by Cooperation Canada | Apr 24, 2024 | Membership, News
Every two years, Cooperation Canada shares its Membership Survey with its members to assess their satisfaction and ensure that we remain relevant and responsive to their needs. This year, Cooperation Canada conducted its member satisfaction survey from October to December 2023.
51 out of the 102 members completed the survey, representing a response rate of 50%.
The 2023 survey afforded an opportunity for individuals from across member organizations to respond! Seventy-five (75) individuals from 51 member organizations responded to the survey. Respondents included a large proportion who identified as a Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director (44%), and a mix of individuals who worked in areas such as programming, communications and policy.
The objectives were to:
- Align Cooperation Canada’s work to members’ priorities, across all teams and initiatives;
- Inform Cooperation Canada’s annual planning with direct input from members; and
- Have a standard framework to measure member satisfaction over time.
Our seven takeaways
1. Our members are overwhelmingly satisfied with their Cooperation Canada membership.
95% percent of those who responded are satisfied with their Cooperation Canada membership, and just as many would recommend non-members to join us.
2. Our members are satisfied with how we are delivering on government relations, policy-related initiatives, advocacy and community animation and engagement.
The majority of respondents are satisfied with Cooperation Canada’s government relation efforts, specifically advocacy (86%), Global Affairs Canada engagement (84%), and policy analysis and research (83%). With respect to community animation, respondents showed 84% satisfaction in relation to working groups, member communications, and the member portal. Eighty-five percent (85%) of members are satisfied with our regular convening and events. There is room for us to improve in all these areas – members said our great events could have more member input, and future policy efforts could be better packaged with shorter, action-oriented research outputs on which members can engage.
3. Our thematic priorities – advancing Canada’ s global leadership, shifting power, protecting human rights and civic space, and supporting organizational resilience – continue to resonate with our members and their priorities.
Members are satisfied with the thematic priorities that guide Cooperation Canada’s work across the organization. Our focus on Canadian international cooperation and humanitarian leadership is seen as the biggest priority for our organization among those that responded to the survey. There is also strong support for initiatives related to shifting power such as localization and anti-racism, as well as for our efforts related to human rights and civic space. Additionally, members recognize organizational transformation as crucial for fostering trust and resilience within the sector.
4. We communicate a lot, and members can’t keep up!
While 82% of those who responded consider the work of Cooperation Canada to be important or essential for the work of their own organization, some struggle to connect with our work because of the breadth and depth of the content. Members recommend that Cooperation Canada improves communication mediums (such as our portal) and take a more targeted approach to dissemination to ensure that the right people can access the right information.
5. The Canadian landscape is changing, and members want support.
As the sector works to adopt a more decolonized and localized approach to international cooperation, they are also faced with a changing landscape in Canada related to a potential change in government, decreasing ODA, and the upcoming G7 presidency for Canada in 2025. In this context, members want Cooperation Canada to play a role in supporting efforts to ensure future government policies and practices align with global trends and support civil society. They would also like support to prepare for and navigate the uncertain future.
6. Our Working Groups are important, and we can do more to support them.
As a useful space for coordination, peer learning and thought leadership, our Working Groups are valued but could be better supported. In addition to technical issues with the portal and related communications notifications (that we are working to address with a new system!), the core work of the working groups could also be improved with more dialogue, ideation, and collaboration. Overall, while members appreciate the potential of Working Groups, they seek enhancements in engagement, inclusivity, and accessibility of participation to maximize their effectiveness.
7. Cooperation Canada’s relationship with Global Affairs Canada remains crucial for advancing sector priorities.
Partnership with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is central to the work of many of our members. The survey showed that members appreciate Cooperation Canada’ s engagement with GAC and want more! Members specifically highlighted the importance of maintaining collaborative joint advocacy initiatives for transformation, particularly in areas such as funding models, the Grants & Contributions Transformation Initiative, and GAC accountability frameworks. While acknowledging the significance of GAC engagement, there’s a growing aspiration among respondents to align Cooperation Canada’s priorities and advocacy with broader global perspectives beyond just the Government of Canada.
We are committed to enhancing communication, engagement, and interaction with our members and working groups, leveraging the feedback provided by the survey to guide our efforts. The ongoing support of Cooperation Canada members is invaluable as we work towards a fairer, safer, and more sustainable world.
by Cooperation Canada | Apr 19, 2024 | Finance, News
What’s the topline response?
The Canadian Federal Budget 2024 was published on 16 April 2024. For months, the Canadian international cooperation sector has been working together to collectively advocate for new international assistance commitments in Budget 2024, including through our Open Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, our advocacy on Parliament Hill during International Development Week 2024 and our 2024 Budget Submission.
On balance, Budget 2024 was positive news for Canadian leadership on international cooperation. The budget included $350 million of new and additional humanitarian assistance funding over two years ($150 million in 2024-25 and $200 million in 2025-26). At a time when humanitarian needs are surging around the world, decades of progress on development are under threat, and other donor countries are cutting aid, this influx of new funds is very welcome.
In partnership with CanWaCH, Bigger Than Our Borders, and other coalitions and organizations, we issued a joint statement in reaction to the budget. A sincere thank you to over 100 organizations, from our membership and beyond, that signed onto our collective statement. We have also been pleased to see some pick-up in the media, including by CBC, CTV and La Presse.
What’s in the budget on international assistance?
While the budget did not include all that we pushed for in our advocacy, we recognize the challenging domestic economic context in Canada right now, and welcomed the government’s commitment to step up on the global stage. We hope that this $350 million of new and additional humanitarian assistance funding will support Canadian organizations to work with partners in some of the most challenging humanitarian crises around the world, including the Middle East, Haiti, Sudan, Yemen and the Sahel.
Other relevant funding items for international cooperation included:
- $216.7 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, for Canada’s share of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) general capital increase for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
- $159.1 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $5.9 million in remaining amortization, to support Global Affairs Canada’s transformation.
- A recommitment of $10 million per year by 2025 in support of global LGBTIQ rights international assistance programming.
- An estimated $146.3 million over five years, starting in 2027-28, to purchase Canada’s allocated shares in IDB Invest which will catalyze private sector financing to support economic opportunities for women in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- $81 million for 2024-25 to prepare for Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency (some of which we hope can support engagement with civil society on the priorities of Canada’s Presidency).
Eyeing non-monetary announcements, the budget contained references to the importance of modernizing and investing in international financial institutions, including the introduction of legislative amendments in Canada to better enable hybrid capital and other forms of innovative finance to be leveraged in support of the financing needs of developing countries. It also mentioned a new phase of the International Assistance Innovation Program (IAIP), focusing on small, high impact transactions. We look forward to working with the government on the design and implementation of this program.
What was missing in Budget 2024?
Budget transparency! While the last few years saw a presentation of rough estimates of the total amount for International Assistance Envelope (IAE), this year’s budget document does not even attempt at providing a figure. With no information on trends in the budget baseline, sectoral or spending-type breakdowns, or multi-year forward spending plans, it is difficult to know whether the aid budget is increasing or decreasing, and what lies ahead for the Canadian international assistance budget. We were left to guess what the total IAE budget is for this year – and it has been “guesstimated” at around $7.2 billion per year. If this is the case, it would mean that the IAE budget has grown by about 5% from last year’s $6.89 billion.
We have also been advocating that international assistance to Ukraine be additional to stable or growing assistance to the rest of the world, and to track international assistance investments that respond to the war in Ukraine by launching a Ukraine or Eastern European Assistance Tracker. No commitment was made to this.
Finally, while the focus of this budget was on life-saving humanitarian assistance which is sorely needed right now, Budget 2024 did not provide any increase to longer-term development assistance – investments in programs and partnerships that support a safer, fairer and more sustainable world.
Looking ahead to 2025!
As we look towards Canada’s G7 Presidency in 2025, we will be looking to the government to work with others to leverage bold global commitments in support of international cooperation. Coming off a relatively positive budget cycle, where we saw new funding for international assistance in a difficult fiscal context, it will very be soon time to pitch our priorities for Budget 2025 and Canada’s G7 Presidency. Cooperation Canada looks forward to working with our members on this important advocacy!
by Cooperation Canada | Apr 16, 2024 | Finance, News, Statement
Ottawa, April 16, 2024 A coalition of Canadian international cooperation organizations welcomes new funding for humanitarian programs committed as part of Federal Budget 2024. The coalition recognizes that this new investment comes in a complex economic environment for Canada and emphasizes the need for the government to continue to play its part on the global stage.
With today’s announcement of $350 million over two years in additional humanitarian aid, the government is taking an important step toward addressing some of the most pressing global needs. This additional funding to the International Assistance Envelope (IAE) has the potential to go towards addressing some of the world’s most devastating crises, including the war in the Middle East, internal chaos in Haiti, civil unrest in Sudan, and crises in Yemen and the Sahel.
As the international community grapples with unprecedented challenges, the Canadian aid sector remains steadfast in its commitment to alleviating suffering and advancing progress across the globe. The coalition, led by the Bigger Than Our Borders campaign, Cooperation Canada, Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) and other advocacy groups, pledges to continue advocating for a robust commitment to international assistance as Canada is slated to host the Group of Seven (G7) countries next year. We encourage the government to use the upcoming G7 Presidency to further demonstrate its leadership by engaging other nations towards reversing the global decline in official development assistance.
“This budget is addressing one of the most urgent situations right now globally: the desperate situation for millions of people suffering from humanitarian crises and conflicts. From Gaza to Sudan, Haiti to Yemen, humanitarian needs are surging and decades of progress on development are perilously under threat. We welcome this investment in humanitarian aid, and look forward to further critical investments in long-term development assistance”, said Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s CEO, representing over 100 Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations. “Aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, this investment will support life-saving programs in communities in crisis, while also supporting global security and prosperity for Canada.”
The international cooperation sector also welcomes that Budget 2024 makes new commitments to enhance Canadian engagement with international financial institutions to make them more responsive to emerging global threats. The budget also points to future initiatives that will seek to catalyze private and philanthropic sources of funding in support of international assistance.
“Canadians expect their government to invest in the long-term safety and security of the country. In a world order distorted by conflict and crisis, Canada is being called on to find global pathways to peace. We celebrate today’s investment in humanitarian aid that will reach and support women and children in their most vulnerable moments through high impact interventions that save lives and help children reach their full potential,” said Julia Anderson, CEO of the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health.
About Cooperation Canada
Since 1968, Cooperation Canada has brought together Canadian civil society organizations working in international development and humanitarian assistance. With over 100 members, we work with partners in Canada and around the world to build a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.
About Bigger Than Our Borders
Bigger than our Borders is a compelling campaign backed by NGOs that aims to drive the Canadian government towards a significant boost in foreign aid funding. With our deep commitment since 2018, Bigger than Our Borders unites with a collective of NGOs and philanthropic institutions to advocate for the government’s increased contribution to international assistance, ensuring that it meets its responsibility and increases the current funding levels.
About the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH)
The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) is a proud membership of more than 100 non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, health professional associations and private sector entities partnering to advance women and children’s health and rights around the globe.
Contact Information:
Louis Belanger – Bigger Than Our Borders 613-265-4417 / [email protected]
Gabriel Karasz-Perriau – Cooperation Canada 514-945-0309 / [email protected]
Megan Aikens – CanWaCH 613-504-2862 / [email protected]
Note: The coalition of aid agencies represents a broad group of organizations working in the fields of advocacy, education, economic development, gender equality and women’s rights, women’s and children’s health, sustainable livelihoods, food and water security, nutrition, human rights and good governance, all who work for a safer, fairer and more sustainable world.
The group includes:
Cooperation Canada / Coopération Canada
Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) / Le Partenariat canadien pour la santé des femmes et des enfants (CanSFE)
Bigger than our Borders / Au-delà de nos frontières
Acted Canada
Action Against Hunger Canada
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
ADRA Canada
Alberta Council for Global Cooperation
Association québécoise des organismes de coopération international (AQOCI)
Atlantic Council for International Cooperation
CAMFED Canada
Canadian Association for Global Health
Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO)
Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM/ACSF)
Canadian Center for Women Empowerment
Canadian Feed The Children
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Canadian Lutheran World Relief
Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR)
Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases
CARE Canada
CAWST
CDF Canada
Centre D’Étude et de Coopération Internationale (CECI)
Change for Children
ChildCare International
Children Believe
Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-Rac)
Coady Institute
CODE
Collaboration Santé Internationale
Compassion Canada
Crossroads International
Cuso International
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada
Développement international Desjardins (DID)
Effect Hope (The Leprosy Mission Canada)
End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Canada Network
Equality Fund
Equitas-International Centre for Human Rights Education
Farm Radio International
Food for the Hungry Canada
Global Citizen
Grandmothers Advocacy Network
Habitat for Humanity Canada
Health Partners International Canada
HelpAge Canada
Hope and Healing International
HOPE International Development Agency
Humanitarian Coalition
Humanity & Inclusion Canada
Hungry For Life International
International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF)
International Development Enterprises (iDE) Canada
Islamic Relief Canada
Jane Goodall Institute of Canada
Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
Kentro Christian Network
Lawyers Without Borders Canada / Avocats sans frontières Canada
Manitoba Council for International Cooperation
Maternal and Infant Health Canada
Maternity Today
Médecins du Monde Canada
Mennonite Central Committee Canada
Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)
Mission inclusion
Never Again International – Canada
Northern Council for Global Cooperation
Nutrition International
ONE Canada
One Drop Foundation
Ontario Council for International Cooperation
Orbis Canada
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam-Québec
Partners In Health Canada
Plan International Canada
Presbyterian World Service & Development
Results Canada
Right To Play International
Salanga
Santé Monde
Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation
Save the Children Canada
SeedChange
Seva Canada
SOCODEVI
SOS Children’s Villages Canada
Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada
UPA Développement international
Veterinarians without Borders Canada
VIDEA
WaterAid Canada
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)
The Wellspring Foundation for Education
Women’s Global Health Innovations – Bfree Cup
World Accord International Development Agency
World Renew
World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
World Vision Canada
ZMQ Global
by Cooperation Canada | Mar 21, 2024 | News, Publications, Resilence
Cooperation Canada’s new anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion and justice (AEDIJ) strategy and action plan are now available.
The AEDIJ Strategy and Action Plan will guide the organization’s journey, including the principles that guide our work, our key objectives and the concrete measures we will take in operations and administration, communications and the implementation of programs and activities.
by Cooperation Canada | Mar 20, 2024 | News, Policy
Progressing National SDGs Implementation is an independent analysis of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) presented to the UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) each year. It is developed by a group of civil society organisations, including Cooperation Canada, working together to drive forward progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Now in its eighth edition, Progressing National SDGs Implementation aims to provide useful insights and recommendations on the VNR reports presented at the HLPF, in order to inform discussions on SDG delivery and help guide improved implementation and reporting on the 2030 Agenda.
2023 Key Insights
1. Many countries continue to face entrenched challenges to civic participation, especially marginalized groups. Irrespective of political context, all countries and regions can do more to strengthen transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in their 2030 Agenda policy frameworks to ensure that diverse voices are heard and integrated into efforts to achieve the SDGs.
2. While acknowledging the importance of policy coherence for sustainable development, no country provides a comprehensive assessment of progress along all eight domains called for in the composite SDG indicator for policy coherence. With many countries highlighting the role of climate change action as a central connector across sectors and scales, this offers one potential entry point for policy coherence in SDG actions from national to the local level.
3. While some countries have made progress in collecting disaggregated data, no single country has a full picture of who is left behind or at greater risk of falling behind in SDG efforts. The bulk of reporting countries still need to substantially improve disaggregated data collection- including on gender, multidimensional poverty, domestic inequalities, and specific vulnerable or excluded groups such as persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, ethnic minorities and diverse gender identities.
Read the Eighth Edition of Progressing National SDGs Implementation.
by Cooperation Canada | Feb 28, 2024 | Futures, News, Publications
One year has passed since Cooperation Canada embarked on its first ever strategic foresight project, the Futures Initiative. Since then, significant strides have been made, and in this report, we reflect on our journey, showcasing our advancements to date, insights gleaned from employing strategic foresight, and the methodologies instrumental in studying the global landscape, and identifying emerging trends, signals, and drivers of change within the international cooperation sector. The report underscores the indispensable role of foresight in navigating the complexities of the international development sector. It is our aspiration that this reflection report not only offers valuable insights but also serves as a guiding resource for organizations embarking on their own foresight endeavours.
