Evaluation and Audit Summary of the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative, 2020-21 to 2023-24

About The Joint Evaluation And Audit

The joint evaluation and audit of the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative (GALI), covering the period 2020-21 to 2023-24, examined strengths, gaps and opportunities, particularly in terms of program processes, and assessed whether a management framework was in place to support effective program delivery and the management of funds.

Key Findings

• GALI's activities have become increasingly relevant within an emerging context in which Canada seeks to express its presence in the Arctic.
• The context of the Arctic posed challenges, including the need to adapt approaches to work with small, Indigenous or non-traditional implementing partners who may not always have a track record with Global Affairs Canada.
• The Mission Fund was fundamental in advancing Canadian Arctic priorities through Canadian missions abroad, despite challenges arising from the closure of the Canadian International Arctic Centre (CIAC).
• While the program has integrated some elements of a distinction-based approach and taken steps to improve engagement with Indigenous partners, there is no clear practical guidance from the department to support Indigenous engagement.
• Funding and reporting processes and requirements were not sufficiently adapted to partner's capacities or the context of low-monetary-value projects. The program’s flexibility helped to alleviate these issues; however, challenges remained in balancing risk management with mitigating the administrative burden for partners. These challenges go beyond GALI and reflect key departmental challenges in transforming processes called for in the 2023 Future of Diplomacy Discussion Paper.
• Audit finding: While appropriate steps were taken to deliver the program, the procedures used by the program to assess, implement and monitor projects were not fully documented.

Recommendations

1. It is recommended that the program address gaps in key communication materials to improve awareness and reach of the program.
2. It is recommended that the program maintain and build in more flexibility in implementation, notably in key policy and funding instruments.
3. It is recommended that the program address gaps in engagement with Indigenous organizations and rights-holders, and enhance access to relevant Arctic and Indigenous resources.
4. It is recommended that the program documents processes related to the management of projects to support consistent practices and knowledge retention.