Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s 2025–26 Departmental plan: Details on transfer payments

Transfer payment programs with total planned spending of $5 million or more

Participant Funding Program, Policy Dialogue Program and Indigenous Capacity Support Program – Contributions to support the participation of the public and Indigenous groups in assessments and policy dialogue and the development of Indigenous Knowledge and capacity associated with assessments and related activities.

Start date: 2018

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Contribution

Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2022-23

Link to departmental result(s): Stakeholders and Indigenous groups meaningfully participate in the assessment process

Link to the department’s Program Inventory:

• Assessment Administration, Conduct and Monitoring; and
• Indigenous Relations and Engagement

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:

• Public
  • Participant Funding Program: Provides limited financial contributions to individuals, incorporated not-for-profit organizations, and Indigenous groups to help prepare for and participate in key stages of assessments undertaken by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) or review panels, or a regional/strategic assessment.
  • Policy Dialogue Program: supports the provision of external advice and participation in developing policies, methodologies, tools, and practices related to impact assessments, regional assessments, and strategic assessments.
• Indigenous
  • Indigenous Capacity Support Program: supports the development of local and regional Indigenous Knowledge and capacity to participate in, or undertake, project impact assessments, regional assessments, policy engagement, impact assessment monitoring and follow-up activities, and Impact Assessment Act (IAA)-related activities effectively.
  • Policy Dialogue Program: supports the provision of external advice and participation in developing policies, methodologies, tools, and practices related to impact assessments, regional assessments, and strategic assessments.
  • Participant Funding Program: provides limited financial contributions to Indigenous groups to help prepare for and participate in key stages of assessments undertaken by IAAC or review panels, or a regional/strategic assessment.

Expected results:

• Participant Funding Program: Indigenous groups and the public benefit from:
  • improved relationships;
  • better access to information;
  • increased capacity to participate in assessments; and
  • increased meaningful participation in assessments.

These expected results should contribute to better information being available for assessments.

• Policy Dialogue Program: the expected results include:
  • improved quality and quantity of assessment knowledge and information among Indigenous groups and stakeholders;
  • increased engagement in the development of assessment related policies, guidelines, tools, and practices;
  • the advancement of reciprocal relationships;
  • increased capacity to provide advice and feedback on assessment-related policy, guidelines, tools, and practices that reflect Indigenous groups and stakeholders’ perspectives; and
  • meaningful participation in policy development.

These expected results should contribute to more effective assessments, policies, guidelines, tools, and practices.

• Indigenous Capacity Support Program: the expected results include:
  • improved quality and quantity of assessment knowledge and information among Indigenous groups;
  • establishing and deepening of long-term partnerships with Indigenous groups; and
  • increased long-term capacity among Indigenous groups.

These expected results should increasingly contribute to meaningful Indigenous participation in assessments.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation: 2024-25

Decision following the results of last evaluation: Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: 2028-29

General targeted recipient groups:

• Not-for-profit organizations and charities
• Academia and public institutions
• Indigenous recipients
• International (non-government)
• Individuals

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients:

• Public
  • Participant Funding Program: public notices and social media posts related to financial support for participation are posted in various news outlets and on IAAC’s website. Public notices are also provided to media outlets in regions relevant to proposed designated projects.
    These public notices and news releases provide the following information:
    • a brief description of the proposed project;
    • the purpose of the participant funding;
    • the phase(s) of the environmental or impact assessment for which funding is available;
    • the deadline to submit applications;
    • the process to obtain application forms; and
    • how to learn more about the Program.
  • Policy Dialogue Program: For some initiatives under this Program, stakeholders and Indigenous groups are identified based on expertise and the policy issues at hand. Using targeted means, IAAC contacts stakeholders and Indigenous groups to inform them about funding opportunities. For other initiatives, IAAC advertises funding availability and application forms that are available to eligible applicants on its website.

• Indigenous
  • Participant Funding Program: Throughout the life of a project, IAAC maintains regular contact with Indigenous communities through various means, including meetings, community visits, correspondence, and telephone calls. Indigenous communities potentially affected by a project are contacted and notified of opportunities to participate in consultation or engagement activities. Funding for Indigenous applicants is linked to IAAC’s Indigenous consultation and engagement activities associated with a project, regional or strategic assessment, or review process. Indigenous funding availability is communicated by IAAC directly to those Indigenous recipients who may be potentially impacted by the project. This is done at the same time as the announcement for the public.

    Consultation work plans are prepared jointly with potentially affected communities, and views are solicited at key points in the process. For example, during the Planning phase of an assessment, IAAC solicits feedback on the Tailored Impact Statement Guidelines and draft Indigenous Engagement and Partnership Plans. Later in the assessment process, it solicits input on the draft environmental or impact assessment report and potential conditions.

    Feedback is also solicited for assessments by review panels on joint review panel agreements (when applicable), terms of reference, information provided by the proponent, during public hearings, at the conclusion of panel reports, and on potential conditions.

    Indigenous communities not initially identified by IAAC as being potentially affected by a project can find information on the availability of participant funding on IAAC’s website.

  • Indigenous Capacity Support Program: Under certain streams of this program, funding announcements are made outlining the strategic priority activities. Applicants must first provide IAAC with a proposal demonstrating how their initiative meets the objectives and criteria of the program. This includes providing information to determine eligibility requirements are met as well as any information required to assess the applicant and/or the initiative against the program assessment criteria. Proposals that meet the criteria and priorities outlined may be funded based on funding availability.

    For other streams in the program, a range of approaches may be employed, such as targeted and/or open processes for identifying funding opportunities.

    In the case of a targeted process, IAAC engages its regional staff and other organizational units, as necessary, to identify candidates. IAAC representatives contact candidates directly and explain the application process and its requirements. In the case of an open process, IAAC organizes and leads the call for proposals, which may include specific, targeted criteria. All material is posted on IAAC’s website.

Transfer payment programs with total planned spending of less than $5 million

Contribution to the Province of Quebec – James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement

Start date: 1978

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Contribution

Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: Most recent agreements (renewal) were signed between Canada and Quebec in March 2002, outlining terms and conditions. The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (1975) establishes obligations for funding.

Link to departmental result(s): Scientific and evidence-based information, and Indigenous Knowledge on key health, social, economic, and environmental effects is available to inform project assessment processes, including impact assessment reports, decisions, and conditions.

Link to the department’s Program Inventory: Indigenous Relations and Engagement

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program: Maintain and provide funding for the secretariats supporting the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment and the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee.

Expected results: Each committee prepares a five-year strategic plan with yearly actions and a year-end activity report on results

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation: 2007-08

Decision following the results of last evaluation: Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: Not applicable. Less than $5 million in average actual annual expenditures, and there have been no changes in programming or context since the last evaluation.

General targeted recipient groups:

• Indigenous recipients
• Other: James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment and the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients: Not applicable

Grants to support the participation of the public and Indigenous groups in impact, regional or strategic assessments, and to support impact assessment-related research – Participant Funding Program, Policy Dialogue Program and Research Program

Start date: 2019-20

End date: Ongoing

Type of transfer payment: Grant

Type of appropriation: Appropriated annually through the Main Estimates

Fiscal year for terms and conditions: 2022-23

Link to departmental result(s):

• Scientific and evidence-based information, and Indigenous Knowledge on key health, social, economic, and environmental effects is available to inform project assessment processes, including impact assessment reports, decisions, and conditions; and
• Stakeholders and Indigenous groups meaningfully participate in the assessment process

Link to the department’s Program Inventory:

• Assessment Administration, Conduct and Monitoring; and
• Indigenous Relations and Engagement

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:

• Better informed decision-making through the active participation of the public and Indigenous groups with knowledge or expertise relevant to project impact assessments;
• Provides grants for recipients to support their participation in regional assessments, or an assessment conducted by a review panel or by IAAC;
• Supports the provision of external advice and participation in the development of policies, methodologies, tools, and practices related to assessments; and
• Promotes and disseminates new and innovative research that furthers the practice of impact assessment, including regional or strategic assessments.

Expected results:

• Stronger, evidence-based policy and guidance for impact assessment through an enhanced and more diverse knowledge base; and
• Establishment of an impact assessment research network to foster continuous improvement and enable impact assessment to serve as a tool for sustainable development.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation: 2024-25

Decision following the results of last evaluation: Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation: 2028-29

General targeted recipient groups:

• Not-for-profit organizations
• Academia and public institutions
• Indigenous recipients
• International (non-government)
• Individuals

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients:

• Grants under the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada Research Program:

  IAAC’s Research Program, comprised of grant and operations and maintenance (O&M) funding, was established to support implementation of the Impact Assessment Act.

  Grants are provided to eligible recipients from Canadian not-for-profit, research and academic institutions, and Indigenous communities and organizations to enable research and associated deliverables on topics to:

  • support research or studies based on science, Indigenous or community knowledge; studies of cultural practices or values related to a specific geographic area, local community or Indigenous Peoples; or information collection or data repositories;
  • support research on aspects of IA, including regional or strategic assessments, including tools, frameworks, methodologies, case studies and best practices related to issues such as gender-based analysis plus, environmental impacts, economic impacts, social and health impacts, impacts on Indigenous communities and their rights, cumulative and regional effects, and sustainability;
  • support IA-related research partnerships with not-for-profit organizations and academic institutions in Canada and abroad;
  • support relevant networks to create and disseminate IA research; and
  • other relevant activities, approved by IAAC, to allow for the research of additional areas of interest to IAAC.

Grant funding is also provided to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support program objectives. The funding transferred to NSERC supports university-based researchers at the post-graduate and/or post-doctoral levels undertaking research in the physical sciences related to the field of impact assessment.

• Grants under the Participant Funding Program:

Participant Funding Program grants are provided to eligible recipients for initiatives such as supporting early engagement and post-decision phase activities with IAAC for assessments and providing feedback on key scoping documents for projects and regional assessments.

• Grants for Indigenous groups: Indigenous groups potentially affected by a project are contacted and notified of opportunities to participate in consultation and engagement activities for the Pre-planning and Planning phases of impact assessments and for the Planning phase of regional assessments. Communities that believe they may be potentially affected by a project are invited to contact IAAC. Consultation work plans are prepared jointly with potentially affected communities, and feedback is solicited at key points in the process.
• Grants for the public: Grants are provided to eligible public groups or individuals participating in Planning phase activities of impact assessments and early engagement activities for regional assessments. The public is notified of opportunities to take part in such activities by IAAC and about funding availability through public notices posted in various news outlets and on IAAC’s website.

• Grants under the Policy Dialogue Program:

Grants of low materiality can be provided to Indigenous groups, individuals or organizations, or not-for-profit organizations for such activities as:

• contributing to information, advice, or views on existing or draft guidance, directives, policies, regulations and legislation;
• participating in engagement sessions related to the review or development of impact assessment-related policy and program issues; and
• developing and supporting networks for discussing key policy issues and exchanging views on policy options and/or proposals.