Bringing CIDA back across the river
The decision to roll the aid agency into Foreign Affairs is seen as both an opportunity and a disaster.
Officials with the Canadian International Development Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade say current policies and programs will be maintained and delivered consistently as the departments are amalgamated to become a new super-department.
In a memo obtained by the Citizen, the senior executive and deputy ministers from CIDA, foreign affairs and trade asked staff to be patient as the amalgamation takes place and said that it will be done “respectfully and openly, recognizing the important work that is under way in our organizations and the skills, knowledge and expertise of our staff.”
New departmental legislation, the memo said, will be introduced in coming weeks.
The announcement that CIDA would be amalgamated into foreign affairs — creating the new Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development — was a surprise in Thursday’s budget. No details of the plan had leaked out before Thursday and the staff memo send out Thursday also suggests it was the first time many staff had heard the news.
Reaction to the change has been mixed, although many have welcomed it, saying it is an opportunity for a new direction and new clarity at CIDA. Few details, though, are available about what exactly the change means to the federal government’s development policy and direction.
The memo notes that, according to the budget, “the objectives of the amalgamation are to promote greater international policy coherence and to achieve improved outcomes for Canadians. The government also renewed its ongoing commitment to reducing poverty, addressing humanitarian crises and advancing Canadian interests and values on the international stage.”
In recent years, and especially under the current minister, Julian Fantino, CIDA has embraced the role of the private sector in development, saying it plans to do more projects with private sector partners. CIDA already has projects with mining companies and NGOs in Africa and South America. Fantino says Canada has a presence around the world through mining and other companies and it makes sense to use that to help promote development.
Critics worry that linking development too closely to trade interests will mean Canadian development won’t go to countries with needs but no resources or trade interests. The fact the new department’s mandate will include “advancing Canadian interests and values on the international stage” suggests development and trade will continue to be closely linked.
The memo to staff, signed by Morris Rosenberg, deputy minister of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Margaret Biggs, president of CIDA, among others, says the deputy ministers of the three departments are committed to working collectively to ensure a smooth transition.
“We look forward to working with each other and with you to establish a new department that builds upon our respective traditions of excellence in international affairs and serves to maximize the impact of Canada’s international policy efforts.”
The Canadian Association of International Development Professionals said in a press release Friday it was encouraged by “the intent expressed in Thursday’s budget to enshrine CIDA’s work and the position of the minister in law. This can only strengthen and raise the profile of development assistance as a strong reflection of the importance Canadians attach to supporting underdeveloped countries.”