Planning & Terms of Reference

SaskCulture strives to build a culturally vibrant future in which all people in Saskatchewan, individually and collectively, celebrate, value and support participation in and access to cultural experience. SaskCulture is committed to ensuring that Sask Lotteries proceeds are used to support cultural activity that is responsive to the needs of diverse peoples in Saskatchewan.

With the release of its 2020-2026 strategic plan, SaskCulture began a comprehensive funding program renewal process aimed to:

1. Ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of SaskCulture’s funding delivery systems; and
2. Advance and support Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA), and Truth and Reconciliation, in SaskCulture’s own programs and services, as well as throughout the cultural ecosystem in the province.

The Funding Program Renewal Project started in 2020 as an initiative to research, consult, assess, measure and work with community to identify solutions.

Background

Every five years, the SaskCulture Board evaluates and identifies the direction of the organization in a Strategic Plan to ensure it’s is addressing the needs of Saskatchewan people. It also takes into account its responsibility for managing funds provided by the Culture Section of Sask Lotteries Trust Fund. The SaskCulture’s 2020-2026 Strategic Plan is a guiding document of the Funding Program Renewal.

SaskCulture committed to IDEA and Truth and Reconciliation

Over the years, SaskCulture’s strategic planning has always addressed Multiculturalism, Inclusion and Diversity. The work of the past decade expanded relationships and understanding of the opportunities and needs of diverse cultural communities in Saskatchewan. The success of these previous plans can be measured by the experience gained through new partnerships, relationships, and explorations of alternate means of engagement that broadened our reach and ability to connect meaningfully with diverse communities throughout the province.

The work resulted in substantive changes to our Constitutional Principles and Values, which led to the inclusion of the principles of Truth and Reconciliation, and a clear focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, as foundational to SaskCulture’s identity.

SaskCulture’s Strategic Planning Priorities

Through its current strategic plan, SaskCulture’s Board of Directors recognized the appropriateness of undertaking a comprehensive funding program renewal process to further explore SaskCulture’s responsibilities and to put our values into motion.

Funding Program Renewal Project – Objectives

The strategic outcomes of a project of this size are very broad. As of April 1, 2023, the General Objectives for the Funding Program Renewal Project are as follows:

FUNDING PROGRAM REVIEW PROCESS:

1. Ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of SaskCulture’s funding delivery system and the means to support relevant cultural programming throughout the province, by:

• strengthening and/or creating new funding programs built on relationship and reciprocity to reduce barriers and address needs of equity-deserving communities;
• strengthening and/or creating new, funding programs that uphold reciprocal and authentic relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and those that advance Truth and Reconciliation;
• ensuring funding systems support cultural programs and services that are relevant and reflect the population’s changing needs; and,
• taking constructive action on addressing the ongoing legacies of colonialism that have created inequities in SaskCulture’s funding systems.

UNDERSTANDING INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBLITY (IDEA)

1. Ensure a better understanding of IDEA throughout the cultural eco-system in the province, by:

• Increasing SaskCulture’s own understanding, awareness and responsiveness to the importance of IDEA with the cultural sector;
• Supporting cultural leaders, organizations and communities in the development and delivery of inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible cultural programming/services; and,
• Supporting leadership opportunities by those from equity-deserving communities and throughout the SaskCulture’s network.

EVALUATION

1. Research and develop stronger values-based evaluation mechanisms that can be used by all funded groups to better understand IDEA, by:

• Developing evaluation mechanisms that measure progress towards the advancement of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility;
• Identifying existing and emerging needs of particular cultural communities and equity deserving groups, and,
• Increasing understanding and accountability towards the advancement of Truth and Reconciliation by SaskCulture and though out the cultural network.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

1. Ensure SaskCulture is responsive and strengthens a collective ability to identify, plan for, and adapt to change, by:

• Increasing the awareness of staff, board and cultural leaders of the role of Sask Lotteries funding and the need to address IDEA, Truth and Reconciliation and support relevant programming and services; and,
• Working with staff, board, cultural leaders and community partners to identify changes needed and meaningful implementation.

Scope of the Funding Program Renewal Project

SaskCulture’s work and support reaches hundreds of cultural groups across lands covered by Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 in Saskatchewan through relationships with members, cultural networks, partnerships, service providers, grant applicants, clients and volunteers.

The scope of the Funding Program Renewal Project is two-fold; it includes:

• the funding programs and mechanisms that are offered by SaskCulture; and
• the engagement of cultural communities who, through consultation and dialogue, can inform SaskCulture of the needs of diverse peoples and communities in Saskatchewan.

The scope of the funding program renewal includes all four primary funding areas:

The scope of community engagement in this process of review requires consultation with key stakeholders. This is inclusive of:

• SaskCulture’s membership and cultural networks in Saskatchewan;
• SaskCulture’s grant applicants, clients and volunteers;
• Equity deserving cultural communities and leadership under represented and/or under resourced in SaskCulture’s networks;
• Leadership within the Truth and Reconciliation movement in Saskatchewan; and,
• Northern Saskatchewan SaskCulture Program Renewal Terms of Reference.

Timelines for Project

The Funding Program Renewal Project will be undertaken over the term of SaskCulture’s 2020-2026 strategic plan in the four phases outlined in the chart below.

Phase One focuses on research and review of SaskCulture’s evaluation frameworks, processes and outcomes relating to IDEA. Phase Two focuses on consultations that seek to engage with cultural communities to learn about emerging funding needs and priorities relating to the goals and objectives of the Funding Program Renewal. The learnings from this work will be analyzed in Phase Three and inform key recommendations that will help guide the renewal of SaskCulture’s funding delivery systems. In addition to these three phases outlined in the graphic below, pilot initiatives will test new learnings and strategies as part of Phase One and Two.

Once the recommendations have been reviewed by community and approved by SaskCulture, implementation will commence as needed. Ongoing evaluation mechanisms will be added that will feed into future improvements.

COMMUNICATION AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

SaskCulture is committed to ensuring all stakeholders and partners within the cultural network and the broader cultural community are provided with opportunities to further their understanding of IDEA, and to participate in Funding Program Renewal Project processes. A communication strategy outlines key communication goals, objectives and tactical plans for the overarching change management process. General communication objectives for the network and community will include:

• Increasing Awareness of IDEA, what it represents, its impact, and change needed within the cultural community;
• Increasing awareness of consultation opportunities and progress on SaskCulture’s work to encourage participation of the wider community in research, dialogue and consultation;
• Increasing awareness of the key findings (outcome reporting) from the respective phases of the strategic planning process and generating awareness of the proposed recommendations going forward; and,
• Supporting the change process for cultural leaders with increased access to guides, resources and training.