Evaluation of the RCMP’s Reconciliation Actions (2016-2021)

Table of contents

• Acronyms
• Executive summary
  • Key findings
  • Conclusions
  • Recommendations
• Evaluation approach
  • Objective and scope
  • Data sources
  • Limitations and mitigations
• Context
  • Framing reconciliation
  • Current direction for reconciliation action
  • RCMP functional areas and roles
• Findings
  • Coordination
  • Strategic planning
  • Performance measurement
  • Collaborative engagement
  • Recruitment and retention
  • Cultural awareness
• Conclusions and recommendations
  • Conclusions
  • Recommendations
• Appendices
  • Appendix A: Management Response and Action Plan (MRAP)
  • Appendix B: Evaluation questions
  • Appendix C: Descriptive scale of interview responses
  • Appendix D: Calls for change
  • Appendix E: Government of Canada direction on reconciliation actions
  • Appendix F: RCMP direction on reconciliation actions
  • Appendix G: VISION150 Rekindling Trust
  • Appendix H: Indigenous approaches to evaluation and research
• Endnotes

Acronyms

2SLGBTQQIA

two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allies

APPS

Annual Performance Plan System

C&IP

Contract and Indigenous Policing (RCMP)

CNIAC

Commissioner's National Indigenous Advisory Committee

EDI

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

FNIPP

First Nations and Inuit Policing Program

NHQ

National Headquarters (RCMP)

NWMP

North-West Mounted Police

MMIWG

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

MRAP

Management Response and Action Plan

RCMP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RICCA

RCMP - Indigenous Collaboration, Co-Development, Accountability

RIRS

RCMP Indigenous Relations Services

TRC

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Executive summary

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) "Calls to Action", and the "Calls to Justice" of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Inquiry, have led to a greater awareness among Canadians to account for the harm inflicted in the past, and to respect Indigenous people, communities and culture. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has indicated it is committed to moving forward to earn the trust and confidence of Indigenous communities across Canada. Reconciliation provides a pathway based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

• This formative evaluation explored the extent to which organizational capacity is in place to support RCMP reconciliation actions.
• It covered a period of five fiscal years from 2016-17 to 2020-21, and examined activities within National Headquarters (NHQ) and contract divisions.
• It reflected on the history and evolving context of reconciliation in Canada, and looked ahead to consider approaches for continuous improvement.

Key findings

Overall, this evaluation found the RCMP has been increasingly advancing reconciliation actions through a variety of means, including actions toward better collaborative engagement and knowledge building. The effectiveness of reconciliation actions has been impacted by operational capacity challenges, such as a lack of long-term sustainable leadership to support national coordination and strategic planning, and a decline in Indigenous employee representation and engagement.

What worked well

• Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples has been identified as a priority in recently published strategic planning and reporting documents, including VISION150 and Beyond: RCMP Strategic Plan and the annual RCMP Departmental Plan. It has also been embedded in broad internal horizontal initiatives such as the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy.
• There are examples of positive collaborative engagement between the RCMP and Indigenous organizations and communities that have helped to build trust.
• Opportunities to participate in Indigenous cultural knowledge building activities and training have been made available to all RCMP employees. For example, an online cultural awareness and humility course is mandatory.

What are the challenges

• There is a broad mix of functional areas with roles to deliver on reconciliation actions. Gaps in oversight (long-term leadership) and capacity to undertake coordination and communication across functional areas and initiatives have limited the ability of the RCMP to move forward efficiently. There is no dedicated central point of contact with a mandate for national coordination and communication.
• While some planning activities have been initiated, there is currently no national strategic plan for reconciliation to set priorities and provide a long-term and sustainable roadmap to achieve them. There are opportunities to better leverage performance measurement as a tool to tell a cogent and meaningful story about RCMP reconciliation actions.
• There is a need to strategize and address the anticipated further decline in Indigenous enrolment at Depot and representation within the ranks of RCMP Regular Members.
• Gaps were identified in the RCMP's current reconciliation efforts with its Indigenous employees, including the absence of active national employee networks to inform Indigenous-led solutions.
• To support the continued growth of positive relationships between the RCMP and Indigenous peoples and communities, there is a continued need for Indigenous-led solutions, and a well-informed understanding and acknowledgement of Indigenous histories and cultures. There needs to be a long-term, sustainable commitment to advancing reconciliation which continuously evolves to address emerging needs.

Conclusions

Overall this evaluation concluded that, positive steps have been taken to further reconciliation across the organization, there are opportunities to prioritize strengthening national coordination and strategic planning as well as to broaden efforts to enhance the representation of Indigenous employees across the organization. The strengthening of coordination approaches and mechanisms will be the key to ensuring priorities move forward efficiently and effectively.

Recommendations

1. Improve the coordination of reconciliation actions across the organization by strengthening leadership and capacity.
   The following actions could be considered:
   • Identify an executive lead and/or establish a committee dedicated to leadership and the coordination of long-term and sustainable reconciliation actions.
   • Identify dedicated long-term resources for reconciliation coordination, including perhaps the establishment of a national office or hub to serve as a central point of contact for coordination on all actions related to reconciliation.
2. Build and implement national strategies and tools to strengthen planning for and reporting on reconciliation, based on the principle of "Nothing About Us Without Us".
   Mechanisms could include:
   • A national strategic plan with clear priorities and a roadmap to achieve them, along with clear roles and responsibilities.
   • Performance measurement practices to track short and long term outcomes and capture and report on disaggregated data.
   All mechanisms should be inclusive of Indigenous voices, trauma-informed, distinction-based, long-term and sustainable.
3. Review existing recruitment and retention practices to enhance the representation of Indigenous employees.
   Reviews of current practices could consider existing and new Indigenous-informed and distinctions-based approaches to:
   • consult with Indigenous employees on priorities for internal and external reconciliation actions
   • address declining enrollments and barriers to the recruitment of Indigenous employees
   • mitigate attrition and improve retention of Indigenous employees

Evaluation approach

Objective and scope

• The objective of this formative evaluation^{Footnote i} was to explore the extent to which organizational capacity is in place to support RCMP reconciliation actions - as a pathway to earn the confidence and trust of Indigenous communities. See Appendix B for the evaluation questions.
• This evaluation was identified in the Commissioner-approved 2020-2025 RCMP Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan.
• To date, RCMP reconciliation activities have not been included in a previous evaluation.
• The objective and scope were based on an internal consultation exercise, and the methods and questions were also based on feedback received from program leads. Given the relatively recent TRC Calls to Action and MMIWG Inquiry Calls for Justice, it was determined that a summative or outcomes-focussed evaluation would be premature.

In terms of scope, this evaluation:

• covered retrospectively the five fiscal years from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021;
• examined RCMP activities across NHQ, Depot, and contract divisions across Canada
• reflected on the past, current, and evolving context of the Government of Canada's and RCMP's reconciliation with Indigenous peoples
• looked ahead to consider approaches and learnings for continuous improvement

This formative evaluation examined the following six internal mechanisms/practices related to organizational capacity:

• governance, coordination, resources
• strategic planning
• performance measurement
• external collaboration
• recruitment, retention
• cultural knowledge building

Data sources

Data from a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods were analyzed to develop findings. Data collection and analysis took place from January 2021 to August 2021.

Note: See Appendix C for the descriptive scale of interview and staff survey responses.

Interviews: 50

Telephone and video interviews were conducted with:

• Senior executives = 7
• Business lines (NHQ) = 24
• Indigenous Policing Services staff = 7
• Other government departments = 5
• External Indigenous voices
  • Commissioner's National Indigenous Advisory Committee (CNIAC) = 4
  • Indigenous Elders (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) = 3

Document review: 120

Internal documentation was reviewed, such as:

• Strategic plans
• Policy documents
• Management reports/reviews
• Program documents
• Committee agendas and records of decisions
• Course curricula
• Summaries from internal activities, tracking tools, Annual Performance Plan System (APPS)

Literature review: 45

Context on the TRC and MMIWG Inquiry, and Indigenous approaches to evaluation practice, reviews were done of:

• Academic literature
• Published reports and tools
• Course materials

Data analysis: 3

Available RCMP administrative and survey data was analyzed:

• Agora (internal) and Canada School of Public Service data on course compliance rates
• Human Resources Management Information System data on recruitment and retention - published formal employment equity reporting, other internal reports
• Previous Client and Partner Survey data on external views of RCMP actions

Staff surveys: 2

Online surveys were conducted with RCMP staff in May and June 2021 to explore their perspectives on challenges and opportunities:

• Senior executives: 27/36 (75% response rate)
• Division staff working directly on reconciliation actions: 32/64 (50% response rate)

Media analysis: 2

To better understand context, analyzed how media frame the public discussion on RCMP reconciliation actions:

• Over 100 articles in Canadian newspapers 2020-2021
• Select social media and webpages from 2020-2021

Limitations and mitigations

Context

Framing reconciliation

"…reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour."

The history of colonialism continues to impact the RCMP's current relationship, and opportunities for reconciliation, with Indigenous peoples in Canada. While steps have been taken in recent decades to remediate injustices in approaches to policing in Indigenous communities, the RCMP's historical law enforcement role continues to result in a sense of mistrust and fear of police by Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Impacts of colonialism

The RCMP was a dominant and consistent face of the Government of Canada policies that devastated traditional life among the Indigenous peoples in Canada, including forced relocation activities that isolated people onto reserves and separation of children from their families through residential schools and the child welfare system (further detail on historical events are provided on page 5).

The consequences of past government policies continue to negatively impact the well-being of many Indigenous peoples in Canada. A few examples of these impacts are provided below^{Footnote 1}:

• Half of children in foster care are Indigenous children.
• Indigenous youth are particularly at risk for poor mental health. Just over one in ten (11.0%) of off-reserve First Nations youth and 7.8% of Métis youth report having a mood disorder.
• One in five Indigenous people lived in a dwelling that was in need of major repairs in 2016. Close to one-fifth (18.3%) of the Indigenous population lived in crowded housing.
• Food insecurity is higher among Indigenous people, particularly Inuit. About 20% of Indigenous people aged 15 and over experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months. Among the Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat, 52% of adults experienced food insecurity.
• Indigenous women are almost three times as likely as non-Indigenous women to be a victim of violent crime.
• Indigenous men and boys are seven times more likely than non-Indigenous men and boys to be a homicide victim.
• In 2013, 43% of Indigenous people had confidence in the justice system and the courts, compared with 58% of non-Indigenous people.

Historical Events in RCMP-Indigenous Relations - Text version

The diagram depicts a timeline with coloured circles (grey, blue or teal) along a blackline. Each circle represents an historical event in RCMP-Indigenous relations.

The first circle on the timeline (coloured grey) states that in 1873, the NWMP was established as an agent of the Crown enforcing federal policies and legislation, under the auspices of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

For circles coloured blue on the timeline, the historical events are summarized by a caption at the top of the diagram: "The RCMP has had a long and sometimes difficult history with Indigenous communities in Canada that dates back almost 150 years."

The blue circles include the following historical events:

• In 1885, Louis Riel, Métis leader, was controversially hanged at the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) (later RCMP) barracks in Regina for his role in the Red River and Northwest resistances.
• From 1933-1996, the Indian Act appointed RCMP officers as "truant officers" to enforce attendance and return truant children to residential schools.
• From 1953-1955, the RCMP, acting as a representative of the Department of Resources and Development, moved Inuit from Inukjuak and Mittimatalik to settle two locations on the High Arctic islands.
• In the 1960s, during the '60's Scoop', RCMP officers removed Indigenous children from homes into foster/adoptive care.

For circles coloured teal on the timeline, the historical events are described by a caption at the right side of the diagram: "Since the 1990s in particular, RCMP actions to remediate and atone for past wrongdoing have been initiated."

The teal circles include the following historical events:

• In 1874, the NWMP deployed to Western Canada. It employed Métis as guides and interpreters.
• In 1936, the RCMP began referring to Inuit employees in Arctic detachments as Special Constables, an official rank.
• In the 1990s, RCMP Commissioner's National Aboriginal Advisory Committee was formed (1990); the Government of Canada established the First Nations Policing Program (1991); and the Aboriginal Pre-Cadet Program began (1994).
• In 2004, the RCMP Commissioner publicly apologized for the RCMP's role in the Residential School System.
• In 2018, the RCMP Commissioner apologized to the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls at the National Inquiry.

Current direction for reconciliation action

Calls for change (Appendix D)

Recent seminal reviews of historical events, and their impacts on the lives of generations of Indigenous peoples, have led to the publication of calls for change in Canada – including changes in the administration of law enforcement.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015) addresses the ongoing impact of residential schools on survivors and their families.^{Footnote 3} A number of Calls to Action relate to the RCMP's mandate, including: establish a written policy that reaffirms the independence of the RCMP (#25); and under Justice Canada leadership: eliminate the over-representation of Aboriginal people (#30) and youth (#38) in custody; and provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders and respond to the underlying causes of offending (#31).

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Calls to Justice (2019) resulted from the inquiry launched in 2016 to end the high levels of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls.^{Footnote 4} The 11 "Calls for Police Services" relate to the RCMP's mandate, including: acknowledge historical and current contexts; build respectful relationships; increase recruitment of Indigenous Peoples; and ensure police services have the capacity and resources to serve and protect Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

Government of Canada (Appendix E)

• Many Voices One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation (2017) reflects feedback from consultations, seeking to better understand the barriers faced by Indigenous Peoples within the federal public service.^{Footnote 5}
• The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (2021) reflects the Government of Canada's contribution to the 2021 National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People.^{Footnote 6}
• United Nations Declaration on The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples Act (resolution adopted September 3, 2007) came into force in Canada on June 21, 2021 and requires the laws of Canada to be consistent with the Declaration.^{Footnote 7}

RCMP Direction (Appendices F & G)

• Mandate letters for the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (2021)^{Footnote 8} and RCMP Commissioner (2018)^{Footnote 9} require the RCMP to work in partnership with Indigenous peoples to advance reconciliation.
• Planning highlights in the RCMP's Departmental Plan 2020-2021 include a focus on Indigenous policing and engagement with Indigenous communities.^{Footnote 10}
• The RCMP's strategic direction in Vision150 and Beyond: RCMP Strategic Plan (2018) and EDI Strategy include a focus on reconciliation initiatives.^{Footnote 11}
• Contributing to safer and healthier Indigenous communities is one of the five RCMP operational priorities.^{Footnote 12}

RCMP functional areas and roles

RCMP functional areas with roles directly related to reconciliation actions are widely dispersed.

Contract and Indigenous Policing

National Headquarters: National Indigenous Policing and Crime Prevention Services plays a key national role. Indigenous Strategic Operations undertakes strategic policy, planning and reporting, and is the secretariat for CNIAC. RCMP Indigenous Relations Services liaises with National Indigenous Organizations (NIOs) and is the secretariat for the RCMP Reconciliation Working Group. The Vulnerable Persons Unit undertakes programming and Indigenous community outreach. National Youth Services engages with Indigenous youth.

Divisions and detachments: Through the work of their Regular Members and other staff, RCMP divisions and detachments deliver policing services to over 600 Indigenous communities across Canada. Many divisions have an Indigenous Policing Services team that includes a Métis coordinator and First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP) officers, as well as members with other RCMP business lines. Staff also participate in the divisional Commanding Officer's Indigenous Advisory Committee and provincial Indigenous networks, and engage locally with Indigenous communities.

Human Resources

Two key areas that undertake reconciliation actions are the Learning and Development team which offers training courses and awareness activities, and the Human Resources Policies Strategies and Programs team that is responsible for recruitment and staffing, workforce culture, and the EDI Strategy. Other areas with a direct role in reconciliation actions include the RCMP - Indigenous Collaboration, Co-Development, Accountability (RICCA) team which will undertake internal and external liaison roles. Depot Division is responsible for training recruits. Other implicated areas include Career Development, Labour Relations, Human Rights, Compensation, and Accommodations.

Strategic Policy and External Relations

Within Strategic Policy and External Relations, Action, Innovation and Modernization leads on VISION150 actions, Strategic Policy and Governance engages with NIOs on agreements, and Organizational Priorities and Strategy Management tracks and reports through the APPS.

Other areas

All RCMP employees have a role to play in reconciliation. Examples of actions from other functional areas include training offered through the Canadian Police College, support for procurement with Indigenous firms through Procurement and Contracting, and media releases, website and social media content through Strategic Communications.

Findings

Coordination

Reconciliation priorities were reflected in recent planning and reporting documents, and responsibilities for reconciliation actions spanned across business lines and divisions.

• A review of organizational planning documents shows that reconciliation has been identified as a priority in the RCMP's strategic plan and other VISION150 documents, as well as the EDI Strategy (see Appendix F for details).
• Activities related to reconciliation actions are widely dispersed throughout the organization (see page 9 for list of functional areas and their roles).

Of note, the RCMP Reconciliation Working Group has led the development of business line and divisional strategic plans. This group was established in 2019 to discuss new reconciliation initiatives, and share ideas and best practices. While it undertook activities reflective of its role, it was not mandated to facilitate setting or communicating a national strategic direction on reconciliation.

Rekindling trust with Indigenous Peoples - Text version

The diagram depicts a circle with four sections within it representing the First Nation medicine wheel, a Qulliq Inuit oil lamp in its center, a Métis sash on the outer edge and a birch bark canoe positioned below the circle. The background for the entire diagram is an artistic rendering of the West Coast First Nation's Thunderbird.

The top most section of the circle, coloured in white, contains text stating "Starting the Path: Foundation building by integrating Indigenous perspectives" and text stating "Direction: Coordinated Strategic Plan and Objectives".

The right most section of the circle, coloured in yellow, contains text stating "Building on the Past: Co-design and development of culturally-competent policing programs, policies, activities, and services" and text stating "Direction: Renewed culturally-specific approaches".

The bottom most section of the circle, coloured in red, contains text stating "Sign Posts Along the Way: Touch points that we are headed in a good direction" and text stating "Direction: Progress measurement, adjusting targets and closing gaps".

The left most section of the circle, coloured in black, contains text stating "Continuing the Journey: Inclusive; Communication; Trusting Relationships; Visible Culture; Nurturing Empathy".

The birch bark canoe below the circle contains text within it stating "Acknowledge historical relationships; Collaborate and co-develop with Indigenous Peoples; Reconciliation is a long term commitment; Continue building on existing relationships; Actions and outcomes must be meaningful".

Immediately outside the Métis sash bordering the circle, blue text surrounds the circle laying out the seven Grandfather Teachings which includes: respect, humility, truth, honesty, bravery, love, and wisdom.

Beyond the seven Grandfather Teachings, red text lays out eight Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) Principles which includes: Aajiiqatigiinniq, Pilimmaksarniq/Pijariuqsarniq, Piliriqatigiinniq/Ikajuqtigiinniq, Qanuqtuurniq, Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq, Inuuqatigiitsiarniq, Tunnganarniq, and Pijitsirniq.

Rekindling Trust with Indigenous Peoples diagram was taken from the RCMP Path of Reconciliation: Strengthening Trust in the RCMP Annual Report 2019-2020, the RCMP's first reconciliation report which provides a snapshot of the organization's 2019-2020 reconciliation efforts.

There is evidence of gaps in the establishment of long term leadership and capacity to develop strategies, coordinate actions or support local community engagement.

• A review of minutes and records of decision from several senior executive committees shows that the topic of reconciliation was the primary focus of presentations and discussion at several senior executive tables between April and June 2021. Prior to these meetings, there were limited dedicated senior management discussions.
• Document review, as well as some RCMP staff interviewees and survey respondents, indicated that, while there is a senior executive appointed in the role of Reconciliation Champion, there has been no dedicated senior leader for Indigenous policing and reconciliation, with the role to provide leadership for national direction setting and coordination.
• Further, some RCMP staff interviewees indicated that there has been no long-term dedicated office (hub) with sufficient human and financial resources to coordinate reconciliation actions. Gaps in skills and expertise have included policy analysis and writing, as well as managing strategic development and organizational cultural change.
• Many RCMP staff interviewees and survey respondents highlighted that there have been gaps in staff capacity across functional areas to take on roles, such as engagement with Indigenous partners, evaluation of the effectiveness of learning and development activities including online courses, restorative justice practices, mentoring Indigenous cadets, and recruitment of Indigenous Regular Members.
• Some interviewees and survey respondents working in divisions indicated that there have been gaps in personnel (including within Indigenous Policing Services units and through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program) and operational members in these roles have been working beyond capacity. The gap has created pressures as dedicated time is needed to meaningfully engage with Indigenous knowledge keepers.

Many RCMP staff interviewees and survey respondents identified impacts of the current gaps in coordination and communication capacity, which have resulted in:

• A lack of national coordination has meant some direction setting has been siloed and the organization is missing out on synergies across teams. There is the potential for overlap in the RCMP's internal coordination of engagement with external Indigenous stakeholders.
• A lack of internal communication has meant there are gaps in knowledge and awareness across functional areas, and reconciliation has not been broadly ingrained across the organization.

Staff indicated that more consultation is needed with Indigenous employees.

• When asked about systemic racism in a targeted internal survey of division staff working directly on reconciliation actions, many Indigenous employees who responded indicated they were treated with respect.
• Some RCMP staff interviewees and survey respondents (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) indicated that there was a need for management to better consult and appropriately engage with Indigenous employees and for reconciliation efforts to ensure there is not an undue burden placed on Indigenous employees to lead or support this work.

Some RCMP staff interviewees noted that previous national Indigenous employee networks have not been active for some time (e.g., National Indigenous Employee Network, Indigenous Lived Experience Advisory Group). There are limited spaces for consultation with Indigenous employees to ensure the organization moves forward with Indigenous-led solutions.

• A few RCMP staff interviewees indicated that an employee-led national Women's Indigenous Network (WIN) had been established in May 2021 to bring together Indigenous women and two-spirited sisters in all employee classifications. This group has provided peer-to-peer mentorship and support, arranged workshops, and have been consulted for input on internal initiative.
• Document review and some divisional RCMP staff interviews indicated that some Indigenous employee networks exist in divisions, while in other divisions the establishment of networks is currently being explored.

Some staff see RICCA as an opportunity to meaningfully engage internal Indigenous employees.

• RICCA was established in July 2021. Document review and interviews with Human Resources staff indicate that RICCA will explore ideas on creating a workplace that is inclusive, reflective and respectful of Indigenous cultures so Indigenous employees feel recognized, respected, and welcome. When fully staffed, it will be comprised of mostly Indigenous employees.
• RICCA documentation also mentions plans for the creation of an Indigenous employee circle for consultation and a national Indigenous employee network.

Strategic planning

In recent years, the organization has advanced reconciliation actions more than in the past.

Numerous RCMP planning and reporting documents outline actions/efforts undertaken,
including:

• RCMP Departmental Plans (Appendix F) and Departmental Results Reports,
• Vision150 and Beyond: RCMP Strategic Plan as well as a placemat on rekindling trust as part of VISION150 (Appendix F, G),
• RCMP EDI Strategy (Appendix F),
• RCMP Path of Reconciliation: Strengthening Trust in the RCMP Annual Report 2019-2020), and
• various business line and divisional reconciliation plans/strategies published online.

While steps have been taken to initiate the development of a strategic plan, there is currently no long-term national plan in place to achieve transformational change.

Challenges were identified by some RCMP staff and external interviewees (Indigenous knowledge keepers, federal partners) and RCMP survey respondents, as well as document review, such as:

• current 'plans' often consist of lists of activities rather than strategic priorities and a path forward on how to achieve them;
• there has been limited national coordination of approaches to planning for, and reporting on, reconciliation actions;
• the RCMP has been largely reactive rather than strategic in some of its responses to reconciliation issues (e.g., residential schools, systemic racism); and
• it is not clear what reconciliation means for each employee.

Work with federal partners

At the national level, the RCMP has been collaborative and responsive in its engagement with other federal departments on the TRC Calls to Justice and the MMIWG Inquiry Calls for Action.

• The RCMP is somewhat unique in that it has a physical presence in communities across Canada, and is therefore able to deliver on tangible actions (e.g., restorative justice).
• Federal partners interviewed indicated that there has been a consistent effort by the RCMP to be proactive, engaged and present for input and dialogue at official tables and with federal partners/colleagues on these federal initiatives.

However, gaps in strategic planning and a lack of clarity in the roles between Public Safety Canada and the RCMP has sometimes led to missed opportunities for federal engagement.

• Enhanced strategic planning would allow the RCMP to better positon itself with its federal partners. A few interviewees (RCMP staff and federal partners) indicated that there is currently a lack of clarity related to RCMP resource requirements to undertake reconciliation actions.
• When the RCMP has not been at the federal table for discussion of law enforcement operational issues (Public Safety often represents the portfolio), some RCMP staff and federal partner interviewees mentioned that there have been missed opportunities to further dialogue and make requests for additional resources related to RCMP reconciliation actions.

Build local relationships

Many Indigenous knowledge keepers and Elders interviewed, as well as some RCMP staff, indicated that simply having a strategic plan will not significantly impact reconciliation.

They emphasized that, locally, reconciliation is about how police officers and staff work with communities.

• Document review, as well as many divisional staff interviewees, indicated that divisional planning has included engagement with local Indigenous communities and reflected local contexts. Divisional priorities and plans were often locally led in collaboration with communities, and included follow-up with them.
• Divisional reconciliation plans reflected approaches unique to the local context and focussed on provincial and territorial priorities as well as RCMP priorities.

Performance measurement

A few planning and reporting documents reflect to some extent on the importance of measuring and assessing the impacts of strategies, such as:

• 2020 RCMP Path of Reconciliation: Strengthening Trust in the RCMP Annual Report 2019-2020;
• 2021 EDI Strategy deck (Appendix F);
• 2020 VISION150 Rekindling Trust with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples placemat (Appendix G); and
• many of the divisional reconciliation strategies published online in 2020-2021.

Contextual challenges that have impeded the development and implementation of a strengthened approach to performance measurement for reconciliation actions were identified.

• Document review and some internal RCMP interviewees indicated that performance measurement is not yet well entrenched across the RCMP. It is still a work in progress.
• Document review illustrated that not all business lines capture and report on reconciliation-related performance measures. For example, while some data is collected to track progress related to procurement and recruitment, gaps were identified in data collected about learning/awareness and communications.
• Although a draft logic model and a performance matrix have been developed, many interviewees indicated that there is a need for a robust national strategic plan that details priorities for immediate intended impacts and longer term outcomes.
• As noted through a media analysis, and reiterated by some RCMP staff interviewees and survey respondents, it can be challenging to present a balanced story given the proliferation of negative stories about RCMP conduct (and the conduct of other policing organizations) in the media.

Measuring trust

Some internal interviewees indicated that it has been a challenge to determine how to measure "rekindling trust" as a reflection of progress on reconciliation actions.

• They indicated that gaining trust is a long term and complex endeavour. Trust is not a concrete notion, is contextual, and must be distinctions-based.
• Local relationships are the most impactful. Many interviewees and survey respondents indicated that a big part of reconciliation is improving interactions with communities.
• One new metric suggested by a few interviewees would be an increase in calls for service as a reflection of enhanced trust in the RCMP's response to calls.

A literature review highlighted opportunities to enhance performance measurement knowledge gathering and use by reflecting on Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing.

Guiding principles for Indigenous approaches to research might include (Appendix H):

• Reflect how relationships are central
• Be culturally responsive and community driven
• Engage elders, knowledge keepers, and healers
• Share personal experiences
• Integrate strengths-based perspectives
• Reflect a decolonized approach
• Take a trauma-informed approach
• Ensure appropriate timelines and resources

Ways of knowing (methods) related to Indigenous approaches to research that prioritize a focus on qualitative data might include (Appendix H):

• Case studies
• Participant observation
• Dialogue and conversational methods of knowledge gathering

Collaborative engagement

Document review, and many internal and external interviewees, identified many positive past, ongoing and planned collaborative activities.

At the national level activities included:

• engagement (e.g., CNIAC, National Youth Advisory Committee, Circle of Change)
• partnerships with NIOs (e.g., Pinasuqatigiinniq Agreement with Pauktuutit)
• national awareness campaigns (see Finding 8 for examples)

At the divisional level activities included:

• engagement (e.g., Commanding Officer's Indigenous Advisory Committees)
• partnerships (e.g., youth-focussed programs such as sports activities, social support programs)
• local training and community orientation initiatives, and participation in ceremonies that honour local culture and traditions (see Finding 8 for examples)

Media analyses showed that media articles and RCMP social media tools have included stories about positive local engagements.

RICCA has been seen by some RCMP staff interviewees as an opportunity to meaningfully engage external Indigenous stakeholders.

• RICCA documentation indicates plans for pro-active relationship building with both internal and external stakeholders
• Documents further outline that external engagement with Indigenous organizations and communities would be undertaken to identify commonalities and joint priorities, and to test and assess new innovative approaches.

Three approaches to external collaboration were reflected and emphasized in multiple lines of evidence, including document review, many internal and external interviewees, and many internal survey respondents.

1. A long-term commitment to advancing reconciliation is needed recognizing that:
   • building trust with Indigenous peoples will take a long time and require commitment throughout the process and at all levels of the organization
   • routine turnover of Regular Members in communities impacts the RCMP's ability to establish and maintain positive and sustained local relationships
   • it can be difficult to balance a law enforcement role with living and building relationships locally
   • the FNIPP (designed to have space and time to engage with First Nations communities) consistently has had staff shortages
2. Indigenous-led solutions are needed which:
   • embrace the Indigenous "Nothing About Us Without Us" approach
   • are reflected through meaningful and comprehensive consultation and co-working with external and internal partners and Indigenous stakeholders
3. A well-informed understanding and acknowledgement of Indigenous histories and cultures is needed, which recognizes:
   • the role the RCMP played in the histories of Indigenous peoples and the harm that was done
   • the many Indigenous groups in Canada (various First Nations peoples, Métis, Inuit) and their distinct cultures, traditions and languages; it is critical to reflect the importance of a distinctions-based approach

Recruitment and retention

Indigenous representation within the Regular Member population has been slowly declining for the last decade. Between 2010 and 2020 Indigenous enrolment in the Cadet Training Program declined from 6% to 4%, and Indigenous representation in the RCMP declined from 8% to 7% (Diagram 1).

Declining Indigenous Representation - Text version

An infographic illustrating the declining Indigenous enrolment at Depot and representation in the RCMP from 2010 and 2020.

On the left side of a door, the infographic depicts six individuals, representing the proportion of Indigenous peoples (6%) compared to other ethnicities enrolled at Depot in 2010. This is paralleled to a depiction of four individuals, representing the proportion of Indigenous peoples (4%) compared to other ethnicities enrolled at Depot in 2020.

On the right side of the image of the door, the infographic depicts eight individuals, representing the proportion of Indigenous peoples (8%) compared to other ethnicities within the RCMP in 2010. This is paralleled to a depiction of seven individuals, representing the proportion of Indigenous peoples (7%) compared to other ethnicities within the RCMP in 2020.

Based on metrics in most recent RCMP Annual Employment Equity Reports (2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020)

Some internal interviewees and survey respondents indicated that factors contributing to the decline in the number of Indigenous Regular Members included:

• barriers leading to limited recruitment
• anticipated retirements
• mental health and wellness challenges
• lack of career development opportunities

The cohorts of Indigenous cadets recruited between 1999-2001 will soon be eligible for retirement, which may accelerate the further attrition of Indigenous representation in the RCMP.

Although recruitment and retention rates have been declining, administrative data indicated Indigenous representation in the RCMP for Regular Members aligned with labour market availability^{Footnote ii} and Public Service employees aligned with workforce availability^{Footnote iii} statistics.

Recruitment

Some interviewees, mainly RCMP staff, identified opportunities to enhance recruitment initiatives that will reflect the unique contexts and perspectives of Indigenous peoples:

• review and enhance youth initiatives such as the Indigenous Pre-Cadet Training Program and the Indigenous Summer Student Program
• make changes to entry requirements to address barriers for Indigenous candidates
• encourage more Indigenous Regular Members to recruit (as an example of an RCMP career role) in local Indigenous communities
• allow Regular Members to return to their home Indigenous communities upon graduation from Depot should they wish to do so
• ensure the FNIPP is sustainable (resourced and Regular Members supported)
• seek out opportunities to reach out to more external Indigenous partners

Retention

While there were a number of planned actions, there was limited action taken to encourage retention
of Indigenous employees.

Planned actions identified by a few RCMP staff included:

• review of the Officer Candidate Process to increase Indigenous representation in senior positions
• review of policies on income tax exemptions for status First Nation Regular Member employees
• implementation of employment equity measures such as designating Indigenous-only positions

Other opportunities identified by a few RCMP staff to increase retention of Indigenous employees included:

• consulting with former RCMP employees through exit interviews to better understand and address issues that led them to leave the organization
• appointing Indigenous Regular Members to senior leadership positions to support further engagement with employees and to advance reconciliation efforts

Cultural awareness

Document review, and many internal and external interviewees, identified national campaigns and local initiatives to support ongoing distinctions-based cultural awareness.

• National awareness campaigns have included Indigenous Awareness Week, the Moose Hide Campaign, National Indigenous Peoples Day, and Orange Shirt Day.
• Divisional initiatives have included training reflecting distinct local cultures, engagement with local community members, and inclusion of Indigenous cultures, traditions, and ceremonies.
• It was noted that, at the local level, building relationships with community knowledge keepers and participating in Indigenous-led training may help Regular Members and other RCMP staff continue to gain knowledge of the distinct cultures in the communities they serve.

Document review, and many RCMP staff and federal partner interviewees, also identified opportunities to gain cultural knowledge and awareness through formal training.

• Changes have been made to the Cadet Training Program to enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures.
• Formal training courses were available internally through the Agora learning platform, and externally through the Canada School of Public Service and the Canadian Police College. Two new mandatory courses offered through Agora in 2020-21 are Cultural Awareness and Humility, and Using a Trauma-Informed Approach.
• Document review and interviews with RCMP staff showed that there is limited performance measurement data on compliance and the impacts of formal training related to cultural knowledge and awareness.

Conclusions and recommendations

Conclusions

Overall, the evaluation found that the RCMP has been increasingly advancing reconciliation actions through a variety of means, including actions toward better collaborative engagement with Indigenous stakeholders and Indigenous cultural knowledge building. There remains, however, opportunities internally to better strengthen national coordination and strategic planning, as well as to broaden efforts to enhance the representation of Indigenous employees across the organization.

In terms of priorities, the strengthening of internal coordination mechanisms - to ensure collaboration and communication across the broad mix of functional areas working to advance and sustain reconciliation actions - will be a key first step to ensuring reconciliation priorities move forward efficiently and effectively.

What worked well

Reconciliation has been identified as an organizational priority in recently published strategic planning and reporting documents.

There has been positive collaborative engagement between the RCMP and Indigenous organizations and communities, at the national and local levels, that have helped to build trust.

Opportunities to participate in local activities and formal training have been made available to RCMP employees to support Indigenous cultural knowledge building and awareness.

What needs further consideration

There is a need to continue to address gaps in the RCMP's current coordination and reconciliation efforts with Indigenous employees.

To support the continued growth of positive relationships between the RCMP and Indigenous peoples, there is a continued need for: Indigenous-led solutions; a well-informed understanding and acknowledgement of Indigenous histories and cultures; and a long term commitment to advancing reconciliation.

Where action is required

Gaps in mechanisms and capacity to coordinate across the many functional areas supporting reconciliation have limited the ability to move forward efficiently.

A national strategic plan for reconciliation could help set priorities and provide a roadmap to achieve them. The identification of intended outcomes could better leverage performance measurement as a tool to tell a cogent and meaningful story about RCMP reconciliation actions.

There is a need to address the anticipated further decline in Indigenous enrolment at Depot and representation within the ranks of RCMP Regular Members.

Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions of this evaluation, the following actions are recommended:

1. Improve the coordination of reconciliation actions across the organization by strengthening leadership and capacity.
   The following actions could be considered:
   • Identify an executive lead and/or establish a committee dedicated to leadership and the coordination of long-term and sustainable reconciliation actions.
   • Identify dedicated long-term resources for reconciliation coordination, including perhaps the establishment of a national office or hub to serve as a central point of contact for coordination on all actions related to reconciliation.
2. Build and implement national strategies and tools to strengthen planning for and reporting on reconciliation, based on the principle of "Nothing About Us Without Us".
   Mechanisms could include:
   • A national strategic plan with clear priorities and a roadmap to achieve them, along with clear roles and responsibilities.
   • Performance measurement practices to track short and long term outcomes and capture and report on disaggregated data.
   • All mechanisms should be inclusive of Indigenous voices, trauma-informed, distinction-based, long-term and sustainable.
3. Review existing recruitment and retention practices to enhance the representation of Indigenous employees.
   Reviews of current practices could consider existing and new Indigenous-informed and distinctions-based approaches to:
   • consult with Indigenous employees on priorities for internal and external reconciliation actions
   • address declining enrollments and barriers to the recruitment of Indigenous employees
   • mitigate attrition and improve retention of Indigenous employees

Appendices

Appendix A: Management Response and Action Plan (MRAP)

Management Response

Contract & Indigenous Policing and Human Resource senior management accept the findings and recommendations set out in the Evaluation of the RCMP's Reconciliation Actions completed by National Program Evaluation Services.

Appendix B: Evaluation questions

1. How effectively have RCMP governance, coordination, and resources supported the planning and implementation of its reconciliation actions?
2. How effectively have RCMP planning activities supported the design of its reconciliation strategy and subsequent actions?
3. How effectively have performance measurement practices supported tracking of, and reporting on, the impacts of RCMP reconciliation actions?
4. How effectively has the RCMP supported its reconciliation actions through external collaboration with Indigenous organizations and communities?
5. How effectively have the RCMP's recruitment and retention activities supported its reconciliation actions?
6. How effectively have the RCMP's internal Indigenous cultural knowledge building activities supported its reconciliation actions?

Appendix C: Descriptive scale of interview responses

Appendix D: Calls for change

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015)^{Footnote 13}

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action address the ongoing impact of residential schools on survivors and their families. They provide a path for government and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to create a joint vision of reconciliation moving forward.

• One Call to Action directly relates to the RCMP's mandate: establish a written policy that reaffirms the independence of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate crimes in which the government has its own interest as a potential or real party in civil litigation (#25)
• Other calls related to the RCMP's mandate, but lead by other Departments, include: commit to eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people (#30) in custody and Aboriginal youth (#38) over the next decade, provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders and respond to the underlying causes of offending (#31), collect and publish data on the criminal victimization of Aboriginal people (#39), appoint a public inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls (#41), commit to the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal justice systems (#42), adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (#43), and provide education to public servants on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including skills based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism (#57).

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Calls to Justice (2019)^{Footnote 14}

• In 2016, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #41, a national independent inquiry was launched by the Government of Canada to end the disproportionally high levels of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls.
• 11 Calls for Police Services relate to the RCMP's mandate, that include but are not limited to:

• acknowledge that the historical and current relationship has been largely defined by colonialism, racism, bias, discrimination, and fundamental cultural and societal differences; and build respectful working relationships by knowing, understanding, and respecting the Indigenous peoples they are serving
• fund an increase in recruitment of Indigenous Peoples to all police services; and ensure police services have the capacity and resources to serve and protect Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people
• standardize protocols for policies and practices that ensure that all cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people are thoroughly investigated

Appendix E: Government of Canada direction on reconciliation actions

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

On June 21, 2021, it received Royal Assent and immediately came into force. Actions include:

• This Act requires the Government of Canada, in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples, to take all measures necessary to ensure the laws of Canada are consistent with the Declaration, and prepare and implement an action plan to achieve the Declaration's objectives.
• This Act requires that the action plan include measures to address injustices, to combat prejudice and eliminate all forms of violence, racism and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and to promote mutual respect and understanding, as well as good relations, including through human rights education.^{Footnote 15}

Many Voices One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation

Published in December 4, 2017, it is the final report of the Interdepartmental Circles on Indigenous Representation. It reflects feedback from consultations with current and past federal public servants, as they sought to better understand the challenges and barriers faced by Indigenous Peoples within the Public Service.^{Footnote 16}

The main objectives of the subsequent strategy are to:

• encourage and support Indigenous Peoples to join the Public Service
• address bias, racism, discrimination and harassment, and improve cultural competence in the Public Service
• address learning, development and career advancement concerns expressed by Indigenous employees
• recognize Indigenous Peoples' talents and promote advancement to and within the executive group
• support, engage and communicate with Indigenous employees and partners

Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls And 2SLGBTQQIA+ People

Released on June 3, 2021, it reflects the Government of Canada's contribution to the 2021 National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. Under the Justice theme, actions to enhance relationship between police services and Indigenous communities include investments to enhance the availability of tools and resources to foster culturally appropriate and responsive community safety and trauma-informed services.^{Footnote 17}

Appendix F: RCMP Direction on reconciliation actions

Mandate letters

The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Supplementary Mandate Letter (2021) - Emphasizes the importance of the relationship with Indigenous peoples and the expectation that the Minister work in full partnership with Indigenous Peoples and communities to advance meaningful reconciliation.^{Footnote 19}

Commissioner Brenda Lucki, 24th Commissioner of the RCMP, Mandate Letter (2018) - Directs the RCMP to enhance its role in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, that policing services must be predicated on trust and credibility to be efficient and effective and to build collaborative and cooperative partnerships with Indigenous peoples.^{Footnote 20}

RCMP Operational priority

Contributing to safer and healthier Indigenous communities is one of the five operational priorities of the RCMP.

"Delivering culturally competent police services provides the foundation necessary to build relationships and partnerships with the more than 600 Indigenous communities we serve. Our shared and unique history with Indigenous Peoples provides an environment in which we can work collaboratively to improve community health and wellness."^{Footnote 21}

RCMP Departmental Plan 2020-2021

Planning highlights include a focus on Indigenous policing and engagement with Indigenous communities:

"The RCMP is committed to working towards a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, partnership, and reconciliation. The organization will continue to develop and evaluate practical and culturally-aware policing services for Indigenous communities, using regular and collaborative consultations with Indigenous organizations, other government departments, and the Commissioner's National Indigenous Advisory Committee. These engagement efforts are designed to support proactive crime prevention initiatives that are tailored to Indigenous communities. They are intended to bolster community safety and wellness objectives set out by Indigenous communities, all while ensuring policies and programs reflect, promote, and encourage the recruitment of Indigenous Peoples into the RCMP."^{Footnote 22}

VISION150 and Beyond: RCMP Strategic Plan

This 2018 plan to modernize the RCMP responds to the expectations set out in the Commissioner's mandate letter and forms the core of its strategic direction. Initiatives related to reconciliation actions have been launched under each of its four themes: our people, our culture, our stewardship, and our policing services.

See Appendix G for Rekindling Trust with First Nations, Inuit and Métis placemat.

Vision150 reconciliation initiatives:

• Increase the use of restorative justice
• Implement national and divisional reconciliation strategies
• Partner with Indigenous women's groups
• Modernize recruitment through proactive action to diversify and reduce bias in processes
• Establish an Office for RCMP-Indigenous Collaboration, Co-Development and Accountability (RICCA)
• Indigenous Lived-Experience Advisory Group: providing the RCMP with advice on how to advance reconciliation and address systemic issues
• Work with partners to examine the collection and analysis of race-based data to address systemic racism and discrimination ^{Footnote 23}

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy (2021) is a key element of the Vision150 agenda. It is intended as a foundation for people management into the future, to provide structure for action to meet commitments to address anti‐racism and discrimination within the workforce, as well as how it serves the communities it polices.

EDI Strategy reconciliation initiatives:

• Promote distinctions-based learning about the cultures and histories of Canada's Indigenous peoples
• Create an office for RCMP-Indigenous Collaboration, Co-Development and Accountability
• Support the RCMP Reconciliation Strategy and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Action Plan
• Co-develop policing expectations for northern postings
• Revitalize the Indigenous Employee Network^{Footnote 24}

Appendix G: VISION150 Rekindling Trust ^{Footnote 25}

VISION150 Rekindling Trust - Text version

The diagram depicts a circle with four sections for each Vision150 priority related to rekindling trust with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples representing the First Nation medicine wheel, a Qulliq Inuit oil lamp in its center and a Métis sash on the outer edge.

The top most section of the circle, coloured in white, contains text stating "RECONCILIATION & MMIWG LEADERSHIP".

The right most section of the circle, coloured in yellow, contains text stating "PARTNERSHIPS & SUPPORTING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES".

The bottom most section of the circle, coloured in red, contains text stating "ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY".

The left most section of the circle, coloured in black, contains text stating "SHARED VOICES, TRADITION AND CULTURE".

For the RECONCILIATION & MMIWG LEADERSHIP: OUR STEWARDSHIP priority, a bulleted list is presented to further explain the steps that will be involved for addressing it. The list include:

• Acknowledging the past, evaluating current practices, and collaborating with Indigenous communities for the future.
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy launched, including anti-racism training.
• Divisional and national Reconciliation Strategic Action Plans in development.
• Advancing the collection of raced-based data to address systemic racism and discrimination, in collaboration with partners.
• Establishing Office for RCMP-Indigenous Collaboration, Co-Development and Accountability.

For the PARTNERSHIPS & SUPPORTING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES: OUR CULTURE priority, a bulleted list is presented to further explain the steps that will be involved for addressing it. The list include:

• Partnering with National, Regional and local Indigenous Women's groups including — Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada; Native Women's Association of Canada; Les Femmes Michif – Women of the Métis Nation.
• Strengthening relationships with National, Regional and Local Indigenous Organizations.
• Providing victims, witnesses, suspects and police officers the option to swear legal oaths on an Eagle Feather.
• Expanding consultation and engagement with Indigenous leaders and Elders, and seeking input on a variety of initiatives, training and operational policy.
• Modernizing uniform policy to allow police officers to incorporate Indigenous ceremonial items of honour and distinction into the RCMP ceremonial uniform.

For the ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY: OUR POLICE SERVICE priority, a bulleted list is presented to further explain the steps that will be involved for addressing it. The list include:

• Proactive review of sexual assault cases and creation of division-level civilian overview committees to ensure investigational integrity.
• National Office of Investigative Standards and Practices providing expertise/oversight on major case investigations, including MMIWG.
• Updated Human Deaths policy to include provisions for greater cultural sensitivity.
• Improved policies and procedures to all aspects of investigations to ensure strengthened quality, oversight and communication with families on missing person investigations.
• Dedicated historic homicide units across the country, reinvestigating cases using forensic technology.
• Increasing use of restorative justice referrals.
• Implementing modern applicant screening tools to promote diversity and reduce bias in the process.
• New National RCMP Indigenous Lived-Experience Advisory Group.

For the SHARED VOICES, TRADITION AND CULTURE: OUR PEOPLE priority, a bulleted list is presented to further explain the steps that will be involved for addressing it.

The list include:

• Internal initiatives for Indigenous employees such as national and divisional councils.
• Comprehensive RCMP Guide to Support Transgender, Non-Binary and Two-Spirited Employees.
• Indigenous-created and led awareness workshop, Kairos Blanket Exercise, mandatory at Depot.
• New mandatory Cultural Awareness and Humility course.
• Region-specific cultural awareness workshops for all employees.
• Trauma-informed approach training mandatory for all police officers.
• Professional development training on human trafficking, and unsolved and historical death investigations with Indigenous awareness components.

An additional section is also presented in the bottom right corner that describes how the RCMP is providing "support to families and victims". A bulleted list further explain the steps involved which include:

• Best practice guide developed for using a trauma-informed approach when contacting sexual assault victims.
• Leveraging civilian expertise in external sexual assault case reviews across the country.
• Developing guides for families of homicide victims and missing persons, covering the Canadian legal system, investigations and corrections.
• Federal Family Violence Initiative Fund supports RCMP efforts delivering projects in Indigenous communities.
• New Victims of Crime Unit working with community partners to support victims.
• Annual social media campaign highlighting MMIWG cases across Canada.

Appendix H: Indigenous approaches to evaluation and research^{Footnote 26}

Guiding principles

Relationships are central

Relationships with the land, culture, community, people, ancestors, and spirituality

Respect, trust, and responsibility are key factors

Reciprocity is also a key part of being respectful and accountable

Achieved by participating in face-to-face meetings, listening and speaking, sharing and hosting, being generous and respectful in sharing one's own knowledge

Culturally responsive and community driven

Bring to the forefront the land, language and cultural practices that are specific to those involved

Engage community leaders as well as program staff and/or participants at the outset of a project

Ensure the study meets the needs of the program and community

Engage an advisory group throughout the process

Elders, knowledge keepers, and healers

Develop partnerships with Elders, Indigenous knowledge keepers, and healers - ensures that their insights guide the work of the evaluation

Include of ceremonies and the sharing of medicines or sacred objects that are appropriate given the community context

Respect community protocols when in communities

Sharing personal experiences

Holding and honouring the stories of participants, communities and organizations is sacred and not to be taken lightly

Ensure that personal experiences and stories are represented accurately

Strengths-based perspectives

Focus on identifying the resources available to address problems in a positive way

Consider individual and community resilience

Look for opportunities for growth, emphasize a community's assets, and identify solutions to issues

Decolonized approach

Recognize the intergenerational impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples, their families and their communities

Consider the historical trauma and cultural repression

Trauma-informed approach

Avoid evaluation approaches that have alienated Indigenous peoples in the past

Ensuring appropriate timelines and resources

Allow time to understand context; build relationships; undertake meaningful data collection and analysis; and fulfil reciprocity

Allow budget for relationship building, food, cultural protocol items, knowledge keeper and Elder gifts, as well as travel

Ways of knowing: Evaluation and research methods

Case studies

Allow for an in-depth understanding of a program or community and the ways that individuals experience a program

Participant observation

Requires the building of reciprocal and respectful relationships through face-to-face interactions and the sharing of daily-lived experiences

Use as a conversational tool with program staff, or to cross check lists completed by an evaluator through observing a program or process

Dialogue and conversational methods of knowledge gathering

Include self-reflection, storytelling, land-based activities, participation in ceremony

Build relationships in line with the oral nature of Indigenous ways of knowing

Must also share own stories: respect, reciprocity, and relationship building

Contributes to capacity building to share data in an organized fashion

Talking circles involve individuals sitting in a circle to discuss a topic

Visual or arts-based methods that use photos or drawings to facilitate a group dialogue as well as facilitated self-reflection

Date modified:

2022-04-25