2003/04 – 2005/06 SERVICE PLAN Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services

Strategic Context and Core Businesses

Ministry Overview

The Ministry of Community, Aboriginal, and Women’s Services manages the greatest range of programs of any provincial ministry. Every British Columbian is directly or indirectly touched by our programs. Ministry offices are located throughout the province, as are the partners with whom we contract to deliver services.

The Ministry is responsible for a range of issues established in legislation, regulation or policy, and is organized into eight core business areas with 10 goals.

The Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services is also responsible for more than 30 Crown corporations, agencies, boards and commissions (see Appendix A). The Ministry’s organization is presented in Appendix B.

The Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services shares responsibility for specific initiatives with two Ministers of State: one having responsibility for women’s equality and the other for development and implementation of the Community Charter and winning the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games bid.

The Ministry relies on many partners to achieve its goals, including the federal government, local governments, non-profit societies and the private sector. These partnerships play a key role as we implement our four strategic shifts:

1. From provincial control to local autonomy;
2. From direct delivery of programs and services by provincial government employees, to delivery by communities and third parties;
3. From unfocused funding to performance-based funding; and
4. From prescriptive regulation to objective-based codes and standards.

These transitions mean change for both our staff and our clients and will continue through the three-year period of our service plan. Further, our programs must be delivered within the constraints of our budget plan and the continuing of workforce adjustment.

Mission Statement

The Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services works in partnership with governments and communities to improve the day-to-day lives of individuals, building a stronger British Columbia.

Vision

Safe, sustainable, liveable and healthy communities, where:

• Individuals take responsibility for their futures, and are self-reliant, energetic and active;
• Women, Aboriginal people and immigrants can realize their full potential;
• Racism is eliminated and different cultures are celebrated;
• Safety systems and the physical infrastructure ensure a high quality of life;
• Government programs and services are responsive and readily accessible; and
• Individuals and families can participate in the arts, culture, sport and lifelong learning.
• Local governments realize their potential to be democratic, effective, collaborative and accountable.

Internal Vision

The ministry’s dedicated, skilled employees thrive in a dynamic and supportive work environment, where they are able to deliver the highest service quality and value. The ministry promotes innovation, learning and results.

Values

• Focus on our clients.
• Create beneficial partnership opportunities.
• Use resources wisely.
• Treat employees and clients fairly and equitably.
• Create a culture of accountability, innovation and excellence.

Planning Context

For a ministry with as diverse responsibilities as the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services, many issues — both general and specific — affect the planning context. Below, we address the economic and demographic factors that affect all our programs.

The BC economy grew 1.9 per cent in 2002, faster than the 0.7 per cent expected at the time of last year’s budget, according to BC’s independent economic forecast council. The council now expects BC’s economy to grow by up to 2.7 per cent in 2003. Further information on the BC outlook may be found in the Budget and Three Year Fiscal Plan released with the budget.

British Columbia’s economy is continuing to change to a more diverse, less resource-dependent structure. Primary goods production is giving way to a greater emphasis on value-added manufacturing and services. Forestry, mining, fishing and agriculture are still important, especially in smaller communities, but they no longer dominate the economy. Since the mid-1990s, there have been fewer people working in these industries than in other types of goods production or service industries. This shift away from natural resource sectors has been exacerbated by the softwood trade dispute with the United States.

Between 1996 and 2001 the province’s population grew, but was concentrated in urban centres. In sharp contrast, the population decreased in rural British Columbia, and some rural communities were among the fastest declining in Canada.  The province’s statistics agency, BC Stats, predicts that these trends will continue well into the future.

More specific discussions of the planning context can be found in each of the goal-specific sections.