Evaluation of the Mission Cultural Fund 2016/17 to 2019/20 - Executive summary

The Mission Cultural Fund is an operational fund administered by the Cultural Diplomacy Unit at Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Created in 2016, the MCF allowed the Department to re-engage in cultural diplomacy.

The MCF evaluation covered the period between FY 2016-17 and FY 2019-20 and provided an evidence-based assessment of the relevance, efficiency, and progress towards the achievement of expected results.

Key findings

• The evaluation confirmed the ongoing need for the MCF as a tool for cultural diplomacy at GAC.
• Cultural initiatives contributed to achieving multiple results, including increased opportunities for Canadian artists and access to a wide range of decision-markers and influencers for Global Affairs’ representatives and Canadian artists.
• The evaluation identified several factors impeding MCF’s effective administration and delivery and the performance measurement of cultural initiatives, including: the absence of a formal governance structure; unclear roles and responsibilities; the lack of a strategic framework and a theory of change better adapted to MCF.

Recommendations

1. Establish a formal governance structure for decision-making and clearly articulated roles and responsibilities for internal and external stakeholders involved in the administration and delivery of the MCF at HQ and missions abroad.
2. Elaborate a strategic framework for the MCF, aligned with the department’s current foreign policy and regional priorities. In support of this framework, develop operational guidelines and tools as well as a formal project assessment process to ensure transparent and equitable funding allocation.
3. Adapt the FPDS theory of change and performance indicators to support results reporting and to reflect the contributions of cultural initiatives to achieving MCF’s objectives and create monitoring mechanisms for their implementation.