Terms and Conditions Program Name: Contributions in Support of Resettlement Assistance Program Category: Contribution Department: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Last Updated: February 2012 1. Authority 1.1 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (hereinafter referred to as the Department) derives its authority for the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). 1.2 The Minister is also authorized by Cabinet to provide resettlement assistance to persons admitted under public policy considerations as set out in IRPA. 1.3 In addition, the Minister, with the approval of the Governor in Council, may enter into an agreement with the government of a foreign state or with an international organization, as well as with the government of any province for the purposes of the Act. 2. Purpose and Objectives 2.1 The purpose of RAP is to provide direct financial support and fund the provision of immediate and essential services to eligible recipients as listed in Section 4A of these terms and conditions, hereinafter referred to as RAP clients. 2.2 RAP contributes to the objectives of Sections 3(2) (b) and 3(1) (e) of IRPA, to respectively: Fulfill Canada s international legal obligations with respect to refugees and affirm Canada s commitment to international efforts to provide assistance to those in need of resettlement. and Promote the successful integration of permanent residents into Canada while recognizing that integration involves mutual obligations for new immigrants and Canadian society. Expected Outcomes 2.3 The expected outcomes for RAP include, meeting the immediate and essential needs of RAP clients and ensuring that RAP services are timely, useful and accessible, while contributing to the departmental strategic outcome (SO 3) of newcomers and citizens participate to their full potential in fostering an integrated society. Performance Measurement Strategy (PM Strategy) 2.4 The RAP PM Strategy contains a logic model, on-going performance measurement (PM) indicators and a reporting schedule for RAP. The PM indicators will measure the success of the program in achieving the expected outputs and outcomes for the Program. Key PM indicators include the number of clients served by RAP services, the extent to which RAP services were useful and accessible, and the extent to which stakeholders (CIC, Service Providers, RAP Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 1
clients) report that the immediate and essential needs of RAP clients were met. PM information will be collected through CIC s Immigration Contribution Accountability Measurement System (icams), and through a combination of surveys with RAP stakeholders to be administered by the Department. The PM Strategy takes into account the reporting burden on RAP stakeholders and the resources available to attain the expected outcomes for RAP. 3. Eligible Contributions/Initiatives/Projects A. Individual Income Support RAP income support is administered directly by the Department and is available to RAP clients for up to 12 months if the RAP client s income is insufficient to provide for their needs and/or the needs of their dependants. B. Contributions to Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) There are two categories of SPOs, domestic, located in Canada outside Quebec; and international, located outside Canada. Domestically, RAP is primarily used in the operations of reception facilities that provide services to address the immediate and essential needs of RAP clients. These services are directly administered by SPOs that have a signed contribution agreement with the Department. Internationally, RAP provides funds to SPOs located outside Canada to support pre-departure services that include travel and admissibility costs for eligible RAP clients, and other activities such as developing cultural profiles as required. In addition, the Department may fund projects, workshops, or conferences which aim to improve the delivery of RAP services. These activities are delivered primarily by service providers through a contribution agreement. C. Blended Sponsorship Initiatives In addition to the Joint Assistance Sponsorship program 1, the Department enters into blended initiatives that involve a sponsorship undertaken jointly by the Department and a Sponsorship Agreement Holder, whereby both the Department and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder share support for the Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR). The Sponsorship Agreement Holder has the responsibility for the reception and settlement assistance for the PSR for the term of the sponsorship. The period and extent of the financial support that each party contributes is established with the agreement of both parties. 1 Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) refers to a joint undertaking by the sponsoring group and Citizenship and Immigration Canada to sponsor a refugee(s) requiring special assistance and who would benefit from government assistance combined with the additional support of a sponsor. The JAS program enables Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) and their Constituent Groups (CGs) to partner with the Government of Canada in the resettlement of refugees who are identified as having special needs (e,g,, physical or mental disability which could require treatment in Canada). Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 2
A. INDIVIDUAL INCOME SUPPORT 4A. Eligible Recipients 4.1A. Eligible recipients of income support are RAP clients, more precisely defined as persons who are: (a) Permanent residents admitted to Canada, or temporary residents who are issued a permit under section 24 of IRPA who, respectively, have been determined to be or who initially applied for admission to Canada as members of the Convention refugees abroad class or the humanitarian protected persons abroad class where one of the following applies: (i) Selected on the basis that assistance will be provided by a government resettlement assistance program; or (ii) Selected as part of the Joint Assistance Sponsorship program; (b) Persons who were members of the Protected temporary residents class who become permanent residents under section 151.1 of the Regulations; or (c) Permanent residents admitted to Canada who were granted permanent residence under section 25.1 of IRPA on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Eligibility for RAP is restricted to foreign nationals who are in urgent need of protection and who, if not for the fact that they have been unable to leave their country of origin, would otherwise meet the criteria as a member of the Convention refugees abroad class. Note: Delegated authority for approval of RAP funding for these persons is restricted to Directors General; or (d) Permanent residents admitted to Canada, who were granted permanent residence under section 25.2 of IRPA as part of a group under public policy established by the Minister on unique and compelling humanitarian situations and where no other means of financial support is available. Note: The approval of RAP funding for these persons will be at the discretion of the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, only where the group has demonstrated settlement needs that are comparable to that of Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) (e.g. little or no financial resources; low levels of literacy; and life-skills training); or (e) Permanent and temporary residents admitted to Canada who applied for admission to Canada as members of any future humanitarian-protected person abroad class. 4.2A. RAP clients must reside, during the eligible period, in a province where the federal government administers RAP 2 in order to remain eligible for assistance. Restrictions: 4.3A. Privately Sponsored Refugees who are not part of the Joint Assistance Program may be considered for income support but only under exceptional circumstances such as where there has been a sponsorship breakdown. 2 RAP is a national program operating in all provinces with the exception of Quebec. The province of Quebec receives a separate funding allocation under the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord relating to the Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens to provide similar services to eligible refugees destined to that province. Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 3
5A. Eligible Expenditures 5.1A. Individual income support provides RAP clients with funds to enable them to acquire goods and services to meet their basic needs including, but not limited to: (a) Food, (b) Shelter, (c) Clothing, (d) Basic furniture, and (e) Incidentals. 5.2A. Eligible expenditures also include miscellaneous disbursements made to a third party on behalf of a RAP client to cover shelter, basic furniture and exceptional costs such as administrative costs associated with guardianship/trusteeship procedures for separated minors and incompetent adult RAP clients, as well as funeral costs. 6A. Determination of Contribution Amount 6.1A. Contributions for income support aim to be in accordance with the prevailing provincial social assistance rates available in the RAP client's province of residence. Provincial social assistance programs normally stipulate approved rates for housing costs (rent) and basic needs (food, and essential incidentals) and vary for specific household sizes. 6.2A. The Department determines other income support amounts by setting national rates for allowances. This includes, but is not limited to, the one-time start-up allowance for household staples or the monthly maternity allowance. 7A. Maximum Amount Payable 7.1A. The maximum contribution for a RAP client shall not exceed $25,000 per year. 8A. Basis of Payment 8.1A. Contributions for income support will normally be made on a monthly basis. 8.2A. Contributions for income support may be made to RAP clients for the following: (a) An initial period of up to 12 months commencing from the date of the RAP client s arrival in Canada or until such time as the RAP client s income is sufficient to meet his or her own needs and the needs of any dependants, whichever event occurs first; or (b) In the case of RAP clients who are deemed by departmental officials to have higher needs (e.g., Joint Assistance Sponsorship cases), the maximum contribution period as described in (a) may be extended for an additional 12 months; or (c) In the case of separated minors, the initial contribution period may be extended for up to 24 months or until the beneficiary has reached the age of majority in their province of residence, whichever event occurs first; or (d) In exceptional circumstances where there is a Sponsorship Agreement Holder sponsorship breakdown commencing from the date of the breakdown and continuing throughout the balance of the sponsorship period, such period being defined in the undertaking provided to the Minister, or until such time as a PSR s income is sufficient to meet his or her own needs and the needs of any dependants, whichever event occurs first. 8.3A. Contributions for income support for which the RAP client was not entitled shall be Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 4
considered debts due to the Crown. 9A. Required Information from Applicant and Assessment Criteria 9.1A. Persons eligible for RAP do not apply for income support. They are selected overseas on the basis that such assistance will be provided to them in preparation for departure to Canada and upon arriving in Canada. A departmental official will verify the eligibility and identity of the individual. 10A. Reporting Requirements 10.1A.RAP clients will be asked to participate in a voluntary survey to determine how useful and accessible RAP services were, the extent to which RAP services met their immediate and essential needs, as well as whether clients were linked to settlement and other government services, non-government and community services. B. CONTRIBUTIONS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS 4B. Eligible Recipients 4.1B. Contribution agreements can be signed with the following eligible recipients to provide services to RAP clients: a) Not for profit organizations and associations, including non-governmental organizations, community groups and umbrella organizations; b) Intergovernmental and international organizations; c) Businesses; d) Canadian educational institutions (including boards, districts and divisions); e) Provincial, territorial or municipal governments; and f) Individual Canadian citizens (e.g., consultants, facilitators) 4.2B. NOTE: For contributions with International organizations and provincial governments the approval of an order in council is required. 5B. Eligible Services/Expenditures Eligible Services 5.1B. The following are services that may be provided by SPOs to RAP clients: (a) Port of entry services (assist with processing at port-of-entry and the issuance of clothing for winter arrivals) (includes PSRs); (b) Interpretation and translation services; (c) Orientation sessions and assistance with locating permanent accommodation; (d) Transportation services within Canada (e.g., transport from the airport to temporary accommodation, and transport to permanent accommodations); (e) Temporary accommodation services immediately upon arrival; (f) Temporary allowance to meet basic needs, including food or the means to acquire it; Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 5
(g) Information on, and links to, mandatory federal and provincial programs; (h) Assistance in acquiring a basic knowledge of everyday life skills, as required; (i) Assessment and referrals to other settlement programs, and community based services; and (j) Any other justifiable service deemed appropriate to support the objectives of RAP such as engaging in research projects and other initiatives intended to support and improve the program. Eligible Expenditures 5.2B. The following are eligible expenditures if they are related to eligible services as outlined above: (a) Salaries, wages and related benefits for staff related to RAP; (b) Training and professional development; (c) Travel, accommodation and other cost related to the program activities for employees and volunteers, where applicable; (d) Delivery assistance tools and material such as textbooks and other instructional material, supplies, telephone, postage, printing and duplication; (e) Cost associated with research, conferences, workshops, and publicity; (f) Professional, consultancy copyright fees; (g) Cost associated with administration and audits; (h) Overhead costs including rental of space and/or equipment, and certain routine maintenance of accommodation space; (i) Capital expenditures deemed by the Department to be necessary costs that the service provider expects to incur as capital assets purchased and/or leased (e.g., computers, furniture, and other tangible property). This includes leasehold improvements, and costs for arrangements and devices for RAP clients with disabilities. Necessary capital expenditures approved by the Department, of up to 15% of the total value of the contribution agreement are allowed. Capital expenditures cannot exceed 50% of the total contribution amount in any given fiscal year. Note: The portion related to arrangements and devices for RAP clients with disabilities cannot exceed $10,000 per disabled client up to a maximum of $100,000 per year per agreement unless otherwise approved by the Department to respond to RAP clients needs; (j) Temporary accommodations costs (commercial and reception house format) associated with maintaining a facility to house and feed RAP clients prior to placement in permanent accommodation; (k) Cost of temporary allowance given to RAP clients; (l) Cost of meals for RAP clients or providing them with the means to obtain food elsewhere; (m) Costs of transportation within Canada; and (n) Any other justifiable expenditure deemed appropriate to support the eligible services. 5.3B. In addition to the above expenditures, the following may also be covered for eligible clients who have higher settlement needs, under RAP: (a) Admissibility costs (e.g., medical examinations when RAP client is outside of Canada, processing, travel documents or exit visas,); and (b) Transportation costs including costs associated with obtaining transportation Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 6
from point of embarkation to the point of final destination in Canada; and reasonable expenses incurred during the course of the journey. 5.4B. NOTE: The Department does not intend to provide contributions for the purpose of generating profits or increasing the value of a business. Profit is neither a cost nor expenditure and therefore may not be included in the eligible costs. Unless specifically allowed in the contribution agreement, no user fees can be charged to recipients for services funded by CIC. 6B. Determination of Contribution Amount 6.1B. The determination of the amount of a contribution is based on financial need of the service provider, in accordance with the assessment criteria (section 9.2B of these terms and conditions). Funding will be provided only at the minimum level required for the activity or project. The Program retains the right to provide partial funding for an activity or project. This determination will be based on: (a) Level of funds available; (b) Level of funding needed to achieve expected results; (c) Volume of applications received; and (d) Anticipated number of arrivals of RAP clients. 7B. Maximum Amount Payable 7.1B. The maximum contribution to a recipient that is not an individual shall not exceed $5 million per year. For a contribution made to recipients that are individuals, the maximum shall not exceed $250,000 per year. 8B. Basis of Payment 8.1B. Payments of contributions will be made as reimbursements of eligible costs incurred by the recipient and will be based on the presentation of acceptable claims and progress reports, in accordance with the terms of the contribution agreement. Agreements may be up to five years in duration. 8.2B. At the time of claiming final payment, or at the end of each year in the case of a multiyear agreement, the recipient must provide an accounting statement and a final detailed report on the achievement of the objectives outlined in the agreement. Advance payments and holdbacks will also be used in the payment of contributions. 9B. Required Information from Applicant and Assessment Criteria Application Requirements 9.1B. An applicant requesting funding must submit the following: (a) A detailed proposal that may include, but is not limited to: a description of planned activities; how these activities will contribute to the expected program outcomes; how these activities will link to settlement services and other services in respective jurisdictions; a description of how the activities will support the RAP performance measurement strategy; an implementation plan demonstrating the capacity to deliver the Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 7
proposed services; a reporting strategy; an evaluation that will measure and assess immediate and intermediate outcomes; a detailed budget showing all revenues and expenses for the activity/project including a description of how the funding will be used (all items must be described for each year of a multi-year funding agreement); (b) If the applicant is requesting a contribution of over $100,000, the proposed budget will include a statement disclosing funding from other sources for the same activities or eligible costs. This may also apply when the contribution is $100,000 or less; (c) Financial statements for the last two years (annual audited statements as per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles preferred), if applicable; (d) Documents demonstrating the applicant s legal constitution; related entities, governance structure and appropriate financial systems and procedures, if applicable; (e) Disclosure of the involvement of any former public servants who are subject to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service; (f) Assurance that any persons lobbying on their behalf is registered pursuant to the Lobbying Act; and (g) Any other information deemed necessary to assess the proposal. Assessment Criteria 9.2B. The Department may use advisory and consultative mechanisms in order to assess the merits of the proposals submitted. The following factors will be used by departmental officials when deciding whether or not to recommend approval of the contribution: (a) The applicants financial stability, organizational capacity and ability to deliver the planned activities; (b) The planned activities have clear objectives and results, demonstrated need and value, and appropriate level of risk and complexity; and (c) The project budget is realistic and appropriate, costs are eligible and program funding is needed. 9.3B. The Department, after considering and assessing any proposals submitted by prospective recipients, will select the best proposals and may invite those applicants to enter into a contribution agreement with the Department. The final approval of proposals is the responsibility of the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism who may delegate this authority to appropriate departmental officials. 9.4B. Each approved proposal will be subject to a formal agreement in accordance with the requirements of IRPA and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act. 10B. Reporting Requirements 10.1B.RAP recipients will be required to input into the Internet-based Immigration Contribution Accountability Measurement System (icams), as well as participate in a mandatory survey that will be administered by the Department once per year in order to assess RAP outcomes. The survey will assess whether RAP services were useful and accessible, as well as if RAP clients were linked to other settlement and government services, non-government and community based services. Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 8
C. BLENDED SPONSORSHIP INITIATIVES 4C. Eligible Recipients 4.1C. Sponsorship Agreement Holders and their constituent groups are eligible recipients of RAP contributions if they are a part of a blended sponsorship initiative, where an undertaken has been signed with the Department. 4.2C. PSRs may also receive RAP contributions including income support directly from the Department, as well as services provided by SPOs if a demonstrated need exists. 5C. Eligible Expenditures 5.1C. Eligible expenditures are payments to Sponsorship Agreement Holders in blended initiatives to cover the basic needs of life for PSRs. These payments include but are not limited to: (a) Food; (b) Shelter; (c) Clothing; (d) Basic furniture; and (e) Incidentals. 6C. Determination of Contribution Amount 6.1C. The terms of a blended initiative are determined through negotiations with the Sponsorship Agreement Holder. An example would be that the Department pays for the initial start-up costs and income support for a period of 3 months and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder provides financial assistance for the remaining 9 months, as well as emotional assistance and mentoring for the full 12 months. 7C. Maximum Amount Payable 7.1C. The maximum contribution for a PSR in a blended initiative will be in accordance with the negotiated terms of the agreement between the Department and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder and should not exceed the set maximum amount under section 7.1A of these terms and conditions. 7.2C. The maximum contribution for a Sponsorship Agreement Holder in a blended initiative will be accordance with the negotiated terms of the agreement between the Department and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder and should not exceed the set maximum amount under section 7.1B of these terms and conditions. 8C. Basis of Payment 8.1C. Contributions to Sponsorship Agreement Holders in blended initiatives will normally be made in one lump-sum payment of the amount agreed upon by the Sponsorship Agreement Holder and the Department. The timing of the payment will depend on the intended use of the funds but will not be before an undertaking has been signed, and the arrival of the PSR. 9C. Required Information from Applicant and Assessment Criteria Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 9
9.1C. When the Department expresses its intention to enter into a blended initiative, a department official may request from the Sponsorship Agreement Holder an application that outlines their proposed budget for sponsorship and the funding that they are requesting from the Department. The assessment will be based on whether the Sponsorship Agreement Holder is in good standing and is compliant with the official Sponsorship Agreement between the Department and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder. 10C. Reporting Requirements 10.1C.Reporting requirements for PSRs and Sponsorship Agreement Holders will be in accordance with the provisions outlined in the negotiated agreement between the Department and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder. Applicable to all categories 11. Stacking Limits 11.1. Total Canadian government funding (federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal), as defined in the Treasury Board Directive on Transfer Payments, shall be a maximum of 100% of eligible expenditures. If actual funding exceeds this limit, the Department shall recover the amount over the stacking limit. 12. Official Languages 12.1. Communications with the public and delivery of services will take into account the relevant official languages obligations and comply with all applicable requirements stipulated in the Official Languages Act and related regulations and policies. 12.2. In addition, the Department addresses the particular challenges of groups that combine linguistic and other minority statuses, aiming to support the participation of official language minority communities and monitoring the barriers they face. Final Approved by TB March 2012 Page 10