Voluntary Sector Task Force Final Report

Policy and Coordination

In addition to its responsibility for providing guidance and coordination for all the joint tables and other collaborative mechanisms, the policy and coordination responsibility of the VSTF included:

1. Providing policy advice to the government

Drafting and coordinating submissions to Cabinet and to the Treasury Board; and
Ensuring horizontal coordination across government, including liaison with central agencies.

2. Supporting

The Reference Group of Ministers on the voluntary sector;
The ADM Executive Committee;
The ADM Advisory Committee; and
The Interdepartmental Working Group on Policy.

3. Managing

Designing the Sectoral Involvement in Departmental Policy Development (SIDPD) initiative and managing rounds one and two of the project selection.

4. Overseeing

The development of evaluation frameworks for the VSI and its components.

The VSTF served as the secretariat, which included issuing notices of meetings, preparing agendas, developing and coordinating supporting material for the federal mechanisms, and providing meeting follow-up and shared secretariat responsibility for RGM meetings with the Social Development Policy Secretariat at PCO. It also provided briefings and support for meetings between ministers and senior sector representatives.

Its responsibilities ranged from providing strategic advice at the highest level to ensuring that agendas, minutes and other working documents for committees and joint tables were prepared, approved and disseminated.

Reference Group of Ministers
In spring 2000, the Prime Minister appointed a Reference Group of Ministers (RGM) on the voluntary sector to provide stewardship to the VSI, including strategic policy direction and coordination for the government, stewardship of the relationship and a locus for dialogue between government and voluntary sector leadership. Oversight of the development of the Accord was one of its key responsibilities.

Chaired by the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, the RGM originally included:

The Honourable Herb Gray, then Deputy Prime Minister
The Honourable Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage
The Honourable Allan Rock, Minister of Health (now Minister of Industry)
The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec) (now Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada)
The Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development
The Honourable Maria Minna, then Minister for International Cooperation
The Honourable Hedy Fry, then Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)(Status of Women).

RGM membership was adjusted as a result of subsequent Cabinet changes. The following replaced ministers Gray, Minna, Fry, and Cauchon:

The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health
The Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of Labour and then Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)(Status of Women)
The Honourable Elinor Caplan, Minister of National Revenue
The Honourable Jean Augustine, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)(Status of Women)

The VSTF worked in concert with the Social Development Secretariat of PCO to plan and support meetings of the RGM, which included occasional participation by Patrick Johnston as voluntary sector co-chair of the Joint Coordinating Committee.

The last meeting of the RGM was held on April 22, 2002. The VSTF also organized a meeting for Minister Robillard and Minister Caplan with the co-chairs of the Joint Regulatory Table in August of 2002 before the launch of the Joint Regulatory Table cross-Canada consultations.

By fall 2002, the RGM had completed its mandate of overseeing the launch of the VSI and the development of the Accord.

Assistant Deputy Minister Executive Committee

The VSTF provided secretariat support to the ADM Executive Committee until its final meeting on September 3, 2002. This committee included assistant deputy minister level participation from the departments with ministers who were members of the Reference Group of Ministers. It provided the overall government operational leadership to the VSI, including:

Advice and strategic direction to the VSI;
Policy coordination in areas that crossed departmental mandates; and
Guidance to the work of the VSTF.

Three Interdepartmental Working Groups supported this committee: Operations, Policy and Communications.

Assistant Deputy Minister Advisory Committee

The VSTF supported the ADM Advisory Committee, which met approximately twice a year to:

Provide advice to the ADM Executive Committee on government-wide policy and strategy development for the voluntary sector;
Enhance horizontal policy-making and provide the focal point for the voluntary sector in its relationship with the Government of Canada in areas that cross departmental mandates; and
Support and facilitate departmental initiatives ensuring appropriate coordination and cooperation.

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