Question Period Note: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

• We are committed to consulting with Veterans and Veterans’ stakeholders. We do not tell Veterans what they need; we ask them what they need.
• I will continue to create space for Veterans’ stakeholders for their advice and suggestions.
• Six advisory groups established in April 2016 to provide advice and recommendations on issues related to policy, service excellence, mental health, families, care and support, and commemoration have continued to share their views with me and with Veterans Affairs.
• Membership includes Veterans, representatives from Veterans organizations, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans Association, Canadian Armed Forces personnel, and subject matter experts. Over 70 meetings and teleconferences have been held to date.
• Recommendations from the advisory groups were considered for a number of Budget 2017, 2018 and 2019 initiatives. This included improvements in the delivery of services, mental health supports, supports for families and survivors, as well as reduced complexity in accessing benefits.
• Since January 2018, Veterans Affairs Canada attended numerous town halls, roundtables, meetings with stakeholder organizations and regional summits across the country where Canadians who are affected by the supports, services and benefits provided to them and their families by Veterans Affairs Canada were directly heard.
• In late October 2018, Veterans Affairs Canada held a National Stakeholder Summit with approximately 175 people in attendance, which included representatives from over 60 organizations, as a continued commitment towards listening and engaging with stakeholders on issues of importance to the Veteran community and their families.
• Veterans Affairs Canada also engages with other countries. In October 2018, Veterans Affairs Canada met with officials of the United States Veterans Affairs. In addition, Veterans Affairs officials attended a Ministerial Conference, October 20-21, 2018, in Australia whereby best practices were shared.
• On May 23, 2019, Veterans Affairs Canada hosted the first Canadian forum for women Veterans. I was joined by over 60 participants representing stakeholder organizations, members of the Minister’s advisory groups, subject matter experts and government officials. Of these participants, 28 were women Veterans.

BACKGROUND – VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA’S STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Veterans Affairs Canada nurtures strong partnerships and relationships with stakeholders and strives to respond to their concerns. Veterans Affairs’ day-to-day work includes meeting with organizations, participating in conferences, and engagement through our diverse remembrance activities. Engagement with stakeholders is important to Veterans Affairs, which maintains open dialogue with Canadians in different formal and informal fora.

There have been four successful Stakeholder Summits, in December 2015, May 2016, October 2016 and October 2018, which included approximately 175 participants representing over 60 stakeholder organizations, Veterans, members of six advisory groups, subject matter experts and government officials. The summits have served as an effective platform to share ideas, discuss matters of importance and to build consensus around some complex issues. In early 2016, the Minister of Veterans Affairs established six advisory groups to provide advice and recommendations on issues related to policy, service excellence, mental health, families, care and support, and commemoration. Membership includes Veterans, representatives from Veterans organizations, Canadian Armed Forces personnel, and subject matter experts. Over 70 in-person meetings and teleconferences have been held to date.

Recommendations from the advisory groups were considered for a number of Budget 2017, 2018 and 2019 initiatives. This included improvements in the delivery of services, mental health supports, supports for families and survivors, as well as reduced complexity in accessing benefits.

Principle mandate commitments, such as the Pension for Life benefits that came into effect on April 1, 2019, also reflect feedback from the advisory groups and others stakeholders who asked for improved financial security, reduced complexity in accessing benefits, improved service delivery and support for survivors.
Beginning in January 2018, the Minister 0f Veterans Affairs attended numerous Veterans’ town halls, roundtables and meetings with representatives of stakeholder organizations from coast to coast. During the summer of 2018, he also hosted regional stakeholder summits in Toronto, Vancouver, Moncton and Calgary.

On May 23, 2019, Veterans Affairs Canada hosted the first Canadian forum for women Veterans. The Minister of Veterans Affairs was joined by over 60 participants representing stakeholder organizations, members of the Minister’s advisory groups, subject matter experts and government officials. Of these participants, 28 were women Veterans. The forum provided an opportunity to present existing research on women Veterans, discuss policy and program issues facing women Veterans, and promote collaboration among women Veterans and stakeholder groups.

In the spirit of openness and transparency, Records of Discussion for Summits, Forums, and Advisory Group meetings are posted to the departmental website as they become available.

We continue to meet with local stakeholders across the country, individually, at events or when roundtable discussions are hosted.

Stakeholders such as parliamentarians, Veterans’ organizations and other non-profit associations are important advocates of Veterans’ issues and remembrance activities.

The Deputy Minister also regularly hosts informal meetings with nine key organizations, and our area offices meet with representatives of local organizations. Veterans Affairs Canada’s social media channels are being leveraged as a platform through which all Canadians can share their views on issues related to our Veterans and their families.

Veterans Affairs Canada officials regularly speak formally and informally with Veterans and their advocates to understand what issues are important to them.
Veterans Affairs’ stakeholder approach continues to evolve as the Veteran landscape shifts. The Department continuously identifies opportunities to enhance engagement with stakeholders, including Veterans’ organizations, at the national and local levels, and in a variety of ways, to make the most of their valuable input.

None