Government Relations

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As a recipient of government funding, the board should ensure that it and the agency staff establish and maintain a positive relationship with government.

Positive government relations requires year-round, two-way sharing of information to educate and inform the government department(s) the agency deals with and vice versa.

The Department of Families requires a variety of information from the agencies to whom it provides funding. As a source of funds, the government has an obligation to be fully aware of the way those funds are used, and to ensure that their use is consistent with the policy direction established and expressed in the mission and goals of the Department of Families. Board members and staff may find it interesting to review the mission and goals.

Department of Families

The Mission of the Department is to:

• provide financial support to Manitoba citizens in need while assisting them to achieve greater self-sufficiency and independence
• support persons with disabilities to achieve full participation in society
• keep children safe and protected and assist people facing family violence
• promote the healthy development and well-being of children and families
• assist Manitobans to have access to adequate and affordable housing

Goals of the Department are to:

• provide financial support for citizens in need which enables them to live with dignity and security
• help persons with disabilities to live safely and to fully participate in Manitoba’s society, economy and labour market, including assisting them to develop the skills necessary to find and keep employment
• provide quality early childhood interventions which foster the development of healthy youth and adults
• support quality child day care which is accessible and affordable
• protect children from abuse and neglect
• provide supportive and preventative services for families
• provide housing assistance which results in individuals and families in need having a safe and secure place to live
• recognize the contribution that staff and the wider community make in assisting the department reach its goals
• engage the broader community to enable citizens to be involved in decision-making and foster community capacity to help ensure the success and sustainability of social programs

It is for this purpose that the Department of Families requires each agency receiving funding from the department to provide specific financial, service and agency information. These reporting requirements include audited financial statements, year-end reports, staffing reports and interim financial statements. The department also requires agency information that may include such things as an agency history, operating information and structure, board of directors listing, by-laws, personnel policies, and program and service descriptions.

Ongoing dialogue between the staff of the agency and government staff will ensure that modifications to information requirements are made that are reasonable and effective for both parties.

There is an ongoing focus, both within each agency and the government departments that fund them, to receive improved decision-making information. The importance of this accountability is emphasized by the service and reporting requirements associated with the receipt of monies. The application of professional management processes in the non-profit social services sector is receiving ever-increasing attention.

As was discussed in the previous section Legal Accountability, the mission of a non-profit organization is recognized as a legitimate use of community resources and implies the responsibility of each board member to safeguard the organization’s assets in the interest of the funding sources. As a function of this trusteeship, it is the obligation of a board member or trustee to be responsible for carrying out this public trust.

The Department of Families expects funded agencies to provide services and to monitor the needs of the clients it serves. The sharing of service information and financial information is critical in order for the agencies to work with the department to influence government programs and legislation where, and when, appropriate and to ensure reasonable consideration during the budgeting of funds to the agencies.

The department expects the boards of the agencies it funds to accept the responsibilities and perform the functions of a governing board. In return, the board of directors should expect the government to support its agency fairly and within the policy direction of the government.