2025-2026 Supplementary Information Tables

List of supplementary information tables for the 2025-26 Departmental Plan

• Gender-Based Analysis Plus
• Transfer Payment Programs 

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity 

Governance 

Prior to its launch as a standalone agency in October 2024, the Canada Water Agency (CWA) functioned as a Branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). As a Branch of ECCC, the Agency’s Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus responsibilities were supported by ECCC’s GBA Plus Centre of Expertise (CoE).  

To ensure that GBA Plus is integrated into the Canada Water Agency’s decision-making processes as a standalone Agency, the Agency is developing a GBA Plus responsibility centre within its Freshwater Policy and Engagement Directorate. This responsibility centre will oversee the implementation of GBA Plus and provide related advice across the Agency. Over the next several months, the CWA’s GBA Plus responsibility centre will work to identify and implement the elements of a GBA Plus Framework that will best support the sustainable and systematic use of GBA Plus across the CWA.   

Capacity 

Since launching as a standalone Agency, the CWA has been actively developing its GBA Plus capacity. Two staff within the Freshwater Policy and Engagement Directorate were identified as the GBA Plus focal points for the CWA. These staff are undertaking GBA Plus training, working with ECCC’s GBA Plus CoE, and utilizing resources from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) to build a GBA Plus Framework and capacity within the CWA. 

Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus 

Two full-time equivalents are dedicated to working on GBA Plus at the CWA during the 2025-26 fiscal year as part of their responsibilities. These staff reside in the Freshwater Policy Division, within the Freshwater Policy and Engagement Directorate.

Section 2: Gender and diversity impacts, by program 

Core responsibility: Freshwater Stewardship 

Program name: Freshwater Management Program

Program goals: This program aims to positively impact Canadians by contributing to improved management, protection, and restoration of fresh water. Younger generations, communities around Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, and sectors that depend on good water quality are expected to benefit. The program will support increased participation of Indigenous peoples in freshwater management.  

GBA Plus data collection plan  

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts on diverse groups for the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative (GL FEI) and the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program (LWBP) but similar data collection does not occur for the St. Lawrence Action Plan (SLAP) and other Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives.

The LWBP collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor/report program impacts on diverse groups. Specifically, the LWBP collects data to enable reporting on how the program has enabled Indigenous governments, organization and communities in being engaged on efforts to reduce nutrient loading and protect water quality in the Lake Winnipeg Basin. In particular, the number of Indigenous communities and organizations that are meaningfully engaged in activities supported by the LWBP (e.g., through funding support for community-based projects, or partnerships with water governance organizations in the Lake Winnipeg basin) is tracked.

The GL FEI collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor/report program impacts on diverse groups. In particular, progress on the number of Indigenous communities and organizations that are meaningfully engaged under the GL FEI (e.g., through funding support for community-based projects, or participation in Great Lakes decision-making processes) is tracked.

At the time where the latest SLAP 2011–2026 and its Community Interaction Program (CIP) and Zones d’interventions prioritaires (ZIP) programs were developed, no indicators were integrated to monitor and report on the CIP’s and ZIP’s impacts by gender and/or by diversity. Considering the fixed terms of the SLAP 2021-2026, the integration of such indicators will not be possible until the renewal of the agreement.

The Canada Water Agency will continue to apply a GBA Plus lens in the development of programs and measures to advance freshwater management and ecosystem health. Existing Canada Water Agency contribution programs will be consulted to ensure consistency.

The EcoAction Community Funding program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

Program name: Freshwater Policy and Engagement Program

Program goals: This program aims to engage a diverse range of partners and stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate on freshwater priorities. In particular, it supports Indigenous engagement and participation in national freshwater priorities.

GBA Plus data collection plan  

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

This program contributes to the CWA’s Departmental Result “Partners and stakeholders are meaningfully engaged in freshwater stewardship,” in which the Departmental Result Indicator requires data disaggregated by those engaged. Data is collected through various indicators of the Program’s Program Inventory and Performance Information Profile, in a way that it can be disaggregated based on partner type (Indigenous partners, provinces, territories, other federal departments and agencies), sub-groups of partners (e.g., youth groups, Indigenous grassroots organizations, Indigenous distinctions), or gender and diversity factors (e.g., sex, gender, race, other identifying factors). This approach enables the CWA to identify differential impacts of CWA programming on various groups and allow for modification or tailoring of CWA’s engagement approach to maximize inclusiveness and achievement of results.

Transfer Payment Programs 

Contributions in support of freshwater stewardship  

Start date: October 15, 2024

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Contribution 

Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2024-25

Link to departmental result(s):

• Canada has healthy freshwater ecosystems.
• Partners and stakeholders are meaningfully engaged in freshwater stewardship.

Link to the department’s Program Inventory:

• Freshwater Management Program
• Freshwater Policy and Engagement Program

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: 

To protect, restore, strengthen governance and collaboration and have a positive impact on the fresh water in Canada.  

The overall objective is to:

• address freshwater challenges and opportunities in Canada through improved coordination, management, protection, and restoration of fresh water for the benefit of current and future generations.
• develop and administer on the ground projects that have positive impact on fresh water by collaborating with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, community-based groups and other stakeholders.
• support the inclusion and participation of Indigenous peoples in freshwater protection, restoration, and governance.

Expected results: 

• Expected results of contributions in support of freshwater stewardship are:
• Reduced loading of phosphorus to priority water basins – Lake Winnipeg and Lake Erie Basin.
• Information is available to support decision making.
• Restoration of priority ecosystems.
• Canada engages partners and stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate on freshwater policy initiatives.

Departmental Result Indicator:

• Total annual reduction of phosphorus loads from Canadian sources into priority water bodies.
• Percentage of Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives where freshwater quality and aquatic ecosystem health indicators are reported as good/fair - with a trend of stable or improving.
• Percentage of partners and stakeholders who indicate their experience engaging on initiatives led by the CWA as meaningful (disaggregated by partner).

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation: Not applicable, new program.

Decision following the results of last evaluation: Not applicable.   

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: The Canada Water Agency’s Evaluation Plan is not yet available.

General targeted recipient groups:    

• For-profit organizations
• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Academia and public institutionsIndigenous recipients
• Government
• International (non-government)
• Individual or sole proprietorships

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients: The Canada Water Agency engages applicants and recipients under this program in two ways: recipients through application-based process, and/or recipients based on their unique ability to address targeted program results. The agency employs one or a combination of the following initiatives to provide access to the program in a clear, understandable, and accessible manner: publicity in news and social media; information provided on the departmental website; letter-writing activities; email correspondence with targeted interest groups; and meetings with targeted recipient communities. Administrative requirements have been tailored to evaluated risk levels, and efficiency is being addressed through simplified agreement templates.