IFSD Advisors Ltd. (IFSD) is contracted by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) to develop a First Nations-specific funding model for the Income Assistance (IA) Program based on First Nations recommendations.
The project will:
- Assess the IA Program
- Define First Nations-led practices with contributions from First Nations
- Develop an approach to data gathering and performance framework
- Estimate costs for First Nations-developed reforms
Read about IFSD’s approach to Research Ethics and engagement with OCAP ® Principles.
Get Involved:
IFSD is inviting First Nations to contribute to the work on IA in one or both ways:
- Participate in a questionnaire on IA in your First Nation.
- Participants will be entered into a draw for a $500 gift card (10 gift cards will be raffled). Access the questionnaire online.
- Participate as one of 20 First Nation collaborators.
- The collaborator group will work alongside IFSD for roughly one year.
- IFSD will commit to preparing profiles of each collaborator’s approach to IA.
- If you are interested in collaborating with IFSD, kindly email Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca).
Read more about the in-depth collaboration.
IFSD will engage in the following activities with in-depth First Nation collaborators:
- Conduct a site visit to meet with IA administrators to discuss the community context, IA practices in the First Nation, data capture and management systems, etc.
- Convene one or more working sessions for collaborators to discuss desired outcomes, performance indicators, program priorities, etc. (date and location to be determined).
- Review the First Nation’s approach to IA (e.g., training, administration) and to data collection and management.
- Capture the First Nation’s priorities for reforms to the IA program.
- Review any quantitative data the First Nation can provide to inform livable income, relevant top-ups, and operating realities.
- Produce a profile of the First Nation’s approach to IA, with consideration of their distinct starting points, successes and challenges
Collaborators may be asked to gather relevant materials related to their finances and operations to assist with costing reforms to the IA program. This information will be handled consistent with the data management practices and privacy considerations described in this document. The information being requested will assist IFSD in building a comprehensive profile of the First Nation’s operations, resource requirements, and data considerations based on the community context.
Collaborators will be asked to review materials, e.g., best practices, livable income benchmarks, etc., prior to being disseminated or made public. IFSD will request the collaborator indicate if they wish to be named or remain anonymous in any dissemination of findings.
IFSD will provide a research collaboration agreement for review and signature to collaborators.
Timeline
IFSD timelines are illustrative and are subject to the availability of collaborators and data from various sources.
| Month | Target activities |
|---|---|
| September 2025 to December 2025 | Data gathering with First Nations (questionnaire and case studies). |
| January 2026 to March 2026 | Data analysis and sharing back findings. |
| April 2026 to August 2026 | Preparing options and analysis on funding approaches for IA. |