Findings

NOTE: Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI) is the new name of the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC).

4.1 Relevance

This section addresses three issues related to program relevance, as required by the TBS Policy on Evaluation:

  • Continued need for the program;
  • Alignment with government priorities; and,
  • Alignment with federal roles and responsibilities

4.1.1 Continued need for the program

Q1. To what extent does the grant to Quebec address a demonstrable need?

Research has shown that immigrants have different resources and face various challenges during the settlement process. The federal government has provided funding to address these needs through a number of mechanisms, one of which is the grant to Quebec.

The grant to Quebec, a provision of the Canada-Quebec Accord, provides the province with the flexibility to deliver settlement services in alignment with the provincial objective of ensuring the integration of immigrants in Quebec in a manner that respects the distinct identity of the province.

Need for settlement and integration services

Research has shown that a number of factors influence an individual’s ability to successfully settle and integrate into a new society. These include, for example, language proficiency, education and skill levels, recognition of qualifications, and having friends or relatives already living in the community.Footnote 14 While these factors have been identified in the literature, the need for flexibility in the provision of services to meet the varying needs of newcomers is also well accepted. Immigrants have different reasons for leaving their homeland and as a result, arrive in Canada with different resources and face different challenges during the settlement process.Footnote 15 Government investments in settlement services have on the provision of services that meet these varying needs.

Origins of the grant to Quebec

The grant to Quebec is a provision of the Canada-Quebec Accord, signed in 1991. The Accord is the fourth agreementFootnote 16 between the Federal government and the province of Quebec regarding immigration matters. The Accord built on the three previous agreements with respect to the province’s involvement in immigration matters. It also introduced, for the first time, the devolution of responsibilities for settlement and integration to the province.

One of the objectives of the Accord is to ensure the integration of immigrants to the province “in a manner that respects the distinct identity of Quebec”Footnote 17. To achieve this goal, the federal government agreed to withdraw from reception and linguistic and cultural integration services as well as specialized economic integration services to be provided to permanent residents in Quebec. In return, the federal government agreed to provide compensation for these services, the amount of which was specified in the Accord for the periods 1991-1992 to 1994-1995. In subsequent years, the amount was to be determined using a specific formula described in an annex to the Accord.

The Accord also specifies that while the agreement can be reopened at the request of either party with six months notice, both parties must agree on amendments, otherwise the Accord continues to be in force.

Interviewees indicated that the Accord is considered to be quasi-constitutionalFootnote 18 in nature. Most interviewees identified the failed Meech Lake AccordFootnote 19 as the main impetus for the grant, with some indicating that the Accord and the grant also represented an evolution in the relationship between the federal government and the province of Quebec on immigration matters. According to these interviewees, at the time of the Accord, the province of Quebec had already developed a knowledge and understanding of immigration issues as a result of its experience under the previous three agreements and therefore was in a good position to take on responsibilities related to settlement and integration.

Interviewees consulted for this evaluation could not precisely explain the reason for the choice of a grant, given that the Accord speaks only of “compensation”. Some interviewees however mentioned that the lack of reporting and monitoring requirements under the grant aligned well with the intent of the Accord, which was to provide the province with sole authority and responsibility for settlement and integration services. The use of the grant mechanism also provided the province with the most flexibility to address its unique needs with respect to integration. The review of program documents did not provide any additional information.

4.1.2 Alignment with federal government and departmental priorities

Q2. Is the grant to Quebec aligned with federal government priorities and departmental strategic outcomes?

The grant is aligned with federal government priorities with respect to federal-provincial relations, as CIC and Provinces/Territories share the common goal of making immigration programs responsive to the unique needs of each province and territory.

From a settlement perspective, the grant is aligned with CIC’s strategic outcome of ensuring the participation of newcomers and citizens in fostering an integrated society.

Under the Accord, the federal government retains sole responsibility for citizenship. There is a question being raised however, with respect to CIC’s ability to address the federal government’s priority to ensure individuals understand Canadian values and are aware of their rights and responsibilities with respect to citizenship. To help individuals prepare for life in Canada and the citizenship test, information is often provided through settlement services, particularly via language training curricula. Language curricula in Quebec also follows this approach, however the focus is on providing information about Quebec culture.

Priorities with respect to federal-provincial relations

The 2011 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration states that “effective collaboration between the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories is essential to the successful management of the immigration program”Footnote 20. It also states that the two levels of government have a shared goal to “make immigration programs respond to the unique economic, social and labour market needs of each province and territory”Footnote 21. The grant to Quebec is aligned with these priorities as it provides the provincial government with the funding and latitude to ensure its programs respond to the specific needs of the province.

Priorities related to settlement and integration

The federal government’s commitment to helping newcomers settle and succeed is reconfirmed annually in CIC’s Departmental Performance Report and Report on Plans and Priorities. It also figures prominently in the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, which states that “the key to maximizing the benefits of immigration is ensuring that newcomers have the information, tools and opportunities to realize their potential and become fully engaged in all aspects of Canadian society”Footnote 22.

CIC individuals interviewed as part of this evaluation agreed that the grant is aligned with departmental objectives related to settlement, articulated under Strategic Outcome 3 of the department’s Program Activity Architecture, which seeks to ensure that “newcomers and citizens participate to their full potential in fostering an integrated society”Footnote 23.

While the Accord indicates that the federal government has sole responsibility for services related to citizenship, some interviewees mentioned preparation for life in Canada and citizenship as an area of concern. CIC’s 2011 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration states that “greater focus is being placed on building awareness of Canadian values and history, institutions that shape Canada, and the rights and responsibilities associated with Canadian citizenship”Footnote 24. In order to help prepare individuals for life in Canada and to take the citizenship test, curricula used in language training courses in provinces and territories includes information about the province in which they live as well as the country as a whole. Interviewees indicated that in Quebec however, the information is solely on learning about Quebec society. A review of the language curricula offered in Quebec supports this assertion. An informal bilateral working group met for the first time in December 2011 to discuss and exchange information and best practices on integration and preparation for citizenship.

4.1.3 Roles and responsibilities of the federal government

Q3. Are the roles and responsibilities of the federal government with respect to the grant to Quebec appropriate?

The federal government’s role with respect to the provision of funding to the province of Quebec is appropriate, given the shared jurisdiction for immigration and the ability of CIC to enter into agreements with the provinces, as outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of 2002.

As a result of changes to the Financial Administration Act in 2006, CIC must now evaluate every on-going grant program over a five-year cycle. Given that the province is not required to report to the federal government on the outcomes of the grant, CIC cannot fully adhere to this requirement.

Roles and responsibilities outlined in legislation and policy

The roles and responsibilities of the two levels of government with respect to immigration are outlined in legislation as follows:

  • Section 95 of the Constitution Act 1867 identifies immigration as a matter of concurrent federal-provincial jurisdiction, with federal jurisdiction being paramount. This provides the basis for both provincial and federal involvement in immigration matters, including integration.
  • The main statute that allows the Minister to enter into agreements with provincial governments is the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Under Section 8(1) of the Act “the Minister, with the approval of the Governor in Council, may enter into an agreement with the government of any province”.
  • The government of Quebec has enacted its own legislation with respect to immigration. The Act Respecting Immigration to Quebec provides the Minister with the authority to “establish and maintain, for those persons who settle in Quebec, an integration program for the purpose of favouring their introduction to Quebec life”Footnote 25.

The Financial Administration Act and the 2008 Policy on Transfer Payments set out the roles and responsibilities of Citizenship and Immigration Canada with respect to the management of the grant:

  • Financial Administration Act (FAA): Under the FAA, CIC is required to reviewFootnote 26, every five years, each on-going program of grants and contributions for which it is responsible. This requirement was introduced in 2006 under the Federal Accountability Act. Prior to this time, there was no legal requirement for government departments to review grants on a regular basis.
  • Policy on Transfer Payments: The 2008 Policy on Transfer Payments added to the definition of a grant the proviso that the recipient may be required to report on results achieved. In the case of the grant to Quebec, the province is not required to report to the federal government on the results achieved.

Given the new requirements under the FAA, some interviewees felt that the role of CIC could not be adequately fulfilled given that the province is not required to report to the federal government on the outcomes of the grant. The department is currently working with its provincial and territorial counterparts to develop a “Pan-Canadian framework to establish a cohesive national approach to measuring settlement outcomes across Canada.”Footnote 27 While the province of Quebec is an observer to this group, the fact that there are no reporting requirements associated with the grant is seen to be contrary to the current thinking regarding the importance of measuring and reporting on outcomes of federal spending.

4.2 Performance

This section addresses two issues related to program performance, as required by the Policy on Evaluation:

  • Achievement of expected outcomes; and,
  • Demonstration of efficiency and economy.

4.2.1 Achievement of expected outcomes

Q4. To what extent has the Grant allowed for the provision of settlement services in the province of Quebec that when considered in their entirety correspond to the services offered by Canada in the rest of the country?

When considered in their entirety, based on the document review and interviews, it appears that the settlement services provided in the province of Quebec generally correspond to those provided by the federal government in the rest of the country. Differences exist in how the programs are delivered, but in the absence of clear assessment criteria on which to base this comparison, a definitive conclusion on the degree to which the province is complying with this requirement cannot be reached.

Services provided

As mentioned previously, the federal government, through the Accord, committed to providing “reasonable compensation” for the services provided by the province for the reception, and linguistic, cultural and economic integration of permanent residents in Quebec. The compensation is conditional on the provision of services by the province that, when considered in their entirety, correspond to the services offered by Canada in the rest of the country, and are offered without discrimination to any permanent resident of Quebec, whether or not they were selected by the province.Footnote 28

Annex B of the Canada-Quebec Accord lists the reception and integration services from which the federal government agreed to withdraw and in return provide compensation to the province. Annex IV provides a list of these services and a brief description of each.

According to interviewees, the degree to which the settlement services provided in Quebec are comparable to those provided in the rest of Canada is not monitored on a regular basis by CIC. Program documents reveal that an internal CIC review was conducted in 1997-1998 at the time the formula to calculate the amount of the grant was first put into use. The review determined that services were similar. The document review conducted for this evaluation revealed that CIC undertakes reviews from time to time, but these appear to be informal in nature and are not based on a rigorous methodology.

The Joint Committee’s mandate is, among other things, “to study, at least once a year, reception and integration services provided by Canada and Quebec”Footnote 29. However, interviewees did not recall any instances where a study of this nature was conducted by the committee over the past five years. A review of the minutes from fourFootnote 30 committee meetings held between 2007 and 2011 confirmed that the committee did not specifically study the reception and integration services provided by both levels of government; however, information was shared by CIC and the province of Quebec during these meetings on the development or expansion of products and services to assist in the settlement and integration of newcomers.

Comparison of services offered

The Accord does not provide any guidance on how to assess the degree to which services offered by the province correspond to those offered by Canada in the rest of the country. While Annex B of the Accord provides a listing of the programs that the federal government would cease to deliver in the province of Quebec, and the Accord stipulates that “the Joint Committee shall re-examine, as often as it wishes, but no less than once a year, the list of services set out in Annex B”Footnote 31 of the Accord, this review has not occurred. As well, the Accord stipulates that the services provided by the province should “in their entirety” correspond to the services offered in the rest of the country, but it does not define the term “in their entirety”.

For the purposes of this evaluation, the assessment on the types of services offered in the province of Quebec and in the rest of Canada. It did not attempt to assess how these services were delivered. The identification of the types of settlement services offered in Quebec and by the federal government in the rest of Canada was undertaken using two main sources of information: for services offered in Quebec, the main source was the provincial government website, while for the services offered in the rest of Canada, the main source was the Accountability, Risk and Audit Framework for CIC’s Settlement Program. Supplemental information was also provided by interviewees. Table 4.1 lists the main settlement programs supported by CIC in the rest of Canada and those provided in Quebec by the provincial government.

Table 4.1: Settlement and integration services - province of Quebec and CIC
CIC Programs/Streams Quebec Programs
Language Training
Language/Skills development
Provide access to language training and the development of sufficient linguistic communication skills in different contexts.
Linguistic integration program for immigrants (Programme d’intégration linguistique pour les immigrants (PILI))
Provides full-time, part-time and on-line French-language training to immigrants to facilitate their integration into Quebec society
No comparable program in the rest of Canada Financial aid program for the linguistic integration of immigrants (Programme d’aide financière pour l’intégration linguistique des immigrants (PAFILI))
Provides an allowance to immigrants taking French-language training while in Quebec. Also reimburses individuals, to a maximum amount, for the cost of language training undertaken prior to arrival in Quebec.
Reception, Settlement and Integration

Needs assessments and referrals
Services and products designed to help newcomers and service provider organizations determine settlement needs and make informed settlement decisions.

Support services
Provision of services such as childminding and transportation assistance to increase access to settlement services. Also includes support services at ports of entry, translation, interpretation and counselling.

Information and orientation information
Provides access to accurate, timely and useful settlement-related information about Canada.

Community connections
Programming to support newcomers in their social engagement efforts and to engage communities in supporting the full participation of newcomers.

Reception program for newcomers
(Programme d’accompagnement des nouveaux arrivants (PANA))
Funds community organizations to offer reception, settlement and support services to recent immigrants

Regional integration program (Programme régional d’intégration (PRI))
Supports joint action by local and regional partners to increase the contribution made by immigrants to the development of Quebec’s regions, and for improving immigrant reception, settlement and integration

Community organization support program (Programme de reconnaissance et de soutien des organismes communautaires autonomes (PRSOCA))
Funds community organizations to support their efforts to settle and integrate immigrants into Quebec society

Francophone Minority Communities Initiative
a cross-section of promotion, recruitment and settlement activities to ensure the ability of official language minority communities to retain newcomers on four sets of activities: coordination and research; joint activities with provinces and employers to recruit French-speaking immigrants in the targeted professions; developing and improving promotional events abroad and the resettlement of francophone refugees; and consolidating existing support networks and strengthen settlement services.
No comparable program in Quebec
Resettlement
Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP)
Provides immediate and essential services and income support to recently arrived eligible refugees (primarily Government-Assisted Refugees)

Refugee reception and settlement program (Programme d’accueil et d’installation des réfugiés (PAIR))
Provides reception and assistance services for refugees in their first year of arrival

Regional Program for the Reception and Integration of Refugee Claimants (Programme regional d’accueil et d’intégration des demandeurs d’asile (PRAIDA))
Provides health and social services to clients involved in complex status regularization processes and includes psychosocial and health components as well as a last resort assistance fund to ensure minimum necessary income for refugee protection claimants who are not eligible for social assistance.

Labour Market Integration
Foreign Credential Referral Office (FCRO)
Helps internationally trained individuals receive the information, path-finding and referral services to have their credentials assessed as quickly as possible so they can find work faster in the fields for which they have been trained. Overseas services are provided through the Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP). In Canada, Service Canada delivers in-person and telephone services on behalf of the FCRO. Information on foreign credential recognition is also available through the FCRO website to prospective immigrants overseas.
Support program to facilitate the access to regulated professions and trades (Programme de soutien aux projets visant à faciliter l’admission aux ordres professionnels)
Provides funding for projects to assist immigrants in getting their foreign credentials recognized
Labour market participation
Supports employment-related programming for newcomers, including the development of job search skills, internships, mentorships, and/or work placements.
Employment integration program for immigrants and visible minorities (Programme d’aide à l’intégration des immigrants et des minorités visibles en emploi (PRIIME))
Provides subsidies to employers who hire immigrants

Sources : Programmes d’immigration, Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés Culturelles (MICC) Répertoire des programmes et services, Services Quebec, Portail Quebec, Annick Germain and Tuyet Trinh, Chapter 8: Immigration in Quebec: Profile and Players, in Integration and Inclusion of Newcomers and Minorities across Canada, Metropolis, 2011, PAA program descriptions, CIC, 2011 and Accountability, Risk and Audit Framework (ARAF) for Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Settlement Program, June 30, 2008.

Differences in services provided

When asked whether, in their views, there were any differences in the services provided by either level of government (i.e., did the federal government provide services that the province did not and vice versa), interviewees indicated that overall, there were no significant differences, when services are looked at in their entirety. Both levels of government provide reception and integration services, including language training, and also provide resettlement services to refugees. At a more detailed level, however, examples were provided of areas where differences may exist:

  • Financial support for language training: Interviewees mentioned financial support for language training provided in Quebec as an area of differentiation between the province and the federal government. The government of Quebec provides an allowance of $115 a week to skilled workers, parents and refugees and $30 a week to family members, business people and retirees taking language training on a full-time basis. This is in addition to daycare and transportation allowances. As well, the province will reimburse, to a maximum of $1,500 eligible individuals who complete a French language course prior to their arrival in Quebec. The federal government does not subsidize or reimburse individuals taking language training courses in the rest of Canada.
  • English language services to Anglophones in Quebec: Integration services are largely provided in Quebec in French only. The Quebec Portal website indicates that their guide to assist individuals in settling in Quebec “has not been translated, to reflect the fact that French is the official language of Quebec and to underscore the importance of learning French in order to communicate effectively in day-to-day life, and in order to work or study in the official language, practice a profession, do business, or participate in the cultural, civic and social life of Quebec”Footnote 32. In the rest of Canada, the Francophone Minority Community initiative seeks to facilitate French-speaking newcomers’ access to French services adapted to their needs. There is no equivalent in Quebec for the Anglophone minority population.
  • Preparation for life in Canada and citizenship: As mentioned previously, one of the differences identified by interviewees is the provision of information to assist individuals in understanding life in Canada and preparing to take a citizenship test. While the Quebec government and CIC both have adopted an approach whereby language curricula include topical information on life in Canada, in Quebec it is limited to information on Quebec society.

The impact of these differences is not known. The document review revealed that the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes, which represents a number of stakeholder groups in the province of Quebec, has indicated that some services, particularly with respect to employment, are not meeting the needs of newcomersFootnote 33. This assertion, however, could not be validated in this evaluation as information could not be collected directly from newcomers or individual service provider organizations (see the limitations section of this report).

In the event that any significant differences in the provision of services might be identified, interviewees identified the committee structures that are currently in place as the appropriate mechanisms for discussion and resolution. As mentioned previously, interviewees did not recall any discussions of this nature occurring at committee meetings in the past five years.

4.2.2 Demonstration of economy and efficiency

Q5. To what degree do the funds disbursed comply with the stipulations as set out in the Accord?

The funds disbursed comply with the stipulations set out in the Accord. While the calculation of the grant amount is routine, the formula itself, which guarantees the grant amount will never decrease, is seen by interviewees as too rigid.

The Formula

The formula used to calculate the amount of funding to be provided to the province was negotiated at the time of the Accord. Most individuals interviewed could not comment on the choice of the formula, other than to refer to the political nature of the negotiations. One interviewee mentioned that, at the time of the Accord, the province was concerned with the preservation of its relative demographic weight within Canada and this might have influenced the selection of factors to be included in the formula.

There are two formulas in the Accord. The formula that is applied to calculate the amount of the grant varies based on whether the proportion of immigrants granted landing in Quebec in relation to the rest of Canada during the previous calendar year is higher or lower than its proportion of the population of Canada. When the proportion is lower, the formula is as follows:

  1. The year over year difference in the number of non-francophone immigrants to the province; plus
  2. The year over year difference in total government expenditures less debt service charges (net federal expenditures).

When the proportion is equal or higher, the formula is as follows:

  1. The year over year difference in the proportion of immigrants in Quebec versus Canada as a whole; plus
  2. The year over year difference in total government expenditures less debt service charges (net federal expenditures).

The result of the calculation is then multiplied by the amount of funding received the previous year in order to determine the increase in the grant amount for the next year.

Calculating the grant amount

The document review revealed that the base amount of funding that would be provided to the province of Quebec was established at the time of the negotiations of the Accord. As a starting point, the federal government identified the level of expenditures required to deliver services in Quebec, including administrative costs. In 1990-1991 this amounted to approximately $43.6MFootnote 34. The government of Quebec did not agree that the amount should be based solely on the current cost of providing services in the province. Based on program documentation, a number of factors were considered in determining the amount, including the additional effort that would be required to integrate individuals into a francophone environment situated within a predominantly English-speaking North American environment, the proportion of immigrants who could not speak French upon arrival and therefore would require additional assistance in learning French, and the percentage of immigrants settling in Quebec who were refugeesFootnote 35.

The amount identified in the Accord to be transferred to the province for 1991-1992 totalled $75M, increasing to $90M in 1994-1995 (see Table 4.2). After this time, the formula was to be used to make any future adjustments to the grant, as required.

Table 4.2: Amount of the grant to Quebec, 1991-1992 to 1994-1995
Fiscal Year Grant Amount (in Millions)
1991-1992 $75
1992-1993 $82
1993-1994 $85
1994-1995 $90

Source: Canada-Quebec Accord, 1991, Annex B.

The formula to calculate the amount of the grant was used for the first time in 1997-1998. Program documents reveal that, at first, it was not clear how some of the terms in the formula were to be defined, particularly with respect to the percentage of non-francophone immigrants to the province. Once there was agreement on the definitions, the calculation of the formula became a routine exercise. Issues came forward again in the early 2000s as the federal government moved to an accrual accounting approach. As a result of this change, the public accounts were adjusted, which in turn led to discussions on the definition of net federal expenditures, one of the key factors in the formula. This issue was also eventually resolved and no new issues have emerged with respect to the calculation of the grant amount.

The calculation of the grant amount is done by CIC’s Financial Management Branch. For the current year, the Public Accounts and FOSS data are used to determine the current year final payment. This is done in the fall of the current year. If an adjustment is required, the amount is then communicated to Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and the Department of Finance. They may in turn consult with the Privy Council Office, if deemed necessary.

For future year estimates, the amounts are communicated to the Department of Finance and TBS. Once approved, those amounts are earmarked in the fiscal framework. This is done on an annual basis after the tabling of a Federal Budget.

The grant payment is considered to be quasi-statutory in nature, given its inclusion in the Accord, and, therefore, a Treasury Board submission is not required in order to secure the necessary funds. The final amount of the previous year appears in the department’s Main Estimates and any adjustments are made through the Supplementary Estimates process, with the final amount appearing in the federal government’s Public Accounts. Payments are made on a quarterly basis. Information on the method used to calculate the grant amount is shared with the province of Quebec.

While the formula was deemed to be somewhat complicated by interviewees, their main concern was with the treatment of year-over-year decreases in the factors. If either factor in the formula is negative (i.e., if there is a year over year decrease in the number of non-francophone immigrants or in net federal expenditures), the factor is not adjusted downward but is instead set to zero, and as a result, the grant amount can never decrease. Interviewees mentioned this “escalation” factor as their main area of concern. The document review also provided evidence of internal discussions within CIC on the sustainability of the grant over time, given the escalation factor.

Since 1995-1996, the proportion of immigrants granted landing in Quebec in relation to the rest of Canada in the previous calendar year has always been lower than its proportion of the population of Canada. As a result, only the first formula has been used. Using this formula, the escalation factor has varied from a low of 2.2% in 2007-2008 to a high of 14.0% in 2008-2009 (see Table 4.3). It is interesting to note that the difference in the number of non-francophone immigrants to the province has been negative for four of the past five years while federal government expenditures have been positive in four of the five years. As a result, in the past five years, only one of the two factors has come into play in calculating the escalation factor in any given year. It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue in the future.

Table 4.3: Canada-Quebec Accord calculated escalation factor
Escalation Factor: 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Non-Francophone immigrants 18,473 18,886 17,931 17,919 17,780
% change from previous year -6.6% 2.2% -5.1% -0.1% -0.8%
Federal expenditures net of public debt ($Millions) 151,928 151,808 173,133 177,848 197,958
% change from previous year 9.3% -0.1% 14.0% 2.7% 11.3%
Total escalation factor to be applied 9.3% 2.2% 14.0% 2.7% 11.3%
Grant base amount ($’000) 177,325 193,859 198,193 226,034 232,190
Additional amount due to escalation factor (rounded) ($’000) 16,534 4,334 27,841 6,156 26,255
Amount of grant for current year ($’000) 193,859 198,193 226,034 232,190 258,445

Source: CIC Financial Management branch

Q6. To what extent is the approach to funding economical and efficient?

The approach to funding is economical from an administrative perspective. The routine nature of the grant calculation and the absence of any reporting requirements minimize the level of effort required to manage and monitor the administration of the grant. The evaluation, however, cannot conclude whether the amount of the grant represents the most economical use of funds.

The cost efficiency and effectiveness of the grant is not known, as the province of Quebec is not required to provide the data required to conduct an analysis.

Economy

The Policy on Evaluation defines economy as “minimizing the use of resources. Economy is achieved when the cost of resources used approximates the minimum amount of resources needed to achieve expected outcomes”Footnote 36.

The costs associated with the grant to Quebec can be divided into two groups: 1) the costs associated with administering the grant (i.e., administrative costs for CIC) and 2) the funding provided for the delivery and administration of integration services. In order to provide a basis for comparison, information is provided on the administrative costs and funding provided to other provinces and territories.

Administrative costs

From an administrative perspective, the cost of managing the grant is negligible. According to the department’s Cost Management Model, the cost of administeringFootnote 37 the grant totalled $1,522 in 2009. It is important to note that this amount represents the administrative costs of managing the grant paymentFootnote 38. It does not include any costs associated with managing the broader Canada-Quebec Accord or the costs associated with CIC’s management of the bilateral and multilateral forums on settlement and integration in which the province of Quebec participates. As well, this cost information does not include the efforts put towards the administration of the grant from various CIC branches (including Finance Branch, International and Intergovernmental Relations Branch), as these efforts were not included in the definition used for the Cost Management Model for 2009-10Footnote 39.

In comparison, the cost of administering the contributions to the provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba totalled $454,291. This is due in part to the fact that the provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia report to CIC on the use of funds and also provide annual service plans that are reviewed by CIC. It also includes costs associated with promotion and outreach activities conducted by CIC in these two provinces. While costs to administer the grant to Quebec are low in comparison, interviewees indicated that the main priority should be to ensure that the grant is effective in achieving its overall objectives.

Amount of funding

Table 4.4 lists the amount of funding provided to Quebec from 1991 to 2011. As mentioned previously, the amounts for 1991-1992 to 1994-1995 were identified in the Accord, while the amount for subsequent years are calculated using the formula outlined in the Accord.

Table 4.4: Grant amount – 1991-1992 to 2010-2011
Year Grant Amount
1991-1992 75,000,000
1992-1993 82,000,000
1993-1994 85,000,000
1994-1995 90,000,000
1995-1996 90,000,000
1996-1997 90,000,000
1997-1998 90,000,000
1998-1999 101,452,000
1999-2000 102,910,000
2000-2001 104,140,000
2001-2002 111,723,000
2002-2003 157,380,000
2003-2004 147,440,000
2004-2005 165,304,000
2005-2006 177,325,000
2006-2007 193,859,200
2007-2008 198,193,523
2008-2009 226,034,000
2009-2010 232,190,000
2010-2011 258,445,000
2011-2012* 283,100,000

Sources: 1991-1992 to 1994-1995: Canada-Quebec Accord, Annex B; 1995-1996 onwards: Public Accounts of Canada
Note: 2003-2004 to 2006-2007 are adjusted to reflect the amount paid for those fiscal years.
* Planned amount.

Funding to other provinces

For many years, the funding level for the Settlement Program (previously LINC, ISAP, and Host), had been relatively static and various allocations methods were used to determine the settlement funding for services in all provinces and territories outside of Quebec. This changed in 2005 with the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), which pre-determined the level of funding for services in the province of Ontario. This resulted in an additional $920M in funding for settlement and integration services in Ontario over five years. Additional funding for other provinces and territories was also granted to permit the alignment of the level of funding for PTs outside of Quebec. This could not be achieved because of the variation in the proportion of immigrants landing in Ontario versus those landing in other provinces/territories (PTs) outside of Quebec.

In March 2011, COIA was extended for one fiscal year until March 2012. In November 2011, the federal government announced that in 2012-2013, to advance fairness and meet settlement needs of newcomers across Canada, allocations for all PTs outside Quebec were to be fully determined using the national settlement formulaFootnote 40.

This national funding formula is based on the number of immigrants in each province and territory outside Quebec, giving additional weight for refugees to account for their unique settlement needs, along with a capacity-building amount added to each jurisdiction.Footnote 41 This allocates settlement funding for services in various PTs outside of Quebec, taking into consideration the proportion of immigrants in each PT. Table 4.5 outlines the net allocations for each of the provinces and territories from 2006-2007 to 2012-2013, excluding Quebec.

Table 4.5: Settlement funding allocations, 2006-2007 to 2012-2013
Provinces and Territories 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
Newfoundland and Labrador $1,625,887 $1,675,639 $1,748,236 $1,880,669 $1,907,370 $2,223,039 $2,512,975
Prince Edward Island $777,878 $1,122,023 $1,336,739 $1,915,475 $2,765,375 $3,946,142 $5,218,024
Nova Scotia $3,247,106 $3,856,788 $5,396,022 $6,767,461 $7,097,327 $7,012,146 $7,078,944
New Brunswick $1,729,577 $2,190,037 $3,100,581 $4,219,820 $4,715,257 $5,179,369 $5,664,069
Ontario* $185,500,000 $304,300,000 $336,678,949 $390,781,775 $390,399,141 $346,521,868 $314,950,874
Manitoba $14,826,120 $16,775,205 $21,900,364 $27,941,126 $29,429,097 $32,027,618 $36,539,512
Saskatchewan $3,790,907 $4,465,855 $6,025,004 $8,030,275 $10,127,313 $14,255,519 $17,995,061
Alberta $27,525,307 $32,435,900 $48,433,209 $58,536,986 $60,048,771 $64,071,989 $74,978,539
British Columbia $71,499,523 $84,077,029 $106,399,529 $120,729,982 $114,079,030 $105,558,092 $109,813,233
Northwest Territories $538,873 $637,907 $599,640 $612,413 $633,079 $672,976 $723,998
Nunavut $463,985 $540,681 $425,853 $434,030 $459,975 $463,377 $469,800
Yukon $527,919 $617,476 $545,706 $571,080 $597,624 $709,534 $932,632
Net Allocations sub-total  $312,053,082 $452,694,540 $532,589,832  $622,421,092 $622,259,359 $582,641,669  $576,877,661
Innovation Fund**     $12,274,483 $29,375,584 $29,361,808 $16,028,557 $15,850,289
Total Allocations $312,053,082 $452,694,540 $544,864,315 $651,796,676 $651,621,167 $598,670,226 $592,727,950

Source: CIC Financial Management branch
*From 2006-07 to 2010-11, the settlement allocations for settlement services in Ontario were determined under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. As of 2012-13, settlement funding in Ontario is being fully determined using the national settlement funding formula (2011-12 was a transition year).
**The Innovation Fund was created in December 2007, it applies as of 2008-09.

Per immigrant comparisons

In order to assess the degree to which the funding represents the minimum amount of resources needed to achieve expected outcomes, a benchmark was used. This benchmark is taken from a 2003 report by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship in Immigration which recommended that “overall funding for settlement programs should be augmented to reflect the increase in immigrant arrivals with a benchmark of $3,000 per newcomer being dedicated to settlement services”Footnote 42. Taking into account inflation, the $3,000 benchmark suggested in 2003 would amount to approximately $3,337 in 2009Footnote 43. It is worth noting that the benchmark of $3,000 only took into consideration the funding for settlement. It did not include resettlement and administration costs. In 2009-10, the funding per immigrant in Quebec had reached $4,692, while in the rest of Canada, per immigrant funding for settlement and resettlement was $3,639 (see Table 4.6).

Table 4.6: Funding per immigrant (based on expenditures), 2009-2010
Elements Operating
Costs*
Grants and
Contributions
Total
Resettlement Assistance of Refugees $2,976,214 $14,728,443 $17,704,657
Income Support to Refugees $6,531,802 $41,759,292 $48,291,094
Contributions to Provinces $454,291 $157,498,220 $157,952,511
Newcomer Language training $8,969,077 $199,549,811 $208,518,888
Newcomer Information,
Community and Employment Bridging
$15,603,168 $283,625,130 $299,228,298
Foreign Credentials Referral Office $4,829,084 $1,033,516 $5,862,600
Total $39,363,636 $698,194,412 $737,558,048
Number of permanent resident
landings in 2009 - Canada excluding Quebec
    $202,681
Per immigrant amount     $3,639
Grant to Quebec $1,522 $232,190,000 $232,191,522
Number of permanent resident
landings in 2009 - Quebec
    $49,491
Per immigrant amount     $4,692

* includes contributions to employee benefit plans
Sources: CIC Cost Management Model, 2009; CIC Facts and Figures 2011.
Note: This table does not include immigration loan support to refugees as it provides services across Canada including Quebec.

As stated previously, potential factors that were put forward by the province to establish the grant amount at the time of the creation of the Accord included: 1) the proportion of immigrants who could not speak French upon arrival and therefore would require additional assistance in learning French, 2) the percentage of immigrants settling in Quebec who were refugees and 3) the additional effort that would be required to integrate individuals into a francophone environment situated within a predominantly English-speaking North American environment. Using these criteria as a guide, statistics show that:

  • the percentage of immigrants who did not know French upon their arrival in Quebec declined from 62.4% in 1991 to 38.5% in 2010; and
  • the percentage of immigrants destined to Quebec who were refugees has also declined over time (from 30.2% in 1991 to 8.7% in 2010) (see Table 3.1).

Information is not available, however, to assess the third factor, namely the cost of integrating individuals into a francophone environment situated in a predominantly English-speaking environment. As a result, while the average amount of funding provided per immigrant in Quebec is higher than that provided to other provinces and territories, it is not possible to assess whether or not this difference is reasonable.

Efficiency and effectiveness

Efficiency is “the extent to which resources are used such that a greater level of output is produced with the same level of input, or a lower level of input is used to produce the same level of output. The level of input and output could be increases or decreases in quantity, quality or both”Footnote 44.

Based on this definition it is not possible to provide an analysis of the efficiency of the grant to Quebec. As stated previously, the province is not required to report on the use of the funds provided through the grant. The province’s annual report provides information on the allocation of funding to various government departments and some output data such as the number of clients served. The report, however, does not link the output data to the funding provided by the federal government.

In the absence of a requirement to report on the results of the funding it is not possible to assess effectiveness. Linkages between the use of the funds and program outcomes, as stated previously, are not possible, given limitations in the availability of information.

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