Here's another word to add to the dictionary of government jargon: disentanglement. According to an email distributed last month, the ministry of children and family development's leadership team made a decision on December 4 to "communicate the definition" of this word "widely" among staff. So here it is: "Disentanglement is the process of identifying resources being used currently by the ministry to provide services and support functions to aboriginal organizations, children and families. It is not necessarily a process to transfer resources to aboriginal authorities, although it could be used, among many others, for decision making purposes at a later point in time." So that's good to know. The following is a complete copy of that email.

Ministry of Children and Family Development

Assistant Deputy Minister and
Executive Financial Officer
Corporate Services Team

MEMORANDUM
PO Box 9738 STN PROV GOVT, Victoria BC V8W 9S2 Telephone: (250)387-5954
Ref: 171245
Date: February 15, 2008
To: Leadership Team
Re: Disentanglement of Services to Aboriginal Children and Families

As a follow up to the Leadership Team Meeting held on December 4, 2007 and the decision to communicate the definition of “disentanglement” widely among your staff we are sending this clarification.

Background: The ministry is pursuing the creation of regional Aboriginal child and family authorities. The minister has approved the creation of two interim aboriginal authorities. One of the important priorities, among many, of the ministry is to disentangle (separate) the costs attributable to services at the present time to aboriginal children and families.

Principle: The Leadership Team discussed and has agreed on the concept and principles of disentanglement of services to aboriginal children and families. The underpinning principle supporting the exercise of disentanglement is that the transfer of services to aboriginal authorities will not result in any negative affect or impact to existing service levels to any children and families (aboriginal and non aboriginal).

Definition of Disentanglement:

Disentanglement is the process of identifying resources being used currently by the ministry to provide services and support functions to aboriginal organizations, children and families. It is not necessarily a process to transfer resources to aboriginal authorities, although it could be used, among many others, for decision making purposes at a later point in time.

Concept: The steps to be undertaken for transfer of services to aboriginal authorities, is a three step process.

Step 1: It is the disentanglement of resources and involves mapping of existing resources used by the ministry and aboriginal service providers currently to deliver services to aboriginal children and families.

Step 2: It is the Aboriginal authorities building a budget for services being taken over using the zero based budgeting concept.

Step 3: This is a process (yet to be determined) to address funding gaps identified between the budget request of the aboriginal authorities and the resources being used currently (that is, the gap between Step 1 and Step 2 defined above).

We hope this provides the much needed clarification. Please share this widely among your staff in the region.

Debra Foxcroft
Assistant Deputy Minister
Aboriginal Support Services Corporate Services

Sarf Ahmed
Assistant Deputy Minister/EFO