The ten fundamental elements of the Accountability Framework are:
Meaningful Engagement of Lived and Living Experience
People and the communities they are a part of are deeply impacted by the systems that drive and influence their health. However, they are often not included in the process to create or restructure programs and policies designed to help them. Policies and programs must be driven by communities so that efforts remain connected to the people they intend to serve, enhancing the influence and effectiveness of policies and programs. Meaningful engagement of people and communities with lived and living experience serves as a powerful vehicle for bringing about changes that will improve the health of the community and its members.
Anticipating Future National Needs (National Relevance)
In Canada’s decentralized health system, our role is to build partnerships to support essential health system functions and facilitate mobilization and collaboration on priority issues. CCSA’s projects are relevant to pan-Canadian questions and objectives and are national in scope.
Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is the ongoing process of analyzing performance, identifying opportunities for enhancement, and making incremental changes. By analyzing and fine-tuning CCSA’s processes, programs and services, we become increasingly efficient in delivering on our mandate and make a greater impact within the communities we serve.
Evidence-Based
Evidence-based practice is a process used to generate, review, analyze, and translate the latest evidence, both scientific and experiential. The goal is to quickly incorporate the best available evidence into practice and, where no evidence exists, to generate that evidence through quality research. Integrating evidence-based practice into our work improves the quality of our projects and programs and helps ensure people in Canada have access to the latest health information and services.
Sustainability
CCSA is one of Canada’s leading sources for accessible, evidence-based information about substance use health. We strengthen the national response to substance use harm by fostering collaboration and capacity among key audiences including people with lived and living experience of substance use to create an accessible, inclusive continuum of quality services and supports and evidence-informed responses that reduce substance use harms. Since our inception, we have been able to demonstrate continuous fiscal accountability and growth, efficient use of resources, and robust performance in relation to our key objectives.
Vitality
Organizational vitality is a crucial aspect of any successful business. It refers to the overall health, resilience, and ability of an organization to adapt, innovate, and thrive in a dynamic, engaging environment. For CCSA, attention to vitality is focused on staff learning, growth and wellness.
Equity-Improving
Our way of working can help to reduce unjust and unfair differences among the people in our communities. Education, income, race, ethnicity, gender and physical environment can lead to the created of inequities. We must also pay special attention to regional disparities and Francophone language equity and continually ask ourselves whether what we are doing is helping to advance equity in a meaningful way.
Contributions to Indigenous Reconciliation
Organizations in Canada are working to advance reconciliation and implement the recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Making real progress requires ongoing investment, commitment and effort. We need to move beyond words and take brave steps. As individuals, employees and employers, we can take important actions to establish respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and tour work is informed by First Nations, Inuit and Métis experience, under their leadership.
Responding to Current Community Needs (Real Need)
Community focus is a core tenet of accountability. High performing organizations use a deep understanding of community needs to drive decision making. We invest in projects based on the needs identified or requests received from key players and our audiences.
Diverse Voices and Viewpoints
Reaching deep across various perspectives is important to help us shape and support effective programs, projects, and initiatives. Forming and maintaining strategic partnerships and having the “right” people at the table avoids creating echo chambers of like-minded people.
