Ottawa, March 27, 2023 – Global Affairs Canada has failed to demonstrate how implementation of the International Assistance Policy Feminist Society of Canada helped improve gender equality, according to a report by Auditor General Karen Hogan filed in the House of Commons today has low- and middle-income countries. The Department has not been able to use the information in its files to report the value of the approximately $3.5 billion in annual funding for international bilateral assistance projects, nor to give Parliament and Canadians a full picture of what has been achieved Deliver outcomes for women and girls.

The audit found significant deficiencies in the department’s information management practices, including the lack of a standardized approach to storing and managing project-related information, resulting in incomplete or missing project files. Therefore, it was impossible for the department to ensure an accurate follow-up of the funded projects and to communicate the overall results of these projects in relation to the objectives set in the policy. In addition, annual reports to Parliament on international aid reported on the results of about half of the projects funded and did not reflect long-term results.

The audit also found that Global Affairs Canada had failed to meet 2 of its 3 spending commitments under Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. The ministry has not met its funding targets for projects that directly support the empowerment of women and girls or are located in sub-Saharan Africa, where the impact in terms of poverty reduction and promoting gender equality is generally higher.

“It is imperative that Global Affairs Canada act immediately to improve its information management practices and results reporting,” said Ms. Hogan. “These improvements will allow Parliamentarians and Canadians to demonstrate the value of Canada’s bilateral international assistance in supporting women and girls in low- and middle-income countries. »