Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Services

The Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Services aims to help provincial and territorial governments offer provincial, territorial and municipal services in the language of the official-language minority community, as well as the necessary infrastructure to provide these services.

1. Cooperation framework
2. Eligible recipients
3. Funding decisions and evaluation criteria
4. Eligible expenditures
5. Schedule and funding terms

I. Cooperation framework

Investments are made within the framework of multi-year cooperation agreements with eligible recipients. These agreements must include multi-year action plans. Special contributions may be added to the investments in order to implement special projects of a timely nature.

Within the framework of action plans, investments are intended to:

• increase the ability of provincial and territorial governments to develop, improve and offer services, other than education services, in the language of the official-language minority community, including municipal services;

• cooperate with provincial and territorial governments in the long-term maintenance of service infrastructures (e.g. school-community centres);

• reinforce federal-provincial/territorial cooperation in the area of services, other than education services, offered to official-language minority communities.

Within the framework of special projects, investments will be restricted to measures not proposed in the action plans and will be intended to:

• contribute to the creation of new provincial and territorial services in the language of the minority in response to emerging or timely needs or support new projects for the long-term maintenance of service infrastructures;

• contribute to the creation of new municipal services in the language of the minority;

• encourage cooperation and sharing of expertise between provincial and territorial governments in the area of minority-language services.

II. Eligible recipients

Provincial and territorial governments.

III. Funding decisions and evaluation criteria

Funding decisions are based on available funds, priorities and an analysis of action plans or project proposals in accordance with the following criteria:

• Quality of the action plan or proposal, which must include:
• • a status report on the areas of jurisdiction covered;
  • a description of proposed programs, services or activities, expected outcomes and performance indicators;
  • compatibility with the objectives and priorities of the Community Life component;
  • links with community development priorities and the status of community consultations already carried out;
  • an implementation schedule;
  • a budget with a breakdown of projected expenditures and funding contributions by each party for the proposed programs, services or activities.

• Effectiveness of the action plan or proposal as an instrument for:
• • achieving the objectives of the Community Life component and producing anticipated outcomes;
  • helping move forward and structuring the provision, by the recipient, of services other than education, in the language of the minority community;
  • meeting the priorities of official-language minority communities; and
  • developing cooperation between other levels of government.

• Adequacy of the proposed budget in relation to the activities to be carried out.

IV. Eligible expenditures

Eligible expenditures include (but are not limited to):

• costs related to the set-up, delivery and monitoring of programs, services or activities negotiated through signed agreements with the provinces and territories or municipalities, including the costs of implementing and maintaining infrastructures required for the development of official-language minority communities;

• research costs (e.g. surveys and feasibility studies) required to design programs, services and activities for the development of official-language minority communities.

V. Schedule and funding terms

The goals and objectives of each cooperation agreement may differ in relation to the priorities of the provinces and territories. Agreements are negotiated on a multi-year basis, with exceptions, and must include action plans.

In the case of special projects, invitations to submit proposals will be sent out each year, along with a submission deadline. Funding recommendations will be made based the above-mentioned criteria, available funds and principles of due diligence. All funding decisions rest with the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

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