall number of measures in its 06/07 Service Plan; and, as this is an output measure that does not report on outcomes, it has been dropped. |
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Ministry Goal 2: Seniors' and women's full participation in their communities
Objective 3: Greater awareness and understanding of issues related to an aging population
The ministry has a role in raising awareness and understanding of issues related to an aging population. Through work on this objective, the ministry supports seniors in their participation in their communities. This objective cannot be achieved without many other partners, including provincial ministries and agencies, federal and local governments, non-profit organizations and communities. In 2005/06, the ministry undertook the following strategies to achieve this objective.
Strategies
1. Building awareness and understanding of issues related to planning for an aging population. Awareness and understanding help individuals, organizations and communities better prepare to address seniors' issues and contribute to seniors' full participation in their communities. The ministry supports this objective by providing information and research to a wide range of individuals and organizations with a personal and/or professional interest in the aging population, including the Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors' Issues. The ministry also participates in the Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Seniors forum to influence the national agenda on seniors, particularly in planning for an aging population and safety and security for seniors.
2. Providing seniors with greater access to information. The ministry works to ensure that seniors, families, caregivers and organizations have access to practical information about the full range of government programs and services available, how to access them and whom to contact. Greater access to information leads to greater awareness and facilitates seniors' full participation in their communities.
3. Providing support to the Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors' Issues. The Premier's Council has a mandate to examine two key issues — how to support seniors' ability to continue as contributing members of society, and how to support seniors' independence and health. Through its work and its final report (expected in November 2006), the Council is raising awareness of issues related to an aging population and providing direction on how the Province needs to plan for, and adapt to, these issues.
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- The ministry supported the establishment and ongoing operation of the Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors' Issues. The ministry also supported the Premier's Congress on Aging and Seniors' Issues held in October 2005. The Council held five monthly Council meetings with over 50 presentations on different clusters of topics, and more than 400 community observers invited to attend, increasing dialogue and awareness of issues.
- The 7th edition of Your Guide to Programs and Benefits in British Columbia (Guide) was published. By February 2006, 90,462 printed copies of the Guide had been distributed and it had been downloaded 18,000 times from the ministry website. The Guide was made available in English, French, Punjabi and Chinese. The toll-free Health and Seniors' Information Line and the ministry website were also enhanced.
- Government undertook a major "Helping Seniors Live Well" communications initiative from November 2005 to March 2006, with the ministry's support.
- The FPT Ministers Responsible for Seniors' Safety and Security Working Group, in collaboration with the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, developed material to promote the first Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2006.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of resources developed to improve access to information for and about seniors | N/A | N/A | 2 | 2 new resources added | 2 new resources including a multi-media campaign | Target exceeded |
| Selection Rationale The ministry committed to producing two new resources in 2005/06. These resources (see strategy results) improve access to information for and about seniors, for their families, caregivers and service providers, raising awareness of the issues related to an aging population. These new and enhanced products demonstrate the Government's commitment to the best system of support in Canada for seniors. |
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| Variance Explanation The "Helping Seniors Live Well" campaign included television advertisements, bus signage, a household mailer and other communications resources to raise awareness of seniors' issues. |
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| Data Sources and Issues From its launch in September 2004 to December 2005, the seniors' website received a total of 68,595 visits. During 2005, the average number of visits to the ministry's seniors' website increased by 130 per cent from the previous year. This supports the value of continued use of information resources to increase awareness of the issues for an aging population. |
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| Changes to the Measure This measure has been revised in the 2006/07 Service Plan to measure use of the 1-800 Health and Seniors' Information Line, the number of Seniors' Guides distributed and number of visits to the seniors' website. These measures are more specific and therefore provide a more accurate picture of the ministry's work. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors' Issues fully operational | N/A | N/A | N/A | Fully operational | Council fully operational | Target met |
| Selection Rationale The provincial government committed to establishing a Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors' Issues in the 2005 Throne Speech. As full operation of the Council by the end of 2005/06 was key to fulfilling its mandate, this is an important interim measure. The work of the Council has raised awareness in B.C. of seniors' issues and the profile. |
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| Variance Explanation No Variance. |
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| Data Sources and Issues None. |
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| Changes to the Measure The measure is dropped from the 2006/07 Service Plan as it has been achieved. |
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Ministry Goal 3: A high performance learning organization that is an employer of choice in British Columbia.
The ministry supports this goal by promoting a positive work environment built upon its values of collaboration, professionalism and integrity, responsiveness, accountability, and innovation and creativity, where continuous learning and development are encouraged at all levels and best practices in human resources are developed. The ministry is committed to the continuous development and support of its staff, recognizing that its people are critical to achieving results. The risks to the ministry achieving this goal are that the workforce both within the public service and outside is experiencing pressures as baby boomers retire. Competition for skilled labour is strong, and the ministry must focus on recruiting and retaining staff, in part by promoting a welcoming workplace where all employees feel supported and valued.
Objective 1: An organization where creativity and innovation are embraced and human resource best practices are applied.
A high performance, learning organization allows creativity and innovation to flourish while ensuring it can deliver successfully on its goals and objectives. In developing its Human Resource Management Plan for 2006/07, the ministry addressed anticipated retirements and succession challenges with initiatives such as recruiting and retaining co-operative education students and developing staff internally. Through the following strategies, the ministry has made progress toward achieving this goal and objective.
Strategies
1. Developing and implementing the ministry's Human Resource Plan. The ministry established a Human Resources Planning Committee, comprised of staff from various levels and departments across the ministry, to provide ongoing support for planning and implementation of ministry human resource management plans. This committee developed a Human Resource Management Plan with strategies to support staff, improve the work environment and ensure human resource best practices are applied. The committee's role includes continuing to identify and develop solutions for addressing workforce and work environment issues.
2. Assisting employees in developing and enhancing competencies for their respective positions. In an ever-changing world, ministry staff need to adapt quickly to change, be flexible and innovative in how they approach their work, have broad skill sets that can be used in various situations and exercise good judgment. Staff must be good people managers and work across departments in a team environment. This wide range of skills requires varied and creative approaches and experiences to develop competencies. To address this, the ministry has been working to create more opportunities for employees to gain a greater breadth of knowledge and experience in various positions and to learn from each other.
3. Supporting managers' and supervisors' ability to enhance employee performance. The ministry has been focusing on the use of Employee Performance and Development Plans (EPDPs) to both enhance performance and develop staff.
As a result of these strategies, in 2005/06:
- The ministry identified critical and hard-to-fill positions, developed an orientation program, identified leadership competencies, and hosted a number of recognition initiatives. All of these results stemmed from implementation of the ministry's Human Resource Management Plan.
- The ministry defined leadership competencies, promoted EPDP training sessions offered by the Public Service Agency, and introduced, within Management Services, the i-Plan, a more streamlined, standardized electronic EPDP process.
Performance Measures
| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of staff with Employee Performance and Development Plans (EPDPs) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 100% | 100% | Target met |
| Selection Rationale Employee performance and development planning is a process whereby employees and their supervisors work in partnership to develop and agree upon key work goals, key competency goals and a personal learning plan. The process supports the ministry in achieving its goals and objectives, as it helps employees and their supervisors set priorities for their work for the coming year. The annual cycle includes three phases: planning, implementation and review. It provides staff with feedback, clear expectations and an avenue to identify developmental opportunities; therefore, it supports high performance and learning. Experts in human resources agree that this type of process strengthens employee motivation and morale as well as business capacity and effectiveness. |
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| Variance Explanation No variance. |
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| Data Sources and Issues Historical results for 2002 – 2004 are not available because the ministry was created in June 2005, following a government reorganization. Current data were consolidated by each department in the ministry and provided to the Strategic Human Resources Branch. |
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| Changes to the Measure The measure is dropped in the 2006/07 Service Plan as the 100% target has been achieved. The ministry will continue to monitor the use of EPDPs in the ministry to ensure this is maintained. The ministry is no longer including an internal goal in its service plan, in favour of a focus on external goals. The ministry will continue to internally monitor the implementation, and measure the success of its human resource management plans. |
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| Performance Measure | 2002/03 Actual | 2003/04 Actual | 2004/05 Actual | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resource Plan developed and implemented | N/A | N/A | N/A | Implemented | Mostly implemented (98%) | Target was mostly achieved (– 2%) |
| Selection Rationale To move toward achieving its human resource goal and objective, the ministry develops an annual Human Resource Management Plan. This measure holds the ministry accountable to implement the strategies and actions outlined in the plan. |
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| Variance Explanation All but two of the performance measures and targets outlined in the ministry's Human Resource Management Plan were met. These were: 1) Article 29 Committee held four times a year: this objective was not met as a result of the collective bargaining process. Preparation for collective bargaining began in the fall of 2005. During the period of bargaining preparation and collective bargaining, meetings of the Article 29 Committee were suspended; 2) Innovation and Learning Plan: draft completed by March 31/06: this target was not met due to lack of capacity as a result of the reorganization of the Ministry of Community Services, and unanticipated demands on resources to provide management services to the newly formed Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts. As most of the Human Resource Management Plan was implemented, these two activities did not significantly impact the ministry's progress towards its goal of a high performance learning organization that is an employer of choice in British Columbia. |
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| Data Sources and Issues This was a new measure that was not included in previous service plans. All ministries in previous years were required to develop and implement human resource management plans. Implementation of the plan is monitored and reviewed by the Strategic Human Resource Branch of the ministry. |
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| Changes to the Measure The measure is dropped in the 2006/07 Service Plan as it relates to a goal internal to the ministry. However, the ministry will continue to develop, implement and evaluate success of its human resource management plans. |
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Regulatory Reform
The Ministry of Community Services supports the government-wide commitment to regulatory reform. It strived to maintain a zero per cent increase in the regulatory burden in 2005/06 while ensuring that British Columbia's regulatory climate supports strong, safe and healthy communities.
The Dispute Resolution Regulation made under the Community Charter resulted in 22 regulatory requirements. These support the ministry's work to improve regional governance and enhance municipal cooperation by emphasizing fairness, transparency and accountability in the resolution of inter-governmental disputes. The Dispute Resolution Regulation is procedural in nature and does not impose heavy requirements on those who choose to opt into the arbitration process.
The ministry also undertook a number of regulatory reform initiatives aimed at further reducing the regulatory burden. Streamlining amendments to the University Endowment Land Act reduced provincial approvals, thus reducing the regulatory count by seven requirements. A further reduction in the number of regulatory requirements is anticipated following the review of the Regional District Service bylaw approval process that began in 2005/06.
| Objective | Performance Measure | 2004/05 Actual/Base | 2005/06 Target | 2005/06 Actual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero per cent increase to regulatory burden throughout 2005/06 | Regulatory requirements maintained at June 2004 baseline | 0 | Zero per cent increase | 0.17 per cent increase |
