Connecting Aboriginal Canadians

1
Connecting Aboriginal Canadians Towards a
Horizontal Aboriginal Connectivity Forward
Policy Framework DRAFT for Discussion
PCO-AAS ADM committee August 11, 2004
2
Background Refer to Appendix A
Four years of single Aboriginal information and
services window development and
inter-jurisdictional and National Aboriginal
Consultations.
3
Significant consultations have developed trust
and credibility
Deputy Ministers Steering Committee on
Aboriginal Issues Connecting Aboriginal
Canadians ADM Sub-committee - initiated by
DMSCAI (only 1 meeting) May 2000 -
publicly launched (Ministers National Leaders)
April 2001 at the Indigenous Summit of the
Americas i) national Aboriginal single
Window ACP web-site ii) presented the
Connecting Aboriginal Canadians vision -
established DMSCAI CAC ADM committee 12
meetings - established the Aboriginal Canada
Portal ACP 51 meetings working group (9
federal depts, 6 national 1.3 million
visits Aboriginal organizations)
8.3 million access - three National Aboriginal
Connectivity Forums 2002/03/04 i)
inter-departmental, inter-jurisdictional and
NAOs ii) demonstration and digital video
capture of best practices iii) over 550
participants - Global Champion of
WSIS/Indigenous Forum December 2003
i) Successful Geneva event with over 300
participants ii) Canada Demonstrated
international leadership iii) global
partnerships/recruited approximately 700k
4
Opportunities
The 3rd Annual National Connecting Indigenous
Connectivity Forums National Aboriginal
E-Strategy blueprint
5
Growing public policy support awareness

• Growing senior management political interests
• and national aboriginal engagement
• - Treasury Board Minister
• Reg Alcock
• - National Chiefs
• AFNs Phil Fontaine
• CAP Dwight Dorey
• - INAC Deputy Minister
• Michael Horgan

• Senior level inter-departmental federal and
  provincial
• ADM plenary discussion on Aboriginal
  Connectivity
• - infrastructure
• - high telecom tariff costs
• - community ICT maintenance capacity
• - Aboriginal e-skills

• Growing private sector interest support
  opportunities
• - possibility of an MNE Aboriginal
  Connectivity advisory committee

6
Blueprint social, cultural and economic
e-services
Once connected, inter-departmental e-services to
be deployed

• e-health
• improved access, less travel, public awareness,
  professional development

• e-learning
• stay home, new economy skills, greater variety,
  professional development, increased educational
  opportunities, adult alternative life-long
  learning

• on-line economic development
• on-line trade and tourism promotion, e-commerce,
  EDO development

• on-line urban Aboriginal services
• integrated inter-jurisdictional services, connect
  to home, new economy
• skills development

• E-government citizen engagement
• person like service delivery, reduced
• reporting burden, integrated e-forms,
• co-ownership of data, ACPortal single
• window citizen engagement, facilitate
• electoral process

• On-line culture
• promotion, preservation and access to
• all expressions of culture and language
• including the acquisition of languages

7
Blueprint International development opportunities

• Canada to continue to promote develop
• - international partnerships champion global
  Indigenous connectivity
• - Indigenous stakeholder knowledge exchange
• - Global Indigenous stakeholder on- line
  community of interest

• Direction Canadian Aboriginal stakeholders (ACP)
  collaborating together to work with the
  UN/Permanent Forum and other states to
• - co-develop a March 05 WSIS/Indigenous
  Americas PrepCom in Canada
• - co-develop a November 05 Tunis
  WSIS/Indigenous Global Forum
• - to promote National Indigenous Partnership
  Portals

8
Horizontal Aboriginal Connectivity Foundation
Services
9
Key Blueprint Finding Federal Leadership
Required

• A horizontal effort by key stakeholders to work
  together
• towards a holistic connectivity approach for
  Aboriginal
• communities

• Consolidating investments in ITC infrastructure
  support
• Harmonizing departmental Aboriginal community
  IM/IT policies
• Creating the necessary mechanisms to facilitate
  co-
• investments with provincial, territorial
  private sector

• Senior departmental Aboriginal Connectivity
  champions

• Departments and Aboriginal stakeholders to
  consult and
• collaborate in the development of integrated
  on-line
• applications for Aboriginal peoples

10
Challenges
TB Government On-Line sponsored Business Case
for a coordinated and horizontal
inter-departmental approach to Connecting
Aboriginal Communities Inter-departmental
coordination led by INAC
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Evaluating the Digital Divide
What we know/estimate

• 2003 Report on Aboriginal Community Connectivity
  
• Infrastructure

• 30 of Aboriginal
• communities have no
• Internet or incur long
• distance telephone charges

• 85 of Canadians have
• access to High Speed Internet.
• Only 25 of in-community
• Aboriginals have such service.

• The Aboriginal / Non-Aboriginal digital divide
  is slightly wider
• than the urban/rural divide.

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Aboriginal Connectivity requires horizontal
coordination leadership
Extending connectivity to Aboriginal Communities
is complicated by a number of issues

• Smaller relative
• economic
• demographic base

• lack of connectivity
• awareness

Avg. Pop of 648

• lack of community
• ICT support skills

• increased reliance on
• institutions as anchor
• tenants

• Inherent difficulties due to communities
  typically being
• remote and sparsely populated

• Varying relationships between Aboriginal
  communities and
• provincial and territorial governments

13
Growing Regional P3 connectivity pressures or
leveraging

• - Alberta BellWest Supernet (300 Million)
  approached INAC to
• co-fund coordinate FN extensions (on behalf
  of Federal family)
• FN communities 39
• - New Brunswicks Alliant (44.6 Million)
  Broadband Initiative
• FN communities 21
• - British Columbias NetworkBC Initiative (1
  Billion estimate)
• FN communities 201
• - Yukons NorthWestels Broadband Initiative
• FN communities 13
• - Nunavuts Broadband Initiative (17M estimate)
• Inuit communities 28
• IC Broadband (105 Million) has announce
  co-funding for sub-regional
• networks across Canada (expected pressure on
  INAC/ROs for funding)
• FN communities 116

14
Primary Aboriginal Connectivity Challenges

• Regional Telecom Infrastructure Capital
  pressures
• - Trunk to Point of Presence (PoP) often
  requires 25 to 50
• co-funding of regional P3 fed/prov/terr.
  capital investment
• - Community Local Loop often will require 50
  to 100 of
• bandwidth signal distribution equipment cost
  or capital investment

• Subsidizing inequitable annual high-speed
  telecom
• service operating costs (often 50 times urban
  price)
• - For many northern/remote communities (eg
  Rankin Inlet) high-speed (500
• K/bps) satellite can be in excess of 120,000
  per year
• - By aggregating and leveraging regional P3
  high-speed networking
• initiatives, it is anticipated that these
  costs will decline significantly
• (i.e. economics of purchasing power, critical
  mass P3 leveraging)

• Community computer networking maintenance costs
  
• - rather than each department sending/flying a
  different person to install
• maintain school, band office and health
  station, departments should develop
• local community ICT support and planning
  capacity

• Developing community e-skills

15
How do we aggregate across so many Aboriginal
delivery programs
Infrastructure Aboriginal Program
Constraints Trunk to Point of
Presence IC Broadband 50 funding, pilot,
INAC cannot co-fund InfraCan MRIF 33
funding, INAC cannot co-fund INAC Capital no
authorities Prov/Terr 75-100 funding, INAC
cannot co-fund Local Loop IC
Schoolnet limited funding 2 years / low-speed /
FN only IC Brand 50 funding, pilot, INAC
cannot co-fund IC Community Access
Program limited funding, low-speed Health
Can limited authorities funding INAC
EcDev no authorities Federal EcDev
Agencies differing authorities Sustainability
Monthly Bandwidth costs IC
Schoolnet limited funding 2 years / low speed /
FN only IC Community Access Program limited
funds / low speed IC/InfraCan National
Satellite communities require PoP local
loop IC Brand 50 funding, pilot, 5 years
duration INAC Education no authorities / no
funding INAC Ec-Dev no
authorities / no funding INAC Band Support no
authorities / no funding Health Can limited
authorities / low funding Public Safety
(RCMP) possible operating costs Local
Maintenance/Support INAC Tribal Council Prg no
authorities / no funding E-skills
development HRSD / ARO 3rd party delivery /
limited funds
16
Scalable public policy support choices
Private Public Partnership Activity e.g. BRAND,
NSI, Supernet
Largely Public Activity e.g. GoCs social
responsibility
Largely Private Sector Activity e.g. Bell
Canada DSL
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A coordinated approach is more cost effective
sustainable

• Community bandwidth demand
• analysis factored in
• - community profiles/demographics
• future inter-departmental bandwidth
• requirements/forecasts
• and technology alternatives
• (eg satellite and terrestrial/wireline)
• Comparative analysis modelling
• (eg independent approach vs
• coordinated) points to significant
• cost advantage for government
• departments aggregating their
• efforts to enhance connectivity
• Major cost savings due to
• - Increased purchasing power for capital
• facilities and bandwidth
• - Decreased installation costs due to

Total 262 Million
Total 176 Million
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Aboriginal Connectivity Business Case Key
Findings

• INAC, with DMSCAI CAC ADM support, to submit a
  GoC
• Aboriginal Connectivity business case to TB
  that finds
• - Departments placing Aboriginal information,
  programs reporting online
• in a silo program delivery approach (ie
  little inter-departmental coordination)
• significant potential connectivity
  socio-economic benefits
• and potential for better integrating federal
  reporting/accounting
• systems development into community designed
  holistic platforms
• (improved governance, streamlined/integrated
  socio-economic data collection)
• significant cost savings, network performance
  improvements if
• departments aggregate/coordinate community
  connectivity investments

19
Proposed Path Forward
Will require inter-departmental development of an
Horizontal Aboriginal Connectivity Forward
Policy Framework Strategy
20
INACs Aboriginal Community Aggregation Business
Case
Horizontal Forward Policy Framework
options i) Status Quo departments continue
along current go-alone path - difficulty
leveraging extending regional networking
initiatives to FN communities - will
not be able to assist the smallest and most
remote communities - will not be able to
aggregate federal bandwidth requirements towards
increasing purchasing power, developing
critical mass to lowering infrastructure
and telecom operating costs - Aboriginal
communities to receive inequitable telecom
support - inability to develop local
Aboriginal IT/IM maintenance capacity ii)
Aggregation Departmental program and policy
coordination - INAC acquires telecom capital
authorities for regional/national network
partnering opportunities - INAC creates
community/tribal authorities for local IT/IM
maintenance (band office, health centre,
school, detachment) - INAC modernizes its
Education, Ec-dev, band office authorities to
include high-speed telecom operating costs
- INAC champions a GoC Aboriginal Connectivity
coordination office - key departments
harmonize Aboriginal IT/IM policies/authorities
iii) Aggregation Integrated Aboriginal
E-services systems planning - departments
coordinate the planning, consultation and
development of e-services in ec-dev,
health, learning/education, e-gov, urban etc
21
INACs GoC Aboriginal Connectivity Coordination
Office
GoC Aboriginal Connectivity Office
22
Next CAC steps, consultations and partnerships
i) Finalize Aboriginal Connectivity business case
horizontal policy - last round of
inter-departmental consultations and cost
estimates - develop horizontal aboriginal
connectivity forward policy framework strategy
(to get the federal house in order) -
establish virtual aboriginal connectivity
coordination office within INAC ii) Update
governance (sharing OGD/NAO ownership and
responsibility) - will require DM
co-champions to facilitate - update DMSCAI
CAC ADM members to accommodate new
departments/mandates and add key INAC program
ADMs - twice a year Federal ADMs NAO
senior officials meetings (monitor progress)
- from ad-hoc/reactive fed/prov/terr approach to
more formalized (eg FPTA) - enhance ACP w.g.
terms of reference (change name), assist with
NAO connectivity capacity consider ACP
sub-working groups (health, ec-dev) iii)
Prepare for 4th Annual CAC Forum in March 2005
- ACP partners (8 OGDs and 6 NAOs) to further
develop 7 aboriginal sectoral e-strategy
discussion papers (to be tabled within roundtable
panels) - re-identify sectoral connectivity
roundtable panel NAO and OGD co-champions -
enlisting private sector support (eg Aborignal
Connectivity Advisory group) - plan the
joint ACP and UN/PFII WSIS/Indigenous Americas
PrepCom - early invitations to interested
Ministers and National Leaders iv) Undertake
immediate INAC program connectivity authority
changes - critical need to partner in
regional networking initiatives (capital
operating) - INAC often called upon as
federal Family lead for FN regional partnerships
23
PCO-AAS PM Aboriginal Roundtable support and
advice

• Aboriginal Connectivity is a cross cutting
  opportunity to support PM Aboriginal Roundtable
  objectives/outcomes
• assist with weaving Connectivity through PM
  Aboriginal roundtable process and horizontal
  federal policy coordination

• Opportunity to leverage/piggyback on the 2005
  CAC National
• Forum/Engagement to share best practices, test
  new ideas
• build consensus and inter-jurisdictional
  partnerships
• - join ACP w.g. to enhance single window,
  reducing digital divide, WSIS
• - join DMSCAI CAC ADM committee assist in
  planning 2005 Forum

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For more detailed Information and National Forum
Videos

• Contact Ian MacArthur at 953-7597 or
  macarthuri_at_inac.gc.ca
• for detailed analysis, consultations and reports
• OR visit
• www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca for archived videos of
  the last
• three National Aboriginal Connectivity
  forums and related
• sectoral roundtable panel discussions.

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Appendix A
Connecting Aboriginal Canadians and Aboriginal
Canada Portal Partnership Background
26
Deputy Ministers Steering Committee on Aboriginal
Issues Connecting Aboriginal Canadians
- initiated by DMSCAI 1 meeting
May 2000 - publicly launched
(Ministers National Leaders) April 2001
at the Indigenous Summit of the Americas
i) national Aboriginal single Window ACP web-site
ii) presented the Connecting Aboriginal
Canadians vision - established DMSCAI CAC ADM
committee 12 meetings - established the
Aboriginal Canada Portal ACP 51 meetings
working group (9 federal depts, 6 national
Aboriginal organizations)
27
(No Transcript)
28

• Significant Inter-departmental and National
  Aboriginal
• coordination, collaboration and consultation
  over four
• years

29
Inter-departmental and Aboriginal Stakeholder
Coordination
Inter-departmental DMSCAI CAC ADM committee
OGD/NAO ACP working group INAC CIO Strategic
Planning
National International Aboriginal
Connectivity Awareness
Aboriginal Canada Portal Website
Aboriginal Connectivity Infrastructure, Policy
Research

• measure connectivity access
• across 730 Aboriginal
• communities
• assess benefits of
• inter-departmental investment
• support coordination

• increase awareness,
• build partnerships
• share best practices
• 3 National CAC Forums
• International UN/WSIS Forum

• single Aboriginal on-line
• window
• - partnership vehicle
• 16,000 links
• 1.3 million visits

30
Significant fed/prov Aboriginal community
consultations

• The Aboriginal Canada Portal working group has
  coordinated
• three National Forums and championed an
  International Forum

• 2002 National Connecting
• Aboriginal Canadians Forum (142
  attendees)
• - 46 Aboriginal organizations communities
• - 64 federal, provincial and territorial
  governments

• 2003 National Connecting
• Aboriginal Canadians Forum (250
  attendees)
• - 57 Aboriginal organizations communities
• - 68 federal, provincial and territorial
  governments
• - 75 international

• 2003 Global Forum on Indigenous
• People the Information Society (230
  attendees)
• - approximately 230 attendees

• And most recently

• 2004 National Connecting Indigenous Peoples in
  Canada Forums
• Towards a National Aboriginal E-strategy
  Blueprint 156 attendees
• - 64 Aboriginal organizations communities
• - 20 private sector
• - 61 federal, provincial and territorial
  departments

31
Connecting Aboriginal Canadians Initiative
CAC Policy Awareness Approved by DMSCAI in May
2000
GoC Aboriginal Single Window Site Partnership
development Aboriginal Canada Portal
Federal/Aboriginal Partnership Launched/Announced
at the Summit of Americas 2001
Research, analysis and data inventory 2 Annual
Aboriginal Community Connectivity
Survey Inventory of Aboriginal Community
Connectivity sites
Consultation 3 Annual National CAC Forums
Policy Development TB/GOL Aboriginal Connectivity
Business Case GoC Business Case
International Advocacy WSIS / Global Forum on
Indigenous UN Permanent Forum
Fed/prov/terr P3 Partnership Regional Office
Support Alberta Supernet Fed Family
2000
2002
2003
2004
2001
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Appendix B
PM Aboriginal Roundtable and Horizontal
Aboriginal Connectivity Policy Linkages
33
The Horizontal Aboriginal Connectivity Policy
Landscape

• Opportunity to leverage the CAC National
  Forum/Consultations
• to share best practices, test new ideas

34
The Horizontal Aboriginal Connectivity Policy
Landscape (short, medium and long term sequencing)
Sept. SFT
March Budget
March Budget
March Budget
Sept. SFT
2005
2004
2006
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Increasing policy scope requires senior
horizontal governance

• Harvard University JFK School of Government
  (Centre for
• Digital Government) review of ACP working group
  efforts,
• scope, governance and future direction
• ACP e-government and associated
  inter-departmental and stakeholder
• working group, unique within e-government
  context
• ACP should expand terms of reference and
  change name explore
• leveraging strong credibility into a citizen
  engagement mechanism
• Increase capacity of National Aboriginal
  Organizations connectivity
• capacity and explore ACP co-chairs (government
  and non government)
• Aboriginal Connectivity should draw
• senior policy governance linkages to
• i) DMSCAI CAC ADMs sub-committee
• ii) Aboriginal FPTA
• iii) PCO-AAS