Accountability Framework for Community Governments

Ministers' Statements and Speeches

(February 20, 2013) - Mr. Speaker, since the implementation of the New Deal for NWT Community Governments in 2007, community governments have been in control of their own infrastructure priorities.  MACA has worked closely with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and the Local Government Administrators of the NWT to develop an Accountability Framework that emphasizes and reinforces the goals of the New Deal initiative and supports the Legislative Assembly’s goal of a strong North built on partnerships.

The Framework is based on the five core areas of community government responsibility supported by MACA: Good Governance, Financial Management, Sound Administration, Planning, and Safe Communities. It sets expectations for the monitoring, engagement and support the GNWT will provide to community governments as they go about meeting their responsibilities and it will help us to work in partnership to build sustainable, vibrant, and safe communities.

The Framework includes key indicators that measure the success and/or capacity of a community government.  It provides information about why each indicator has been identified as important, a listing of potential outcomes that would be the result of successful community government performance in that area and information about how MACA can engage with community governments to support their success.  

The Framework was identified in the Department’s 2010-2015 strategic plan as an important tool for creating standard rules of engagement between MACA and community governments. We consulted with community governments, who were a key resource in fine-tuning the Framework to ensure it works for both MACA and community government stakeholders.

The new Framework will help the Department target areas for training and focus strategic planning to better support community governments to achieve success in their operations. Reports will be an important part of MACA’s business planning and will allow for evidence-based decisions regarding community government’s funding and capacity building needs. They will also be useful for community governments in communicating with residents to ensure transparency in their operations.  

MACA began implementing the Accountability Framework in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. A draft was circulated to communities at the NWT Association of Communities Annual General Meeting and will be formally circulated to community governments in 2013.  The funding agreements provided to communities in June 2012 included reporting requirements that enable MACA to gather information to support the implementation of the Accountability Framework.

Implementation of the Framework is also being supported through ongoing communications, intended to ensure that the dialogue between community governments and the Department is open and clear.  The Department will also be updating the Community Toolkit, available on the MACA website, to include tools and checklists designed to support communities as implementation of the Framework progresses.

This Framework will guide our future work in developing sustainable, vibrant, safe communities across this territory. I look forward to presenting it to community government representatives at MACA’s Good Governance conference later this month.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.