The new Policy on Transfer Payments came into effect on October 1, 2008. One of the main changes in the Policy is the increased authority for Ministers to approve the continuation of terms and conditions "as is" following an evaluation or review of the relevance and effectiveness of programs. The Policy also allows Ministers, in consultation with Treasury Board Secretariat, to make minor amendments to existing terms and conditions.

Under section 6.6.1 of the Policy on Transfer Payments, deputy heads are required to provide to the Treasury Board Secretariat by April 1 of each year a three-year plan for their transfer payment programs. A summary of this plan is to be made public on the departmental website and referenced through a hyperlink in the departmental Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP).

The main purpose of the three-year plan is to provide applicants, recipients, parliamentarians, ministers and other stakeholders with essential information to identify planned departmental activities that might have an impact on their specific programs of interest.

The three-year plan was prepared according to the Program Activity Architecture that identifies the Department's plans for the creation of new transfer payment programs, the continuation, amendment or termination of existing transfer payment programs, evaluations or reviews of relevancy and effectiveness to be conducted and initiatives to engage applicants and recipients.

The table below illustrates the required format and content.

Table – Departmental Plan for Transfer Payment Programs (TPPs)

3.1 Definitions according to the Policy on Transfer Payments (Appendix A)

Terms and Conditions - Is a document, approved by Treasury Board or a minister, which sets out the parameters under which transfer payments may be made for a given program. In relation to terms and conditions:

Continuation - Means a decision to continue using terms and conditions with or without minor amendment.

Amendment - Means a decision to amend or modify terms and conditions.

Termination - Means a decision to terminate terms and conditions so that no further funding agreements will be entered into for that transfer payment program.

3.2 Under section 6.1.2 of the Policy on Transfer Payments, the Treasury Board of Canada is responsible for:

Approving the amendment of terms and conditions for existing transfer payment programs, except when a minister has been authorized to amend such terms and conditions, including where authority has been provided pursuant to Section 6.1.3 of this policy.

And according to section 6.1.5 of the Policy on Transfer Payments, the Treasury Board of Canada is responsible for: Reviewing the continuation, amendment or termination of transfer payment programs as a result of periodic spending reviews, such as strategic reviews.

3.3 Under section 6.3 of the Policy on Transfer Payments, Ministers are responsible for:

Section 6.3.1 Approving the continuation of terms and conditions following an evaluation or review of the relevance and effectiveness of the transfer payment program.

Section 6.3.2 Approving minor amendments of terms and conditions when deemed necessary.

Section 6.3.5 Approving the termination of terms and conditions.

The directive supports the objectives of the Policy on Transfer Payments by providing operational requirements for departmental managers who have been assigned responsibilities for the management of transfer payments.

3.4 A definition according to the Directive on Transfer Payments (Appendix A)

Minor amendments - Are amendments to terms and conditions of a transfer payment program other than those elements related to:

• The program objectives;
• The program performance measurement strategy;
• The eligible activities, initiatives or projects;
• The class of eligible recipients;
• The maximum amount payable to a recipient when an increase in excess of 10 per cent is proposed;
• The total amount payable under the terms and conditions of a contribution program when an increase in excess of 10 per cent is proposed;
• The repayment of a repayable contribution;
• The stacking limit;
• Up-front multi-year funding; or
• Official languages

Evaluation Plan 2009-2010 to 2013-2014