Measures to Enhance Criminal Justice System Responses to Adult Sexual Assault in Canada

Overview

According to Statistics Canada's General Social Survey, in 2014 only five per cent of sexual assaults were reported to police. Statistics Canada indicates that in 2015, 43% of total incidents of sexual assault reported to police resulted in a criminal charge. Moreover, for the 2013/2014 fiscal year, 45% of all sexual assault cases in adult criminal court resulted in a finding of guilt.

The Government of Canada recognizes the unique challenges faced by adult complainants (victims and survivors) of sexual assault, and has made funding available through the Victims Fund for projects that work towards improving their access to justice and enhancing their confidence in the criminal justice system.

Objective

The objective of this Call for Proposals is to fund projects that help to enhance the criminal justice system response to adult complainants of sexual assault, improve their access to justice and increase their confidence in the justice system.

To support this objective, the Government of Canada has allocated resources in the Victims Fund specifically for projects that seek to identify and address any of the following:

• Projects, training or services designed to enhance access to justice for complainants (survivors and victims) in sexual assault matters, particularly in relation to reporting, testifying and providing victim impact statements;
• Projects or services available for adult survivors of sexual assault to fill identified gaps at various stages throughout the criminal justice process;
• Pilot support services tailored to the specific needs of populations especially at risk for adult sexual assault, including Indigenous women (on-reserve, off-reserve and urban Indigenous populations), women with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, queer, intersex and two-spirited (LGBTQQI2S) and gender non-conforming communities, as well as adult victims human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation; and
• Develop and deliver training for criminal justice professionals (such as police, Crowns or victim service providers) and other first responders (such as paramedics) on sexual assault law and the unique considerations that should be taken into account when working with adult survivors of sexual violence, especially when they are a member of a particularly vulnerable population.

Who can apply for this funding?

For the purpose of this call for proposals, the following organizations are eligible:

• Not-for-profit non-governmental organizations;
• Professional organizations, such as the Canadian Bar Association or the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police;
• Municipal and regional governments and agencies; and
• Bands, Tribal Councils and self-governing First Nations who are working to provide services and assistance to victims of crime in Indigenous communities.

This funding cannot be provided to individuals.

What selection criteria will be used?

As funding is limited, the following factors will be considered in order to prioritize funding applications and make funding decisions:

• The application form must be completed IN FULL and submitted by November 30, 2016;
• The degree to which the proposed project activities are aligned with the funding objective of enhancing criminal justice system responses to adult complainants of sexual assault, and increasing their confidence in the criminal justice system in Canada.
• The applicant must be:
  • a non-governmental organization,
  • a professional organization,
  • a municipal or regional government or agency, or
  • a Band, Tribal Council or self-governing First Nation.
• The degree to which an application demonstrates collaboration and partnerships between various community organizations and/or the establishment of networks or advisory bodies to coordinate the work being proposed, minimize duplication in a given community and share results widely; and
• The degree to which an the proposed project activities promote innovation and creative ways to enhance criminal justice system responses to adult complainants of sexual assault and increase their confidence in the criminal justice system.

What additional selection criteria may be used?

To ensure national representation, applicants may be selected from across the country.

What are Eligible Expenses?

Funding will be available between January 1, 2017 and March 31, 2020. The Victims Fund will consider single year projects or multi-year funding for up to 3 years. The Victims Fund will make up to a total of $750,000 available for each year with an anticipated maximum of $75,000 available per year for each project. Funding from the Victims Fund can be used for the following types of expenses:

• Wages and benefits;
• Rental or leasing of space and equipment;
• Consultant and/or contractor fees;
• Reasonable operating expenses;
• Reasonable materials and supplies;
• Professional services (such as legal advice, counselling, training programs, skills development...); and
• Evaluation and audit costs.

What is Ineligible?

Funding from the Victims Fund cannot be used for:

• The purchase of land, buildings, vehicles and most capital expenditures;
• Project costs incurred before the agreement is approved;
• Core operational expenses;
• Costs not related to service delivery;
• Services or activities already funded or delivered by organizations or government departments; and
• Entertainment fees, alcohol, sponsorships, gifts and souvenirs.

When is the deadline to submit a funding application?

The deadline to submit a funding application for the Measures to Enhance Criminal Justice System Responses to Adult Sexual Assault in Canada initiative is November 30, 2016.

How to Apply for Funding

To submit a request for funding, please complete the Application/Proposal Form: HTML Version. The funding application form requires that you provide overview information on your organization as well as project details included partnerships, a work-plan and a budget. Please ensure a complete response is provided to all questions.

Points to Consider

Please note that funding is limited, and therefore, not all eligible proposals will be funded. The Department of Justice thanks you for taking the time to complete and submit an application for funding.

Gender-based Analysis

Sexual assault is a gendered crime, with 87% of self-reported victims being female in 2014. When preparing your funding application, please clearly articulate how your proposed activities will impact women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, queer, intersex and two-spirited (LGBTQQI2S) and gender non-conforming people. Also, please indicate if your proposal will have a greater impact on the experiences of survivors of sexual violence from a vulnerable population such as Indigenous, newcomer/immigrant, seniors or people with disabilities. Please be sure to analyse your proposed approach and activities to avoid unintentionally creating barriers to services for other vulnerable groups.

Evaluation

Please be sure to include an evaluation plan as a part of your funding proposal. A completed evaluation will be a mandatory deliverable and reporting requirement upon completion of each project, and final payment will not be released until it has been received by Justice Canada. Up to 10% of the total amount of funding requested should be allocated towards the development of an evaluation framework and the completion of a final evaluation to be shared with Justice Canada, partners and other relevant stakeholders.

Justice Canada will provide successful applicants with sample/suggested evaluation frameworks upon funding approval.

Official Languages

In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Department is committed to facilitating the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:

• outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs; and
• encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations/groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding.

Sustainable Development

The Department of Justice encourages applicants to submit proposals electronically. If you submit your application on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts.

For more information about the Victims Fund and how to apply for project funding, contact us:
Victims Fund Manager
Telephone: General Victims Fund: (613) 941-4193
E-mail: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca
Programs Branch
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H8