ABOUT THE SGIG DATA PROJECT
The SGIG Data Project is a sub-project of the Collaborative Fiscal Policy Development Process. The SGIG Data Project is managed by a steering committee made up of SGIG representatives involved in the Process.
The Collaborative Fiscal Policy Development Process brings together SGIGs and the Government of Canada to develop a federal fiscal policy for supporting self-government. This policy will guide federal officials in negotiating fiscal agreements between Canada and SGIGs.
The impacts of on-going colonial practices have created significant social inequalities between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians. As part of the new collaborative fiscal policy for self-government, Canada has committed to supporting SGIGs to address gaps in socioeconomic outcomes according to their community’s priorities and approaches.
Unfortunately, the data about these gaps is incomplete. To inform the work on closing gaps and support future investments, better, more accurate, and more consistent data is needed.
The SGIG Data Project was created to support SGIG communities in their efforts to gather and manage that important socioeconomic data. A key part of that support is this Toolkit.
SGIG Data Project Guiding Principles
The following are guiding principles for the SGIG Data Project:
- Data sovereignty means that SGIGs should be stewards of their own data about their citizens.
- SGIGs are accountable and responsible to their citizens and have an equal responsibility to be transparent about their decisions and to protect private information. By making data accessible to citizens in ways that respect privacy, citizens can hold their government to account and make community priorities.
- SGIGs are best positioned to make decisions about how to support their citizens’ well-being. To this end, SGIGs must have access to data they need to make informed decisions.
- Indigenous research methods and Western research methods can inform and support each other. Acknowledging and reinforcing the value of Indigenous knowledge through data interpretation and policy development is key to self-determination.
- Qualitative data (what can be described) is valued equally to quantitative data (what can be measured).
- This Toolkit is designed to be a resource for SGIGs but does not represent an expected standard in data governance and management. SGIGs will adopt practices best suited to their context and capacity.
- The federal, provincial, and territorial governments have a responsibility to address the harmful effects of colonial practices and to support SGIG efforts to overcome them. SGIGs and other governments need reliable and accurate data to set objectives for addressing socioeconomic gaps and to guide major investments of public funds. However, other governments must not worsen gaps by placing an undue burden on SGIGs to provide evidence in order to access funds.
