Transition 2025 Minister Gull-Masty Indigenous Services Canada overview - Book 1

Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services, Government of Canada

Name: Gina Wilson
Title: Deputy Minister

Gina Wilson is a grandmother, a proud Algonquin and the Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services, as well as the Champion for Indigenous public servants. Gina began her career in her First Nation community of Kitigan-Zibi as Director of Health and Social Services. She was also Child Welfare Advisor, Director of Health and Social Services, and Chief Executive Officer when she was with the Assembly of First Nations.

She joined the federal government in 1996 and has held several senior executive positions at various departments, including the Privy Council Office, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the Correctional Service of Canada.

One of her career highlights was as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada, where she oversaw the implementation of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Prime Minister's apology to Survivors of residential schools in 2010. She then became Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Regional Operations at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada until moving to Public Safety Canada as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Emergency Management.

Gina was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Treaties and Aboriginal Government at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada before joining the deputy ranks in 2014 as the Associate Deputy Minister at Employment and Social Development Canada, Associate Deputy Minister at Public Safety, and Deputy Minister of Women and Gender Equality in 2017. She was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada in 2019.

Gina held the role of Deputy Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth at Canadian Heritage, then rejoined Women and Gender Equality Canada as Deputy Minister on September 1, 2021. She previously served at Women and Gender Equality Canada from 2017 to 2019, where she led the establishment of the new department.

Gina is the recipient of the 2020 Indspire Award for her leadership and lifelong work on Indigenous issues and support for Indigenous employees. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa.

Associate Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services, Government of Canada

Name: Michelle Kovacevic
Title: Associate Deputy Minister

Since joining the public service, Michelle Kovacevic climbed the ranks with sheer dedication and diligent work. Michelle was recently appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services on January 22, 2024, after serving as the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for the Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch at the Department of Finance Canada for nearly seven years.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Michelle has a solid academic background as well, holding an undergraduate degree from Carleton University and a Master of Social Work in clinical social work from Wilfrid Laurier University. The areas of her study and expertise included psychology and clinical social work.

Her academic background led Michelle to hold several senior executive positions related to health and social policy within the Government of Canada. Michelle began her career in the Ontario public service in the Ministries of Health and Social Services. Her past roles include serving as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Affairs and Communications for the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada. Michelle has also held senior executive positions with the Social Policy Branch of Health Canada, at the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada, and Correctional Services Canada.

Overview

Regional Operations Sector is the direct service delivery arm for all program and policy areas of ISC, with the exception of health. National programs and services are delivered through seven south of 60° regional offices, and in one north of 60° regional office, Yukon.

Regional offices deliver programs and services including those related to governance, emergency management, infrastructure, education, social, child and family, lands and environment, and economic development. Frontline services include services to individuals, such as registration under the Indian Act and applications for Secure Certificate of Indian Status.

Regional offices maintain strong relationships with First Nations partners, enabling ISC to work collaboratively with First Nations partners to improve access to high quality services, and to enable and support First Nations communities to assume control and delivery of services.

As a key example of collaboration with First Nations partners to advance service transfer, the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority (AFNWA) and the Minister of Indigenous Services signed a historic transfer agreement on November 7, 2022. This began the transfer of responsibility for the operation, maintenance, and capital upgrades of all water and wastewater assets in participating First Nations in Atlantic Canada.

Regional Operations Sector is also responsible for developing, managing and delivering on Governance Capacity and Community Development, Community Infrastructure, Emergency Management, and Individual Affairs programs.

Governance Capacity and Community Development

The Governance Capacity and Community Development program area supports Indigenous communities and institutions in the implementation of strong and sustainable governments. In 2023-24, total funding provided included:

• $280M in core funding to 576 First Nations governments for their governance and administrative functions;
• $81M to support employer contributions to pension and benefit plans for 562 First Nations governments;
• $34M in core operational funding for 79 tribal councils;
• $52M to support governance capacity projects across 377 First Nations and Inuit communities; and
• $30M in Community Development initiatives for 22 First Nations, which has also leveraged an additional $143.5M in partner investments since 2022-23.

Community Infrastructure

The government of Canada has committed to closing the infrastructure gap by 2030.

Regional Operations officials work with First Nations to support their efforts to have reliable and sustainable infrastructure. The program provides funding to plan, design, construct, acquire, operate and maintain infrastructure assets and facilities, as well as to coordinate training and undertake capacity-building activities. Infrastructure assets supported include: safe and adequate housing; the provision of clean, safe and reliable drinking water and the effective treatment of wastewater on First Nation lands; the provision of safe education infrastructure; and other community infrastructure essential to healthy, safe, and prosperous communities, such as roads and bridges, energy, fire protection and structural mitigation in the face of climate change.

Community Infrastructure also includes modernization of infrastructure policies, including the advancement of service delivery transfer to First Nation organizations, and development of legislation, as well as resolution support for infrastructure-related litigation actions.

Since 2016 and as of December 31, 2024, ISC has committed more than $17 billion in targeted funding and invested more than $12 billion to support critical infrastructure including water, housing, education infrastructure, and other community infrastructure like roads and bridges.

Emergency Management

The Emergency Management Assistance Program supports the health and safety of on-reserve First Nations residents as well as their lands and critical infrastructure. This program promotes a four pillar approach to emergency management: mitigation; preparedness; response; and recovery. ISC promotes efficiency by accessing existing resources and services of provinces and territories and emergency management partners to address on-reserve emergencies and reimburses these partners for eligible expenses.

To enhance First Nation partner emergency management capacity, the Emergency Management Assistance Program provides funding to support over 260 Emergency Management Coordinator positions in First Nations communities and organizations. Emergency Management Coordinators support their communities in carrying out emergency management planning and pursuing projects to enhance resiliency to emergency events.

In addition, as part of the transfer of responsibility, ISC has been working with First Nations partners and provincial/territorial governments to develop a new approach to emergency management agreements that support First Nations-led emergency management, and provide culturally appropriate and comparable EM services. These new multilateral emergency management service agreements will include First Nations as full and equal partners in their development and implementation and are a mechanism to support First Nations-led emergency management. However, what service transfer ultimately looks like must be determined by First Nation partners and may require multi-phased approaches.

Individual Affairs

The Individual Affairs Branch delivers services that are legislative and/or treaty obligations of Canada. It administers national programs that apply to First Nations persons individually and at the band level. These programs include: trust moneys, treaty annuity payments, estates services for First Nations, registration and status card services.

Canada collects and disburses trust moneys (capital and revenue) on behalf of First Nations pursuant to the Indian Act. Summaries of the moneys held in trust by Canada for First Nation bands and individuals are reported in ISC's financial statements and the Public Accounts of Canada. Treaty annuity payments are paid annually on a national basis to registered individuals who are entitled to treaty annuities through registration to bands that have signed historic treaties with the Crown (Robinson Treaties (1850) and the eleven Numbered Treaties (1871–1921)).

Pursuant to the Indian Act, the Minister of Indigenous Services has exclusive jurisdiction and authority over estates of deceased people who were, or could have been, registered under the Indian Act and ordinarily resided on a reserve. The Minister is also required to manage the estates of people who currently cannot manage their financial or legal affairs and ordinarily reside on a reserve, and may help manage the estates of minors registered under the Indian Act who ordinarily reside on a reserve.

Services provided by the Estates Program include approving wills, appointing executors, acting as administrators of last resort, administering assets of minors and dependent adults, and offering capacity building initiatives to First Nations.

Indian Registration underpins billions of dollars in programming and services that are integral to other parts of ISC, other government departments, and other institutions that depend on registration to identify individuals eligible to receive their programs, services and benefits. The Indian Registrar renders statutory decisions on entitlement to registration based on the provisions of the Indian Act, and maintains an accurate Indian Register. Registration under the Indian Act allows individuals to access rights and benefits not available to non-registered persons, Métis, Inuit, or other Canadians, including non-insured health benefits, post-secondary education and exemptions from federal, provincial and territorial taxes in specific situations.

The program also issues the Secure Certificate of Indian Status ('secure status card') to registered individuals, which as a federal identity document facilitates access to benefits and services. The Indian Registrar and the processing of entitlement decisions is based solely on the provisions of the Indian Act and is independent from Ministerial direction or interference. Processing time for a complete application for registration under the Indian Act can take from 6 months to 2 years, depending on the complexity of the file. Once registered, it usually takes from 8 to 12 weeks to process a complete application for a secure status card.

Overview

The Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer (CFRDO) Sector is responsible for providing leadership and ensuring effective management of departmental resources within the legislative mandate. The Sector also provides strategic advice, oversight, and support to the Deputy Minister and the senior executive team to ensure integrity and sound financial controls and management in the planning and operations of Indigenous Services Canada.

The Sector is responsible for establishing the planning framework for ISC that aligns the mandated outcomes and departmental strategic priorities with resource management via the Departmental Results Framework. The CFRDO leads the reporting to Cabinet and Parliament on outcomes through the Departmental Plan and Departmental Report and the implementation of the Minister's mandate letter commitments.

The CFRDO Sector supports delivery of services through policies, directives, and other activities in the areas of financial planning and analysis, accounting and reporting, contracting and procurement, assets and materiel and information management.

The CFRDO is responsible for ISC's Chief Information Officer functions that include information management and technology services, investments structures and controls within ISC, to leverage Information Management and Information Technology reliably, securely, and cost effectively to support effective and efficient business process design and execution.

The Sector is accountable for providing grants and contributions advisory and support services through policies, directives and other activities, including the development of national funding agreements models and guidelines; the establishment of funding agreement service standards; the management of the Grants and Contributions Information Management System; and the national monitoring, compliance and reporting.

In the context of transformation of the Indigenous policy and service space, the CFRDO plays a key role in elaborating and monitoring arrangements, including service level agreements for shared internal services while participating as a service lead in the finance and corporate management space and as a client for those services provided by its sister-department, Crown Indigenous-Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Overview

The First Nations and Inuit Health Branch works with First Nations, Inuit, other federal departments and provincial and territorial partners to support healthy First Nation and Inuit individuals, families, and communities. While First Nations and Inuit health has improved in recent years, gaps remain between the overall health status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.

On a shared path to improved health, ISC health services include:

Public Health: Communicable Disease Control and Management Program; Environmental Public Health Program; and Health Emergency Management Program.

Mental Health and Health Promotion: Mental Wellness Program; Healthy Children, Youth and Families; and Healthy Living.

Primary Care: Clinical and Client Care Program; Community Oral Health Services; and First Nations and Inuit Home, Community Care and Long-Term Care Program.

Health Systems: Health Transformation; Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada's Health Systems; and the Indigenous Health Equity Fund.

Health Infrastructure: Health Facilities Program; Capital Projects Risk Management; Regional Navigation Team; eHealth Infostructure Program, Community Health Initiatives and Program Support; and Canadian Human Rights Tribunal 41 – Jordan's Principle Major Capital Coordination Unit.

Non-Insured Health Benefits: The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program provides eligible First Nation and Inuit clients with coverage for a range of health benefits that are not covered through other social programs, private insurance plans, provincial or territorial health insurance.

Jordan's Principle: Named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, Jordan's Principle is a human rights principle established by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, which requires the Government of Canada to ensure that First Nation children do not face gaps, delays, or denials in accessing government services because of their identity as First Nation children. Jordan's Principle is administered through a request-driven, federally-adjudicated delivery model. Requests for health, social and education products, services and supports are submitted on behalf of individual children or on behalf of a group when needs would be more effectively represented in the contexts of a collective request. These requests can be either submitted through First Nation service coordination organizations or directly to the Department through regional offices or the Jordan's Principle National Call Centre. Funding to reimburse requestors flows through contribution agreements for group requests or through direct payments to individuals.

Inuit Child First Initiative: Operationally mirrors Jordan's Principle and ensures Inuit children have equal access to essential government funded health, social and educational products, services and supports. The Inuit Child First Initiative largely operates under similar parameters as Jordan's Principle, as it is implemented on a request basis; approves requests related to health, social and education products, services and supports and receives individual and group requests. The Inuit Child First Initiative has different eligibility requirements than Jordan's Principle; it is limited to requests for Inuit children under the age of majority who are recognized as being Inuk by an Inuit Treaty Organization. ISC and Inuit partners are co developing an Inuit specific approach that will form the basis of operations for the long term.

With partners, the Branch strives to improve health outcomes, provide access to quality health services, and support greater control of health systems by First Nations and Inuit.

Overview

In March 2018, ISC created the Child and Family Services Reform Sector in order to address the need for long term reform of child and family services on reserve and to co-develop and then implement the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, with the goal of reducing the over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in care in Canada.

The Child and Family Services Reform Sector's responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the delivery of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program on reserve and in the Yukon in accordance with the national principles and minimum standards set out in the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.
• Continuing to work with partners to implement the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders to address the Tribunal's 2016 Decision, that determined the First Nations Child and Family Services Program was discriminatory in its funding and created various adverse impacts for many First Nations children, youth, and families
• Continuing to improve aspects of the program and support the broader reform of the program to address discrimination identified by the Tribunal, which focused on addressing the real needs of First Nations children, youth and families living on reserve or in the Yukon and preventing the perpetuation of historical disadvantage.
• Supporting, through a distinctions-based approach, the ongoing implementation of An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.
• Co-developing a data and reporting strategy with Indigenous groups, rights holders and stakeholders that will help provide a more complete picture of the outcomes of children in care to inform future service delivery improvements.

An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act): The Act was co-developed with Indigenous Peoples and came into force on January 1, 2020. The Act represents a historic and transformational shift in the area of Indigenous child and family services. Specifically, the Act:

• Affirms the rights and jurisdiction of Indigenous Peoples in relation to child and family services and supports communities in pursuing self-determination and in exercising jurisdiction over child and family services.
• Establishes national principles, such as the best interests of the child, cultural continuity, and substantive equality.
• Provides an opportunity for Indigenous Peoples to choose their own solutions for their children and families.

Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program: ISC has been working to establish a path forward to address the national long-term reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program. In February 2025, an agreement has been signed with two of the four parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint (the Chiefs of Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation) for a reformed and redesigned First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario. This agreement builds on progressive and incremental reforms to the program, such as a shift from a protection-focused model to one that focuses on prevention, the need for culturally adapted approaches and supporting youth aging out of care until the age of 26. Since 2016, Canada has worked with the parties to develop and implement many new funding approaches in support of First Nations Child and Family Services Program reform to ensure that First Nations and First Nations Child and Family Services service providers have rapid and streamlined access to unprecedented levels of funding, which have increased the Program's overall budget fivefold.

Key Partners: The Sector works in close collaboration with rights holders, regional and national Indigenous organizations, delegated child and family services agencies, provinces and territories, and the parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint.

Overview

The Strategic Policy and Partnerships Sector of ISC was established to support ISC sectors in the improvement and transfer of Indigenous services to Indigenous Peoples, for Indigenous Peoples, by Indigenous Peoples. The Strategic Policy and Partnerships Sector serves as an internal driver of change by supporting ISC sectors in improving services and enabling Indigenous control.

The Sector includes the following branches:

Overview

The Lands and Economic Development Sector manages a suite of programs, legislation and relationships with Indigenous organizations that, together, promote entrepreneurship, build economic development capacity and foster the creation of wealth. Lands and Economic Development also leads the administration of reserve land and supports environmental protection on reserve, both critical elements related to stimulating economic development. Lands and Economic Development consists of three branches:

1. The Economic Policy Development Branch provides policy options/direction and intra/inter departmental policy coordination for the sector, manages electoral governance and legislative initiatives, and leads co-development with Indigenous partners to identify and pursue economic priorities.

2. The Economic Business Opportunities Branch administers proposal-driven programs for economic development projects. business and capacity building initiatives, including managing and transforming federal procurement strategies for Indigenous businesses and a business navigator service, and leads strategic, whole-of-government economic development Initiatives.

3. The Lands and Environmental Management Branch works with First Nations and First Nation organizations on the administration of lands, the expansion of reserve lands through additions to reserve, the development of departmental climate change policies, environmental impact assessment services, and the remediation of contaminated sites and the management of waste sites on-reserve.

Lands and Economic Development also oversees a special operating agency (Indian Oil and Gas Canada), which is responsible for the management and regulation of oil and gas development of reserve lands.

The Sector works with institutions, such as the Lands Advisory Board, the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association, and the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre to improve First Nations lands and environmental governance, and leads lands modernization initiatives to improve existing legislation and regulations. The Sector also leads on the implementation of the ISC Working Strategy on Climate Change.

Additionally, the Sector undertakes research and analysis to support policy development, fosters partnerships with stakeholders and coordinates a whole-of-government approach on Indigenous economic development. The Sector houses the Indigenous Business Navigator service, which connects Indigenous businesses, organizations and communities to Government of Canada economic development and business oriented programs and services. All Sector efforts contribute to the ultimate goal of increasing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the economy.

Regional offices across Canada implement Lands and Economic Development's programming and services and carry out the administration of the Crown's statutory and fiduciary obligations under the Indian Act. While the regions get their direction from Lands and Economic Development in terms of the activities that they perform to promote lands and economic development, they formally report to the Regional Operations Sector.

Overview

Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) manages and regulates oil and gas resources on designated First Nation lands across Canada. They are a Special Operating Agency within Indigenous Services Canada. The dual mandate is to fulfill the Crown's fiduciary and statutory obligations related to the management of oil and gas resources on First Nation lands, and to further First Nation initiatives to manage and control their oil and gas resources such as governance.

IOGC is currently managed through an IOGC Co-Management Board. The IOGC Co-Management Board includes First Nation, industry, and Crown representatives. The Board provides guidance on our strategic direction and operations. The Board was established in 1996 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Minister of Indigenous Services Canada (formerly Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development) and the Indian Resource Council (IRC).

Indian Oil and Gas Canada is responsible for:

Assisting First Nations with designated reserve lands in the oil and gas process through the following activities:

• identification and evaluation of oil and gas resource potentials on designated First Nation lands (reserves);
• engagement with First Nations and industry to explore and develop First Nation oil and gas resources;
• negotiation, review, issuance, and administration of contracts between First Nations, industry, and IOGC;
• ensuring environmental stewardship and optimization of benefits throughout the entire oil and gas life cycle;
• monitoring and verification of oil and gas production and sales prices;
• verification, assessment, and collection of moneys such as bonuses, royalties and rents;
• ensuring that all legislative and contractual requirements are met; and
• working with First Nations to further initiatives for their further control of the oil and gas on their lands.

IOGC works closely with Chiefs and Councils. Band Council approval is required for all deals.

IOGC operates pursuant to the Indian Oil and Gas Act and Indian Oil and Gas Regulations. We also operate under federal legislation such as the Indian Act, the Impact Assessment Act, the Financial Administration Act, and other relevant federal and provincial legislation. We provide these services at no cost to First Nations.

For further details, such as information on IOGC business units and recent news, see the IOGC Internet page.

Overview

The Corporate Secretariat provides executive services to the Minister's Office and the Deputy Ministers' Offices, as well as delivering key corporate functions across ISC. The Secretariat supports ISC in a number of areas:

Executive Services Operations: comprised of three divisions responsible for coordinating and reviewing correspondence and briefing materials for the Deputy Ministers and the Minister:

• Officials Trips Directorate (MinTrips): works with the Minister's Office, sectors, regions and communications to guide horizontal coordination of Ministerial trip planning. The team ensures a strategic, coherent, and consistent approach in the development of material for, and in follow up to trips.
• Ministerial Correspondence Directorate: reviews and provides final quality control for briefing notes and correspondence to the Minister and Deputy Ministers, as well as oversight for departmental processes and practices associated with correspondence; and
• Governance and Planning Coordination: responsible for the coordination of material for ministerial briefings, invitations, transition, and portfolio coordination. The team also provides support to senior governance committees.

Planning and Resource Management Directorate: responsible for providing administrative support services for the Minister's Office, Deputy Ministers' Offices, and the Corporate Secretariat, including business planning, finance, human resources, and contracting services.

Indigenous Employee Secretariat: Supports the work done by Indigenous Advisory Circles and Indigenous employee networks and serves as an information centre through which Indigenous and non Indigenous employees can enquire about various Indigenous related programs, initiatives and events.

Access to Information and Privacy Directorate (shared service with Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada): receives all access to information and privacy requests and, working with sectors and regions, compiles the appropriate responses in accordance with the requirements of the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

Overview

In Fall 2022, the Indigenous Services Ombuds Office was established to address key government priorities, including the implementation of recommendations from the former Clerk's Safe Workplaces report aimed at resolving workplace harassment. The office serves as an important resource for employees within Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), ensuring a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Nadia Ferrara was appointed as the Ombuds for both ISC and the Privy Council Office (PCO), playing a central role in facilitating conflict resolution and promoting fairness across both departments.

The ISC Ombuds Team supports individuals to share the challenges they face in the workplace. This is done confidentially and without the fear of reprisal. The team includes the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Secretariat and the Informal Conflict Management Office (ICMO). While listening closely to clients, the Ombuds Team takes note of any themes or patterns that arise which may point to systemic issues. They provide advice on how best to address these issues.

Grounded in cultural humility and trauma-informed approaches, the Ombuds Team promotes empathy, inclusivity and collaboration to address employee concerns. While it cannot mandate change, the team uses moral suasion, which is the use of verbal persuasion and moral appeals to convince people to change their behavior and influence positive transformation. It advocates for a human-centered workplace that values lived experiences and strives for continued improvement.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility: The office leads all initiatives to advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) at ISC. This includes the leadership council, task force and diversity and inclusion networks. This innovative approach allows the Department to drive meaningful change based on real-time trends and issues identified by ongoing engagement with employees.

Informal conflict management: The Informal conflict management team establishes an approach to managing and resolving conflicts in the workplace quickly and constructively, and it supports a culture of effective conflict management that emphasizes honest discussion and collaborative problem solving.

Overview

The human resources branch works with its partners to ensure that people management supports the achievement of ISC's mandate with regard to First Nations, Inuit and Métis. This means establishing a diverse, inclusive and empowering workplace, in which employees acquire strong cultural competencies and realize their full potential.

The Human Resources Services Branch works to:

• Enable managers to attract, recruit, develop and retain a diverse, inclusive and culturally competent workforce, with a focus on Indigenous employees.
• Advance the corporate mandate by providing strategic client-focused, strategic advice and effective HR services support HR and Pay Stabilization.
• Ensure that the workplace and the behaviors of all employees demonstrate a deep commitment to the public service values.
• Establish the conditions necessary for employee well-being and mental health at work.
• Support a culture of learning, talent and performance management and recognition.

The workforce issues and opportunities at ISC are distinctively unique and aligned with its mandate mainly focused on improving well-being of Indigenous communities across Canada.

The presence of a highly diversified workforce in positions of influence, particularly members of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis, superior people management skills and the constant search for efficiency in the processes that support its mandate, are the main priorities of the Human Resources Branch.

What is unique to ISC is the need to recruit and retain Indigenous employees and those in the North. Employee engagement is important across all occupations categories, across all regions, and has an effect on achieving departmental objectives. Addressing workplace issues and opportunities will ensure that we have the right working conditions for employees in a high performing organization and generate high employee engagement and productivity.

Overview

The Legal Services Unit provides a complete range of specialized legal advice and support to both Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) in relation to all their business lines. This includes legislative initiatives, litigation, policies, and programs. In the Indigenous context, the law is very complex and continues to evolve (including multiple recent cases before the Supreme Court of Canada).

Legal Services supports CIRNA with complex negotiations of treaties, self-government agreements, and of specific claims under the Specific Claims Policy and Process. Legal Services also provides extensive legal support to ISC aimed at mitigating constitutional, human rights and other liability risks in relation to the delivery of essential services to Indigenous Peoples (e.g. education, housing, health, child and family services, drinking water, infrastructure).

The Senior General Counsel, Marie Bourry, is a full member of the ISC's Executive Committee and various management committees and, as such, provides legal advice as well as legal policy and strategic policy advice. As the Head of the Legal Services Unit, the Senior General Counsel brings forward legal concerns and advice around risk management relating to matters within ISC and CIRNAC's purview. The Senior General Counsel is the primary interface between ISC and CIRNAC and the Department of Justice Canada.

The Legal Services Unit is located at Headquarters in the National Capital Region, while its Treaties and Aboriginal Government-Negotiations West Section is located in Vancouver. The Legal Services Unit is part of the Indigenous Rights and Relations Portfolio of the Department of Justice Canada.

Overview

The Communications and Public Affairs Sector is a shared service supporting Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and Indigenous Services Canada and their Ministers.

The Sector provides a wide range of services and uses a number of communications tools to reach partners, stakeholders, clients, media, and the public. The Sector's staff are located across Canada and apply a regional lens to strategic communications advice and initiatives, as they work to support the government and departmental priorities.

The Sector works in partnership with Indigenous leaders, communities and organizations to communicate about issues impacting Indigenous communities, and about services and outcomes for First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty Nations. This includes collaboration and co-development with Indigenous partners, other government departments and others to create compelling narratives that promote reconciliation and our key priorities.

The Sector is headed by Charles Slowey, Assistant Deputy Minister, with the support of three Directors General.

Overview

Stephanie Barozzi is the Chief Audit Executive (CAE) for ISC and the Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive for CIRNAC. In this role, she has the responsibility for internal audit for both departments, and evaluation for CIRNAC only, while Lisa Smylie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Partnerships Sector, has the responsibility for evaluation within ISC.

The Chief Audit Executive for ISC leads the internal audit and the assessment and investigation functions within ISC. The Chief Audit Executive provides the Deputy Minister with independent advice on matters of risk management, control and governance. The Chief Audit Executive consults senior management on the development of ISC's Risk-Based Audit Plan on an annual basis and as required throughout the year. The Plan guides the internal audit work conducted in accordance with Treasury Board policies, resulting in reports that are provided to the Deputy Minister for approval. The Chief Audit Executive also serves as a point of contact for audit work conducted in ISC by external assurance providers, such as the Office of the Auditor General and Treasury Board Secretariat.

The Departmental Audit Committee, chaired by and composed of external members, provides strategic advice to the Deputy Minister. The Committee advises on internal audit reports, follow up for both internal audits and Auditor General chapters, government wide audits and action plans to address audit findings. The Chief Audit Executive works closely with the Departmental Audit Committee throughout the year and also serves as the Secretary to the Departmental Audit Committee.

The Audit and Assurance Services Branch conducts independent internal audits and advisory projects of ISC's programs, services, management practices and controls. A Risk-based Audit Plan is developed annually. The Branch provides ISC with liaison support when external assurance providers audit ISC.

The Assessment and Investigation Services Branch is the designated focal point of complaints and, allegations of misuse of ISC's funding, and conducts forensic audits to determine whether departmental funds were used for their intended purpose.