Program profile
The Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund (the Fund) was created in 2018 to fill a perceived gap in supporting innovation and research for Veteran health and well-being. Prior to establishing the Fund, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) regularly received requests from organizations to support research and/or the development of programs and services for Veterans and their families but had no mechanism to contribute financially to these requests. The intent of the Fund is to provide financial support to organizations that conduct research and/or develop/implement innovative programs and services intended to improve the health and well-being of Veterans and their families.
The Fund is structured to provide both grants and contributions. Approved grant projects can receive up to $500,000 per fiscal year for a maximum of three years and approved contribution projects can receive up to $1 million per fiscal year for a maximum of five years. The Fund is allocated $3 million annually. However, the Fund’s budget has been supplemented with additional temporary funds since 2019-20. To date, the Fund has received 509 applications and awarded over $36 million to 102 projects.
Evaluation purpose and background
The evaluation was conducted from April 2022 to March 2023 and covered the period from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2022 (though more current information and statistics are represented in this report when possible). The evaluation was conducted in accordance with Treasury Board of Canada’s Policy on Results. This is the first evaluation of the grant and contribution program since its inception. The evaluation focused on program relevance and effectiveness. An internal audit was completed in 2020, which had numerous recommendations around efficiency. At the time of the evaluation there were recent and ongoing changes to Fund processes, tools and supports. Where appropriate, the evaluation highlighted early findings with regards to these changes.
Evaluation findings
The evaluation found that there is a continued and ongoing demand for program funding from organizations to support initiatives targeting Veterans and their families’ well-being. The inclusivity of the Fund‘s eligibility criteria allows for a variety of organizations/groups to apply for funding. Demand for the Fund is evident based on the number of applications submitted each year (between 98 and 155). The evaluation notes that a limited number of projects can be approved for funding each year, and that a number of organizations are receiving multi-year funding and a disproportionate amount of overall funds. Of the 102 projects approved for funding in the evaluation scope period, 68 unique organizations received financial support. Twenty-three organizations received funding more than once and account for $22.6 million of the overall $36.6 million of funds committed to approved projects.
The Veteran and Family Well-being Fund aligns with government direction and departmental roles and responsibilities. There is an opportunity to review how the Fund aligns with departmental priorities given the types of projects seeking funding and other VAC research initiatives underway. The great majority of organizations receiving financial support through the Fund are not-for-profit organizations, and these organizations are continually seeking funding to support programming and operations, which may not always be considered innovative initiatives. Additionally, in April 2020 the department launched the VAC Research Funding Program, which provides funding to similar organizations with a focus on research-oriented projects and/or innovative initiatives to improve the well-being of military members, Veterans and their families.
The Fund has a Performance Information Profile in place with outcomes identified. Information in support of the performance indicators and outputs is being reported to some extent. However, there are opportunities to enhance the Fund’s performance measurement. The evaluation team was unable to verify/locate supporting information or sources for some performance measures and project files had varying degrees of supporting information available to measure the achievement and effectiveness of intended project outcomes. Overall, there was a relatively small number of completed projects (35/102 of all funded projects) available for review during the evaluation scope. With a limited number of projects considered completed, most which are from the first two application rounds, it is difficult to make broad statements regarding the success of the Fund.
The Fund continues to enhance the rigour of the application assessment process and monitoring of ongoing projects. Since the Fund’s inception in 2018, there has been staff turnover as well as adjustments to processes and templates. The evaluation notes that there is an opportunity to enhance the reporting protocol for projects in order to maximize the collection of performance information, while enabling organizations the flexibility to share supporting evidence determined to be important from their perspective.
There is a risk that some organizations rely on VAC funding in order for their project/program to continue. Some organizations have received funding multiple times and/or consistently throughout the evaluation scope period, with some organizations receiving a continuous flow of funding since 2018-19. The Terms and Conditions for the Fund clearly stipulate that funding is to be used for activities/projects that are finite in nature, and that activities/projects that “represent or establish a requirement for ongoing funding or create a dependency” are ineligible. The challenge is some organizations have created well established programs that serve vulnerable populations and/or provide needed services and supports. Financially supporting a variety of Veteran groups/stakeholders offers a range of opportunities to highlight good news stories across the country.
The Fund has made strides to enhance the governance and rigour of the application assessment process and progress reporting frequency. The added rigour as well as the increasing number of projects being monitored, requires a level of resourcing which cannot be maintained if the Fund returns to its core staff funding levels. As of January 2023, the Fund had 67 projects underway and had received over 100 applications in the 2022 application round. The program area currently has four full-time staff, consisting of two indeterminate analysts, one temporary analyst, and one program manager. The Fund has continually spent the full budget allotment each year, and committed funds to future budgets. Budget 2021 provided temporary funding of $15 million over three years. These funds were almost fully allocated in 2021-22. How the Fund plans to address future demand is unclear. At this juncture, it would be timely for the department to consider if continuing with the Fund’s current intent and objectives are feasible based on the level of core funds available, or if any modifications to intent/objectives and/or core funding levels should occur.
Recommendation #1
It is recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance determine if changes are needed to the intent and objectives of the Fund to align with its evolution and departmental priorities. Where appropriate, take the necessary steps to:
- Modify the stated objectives of the Fund; and
- Seek opportunities to increase core funding levels and/or staffing complement to address the Fund objectives and maintain the cumulative workload.
Recommendation #2
It is recommended that the Director General Policy and Research share guidance with funding applicants/recipients regarding:
- the development of measurable project outcomes; and
- suggested information that would be beneficial to support progress towards achieving project outcomes.
Recommendation #3
It is recommended that the Director General Policy and Research enhance Fund data tracking with the intention to maximize internal reporting efficiencies, and support performance measurement and program decision making.