How do you know your transition to virtual service delivery is effective? The WESO toolkit can help.
Two years ago I moderated a panel focused on measuring virtual service delivery for the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group. We asked the question: How do I know my transition to virtual service delivery is effective? It was a great discussion with many resources shared.
This year I'm happy to share a better answer. A toolkit for Settlement Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) to evaluate the effectiveness of their service delivery and adapt their models accordingly to improve services, and creating a network of knowledge and promising practice sharing.
Wired: Evaluation Settlement Online (WESO) is a research-based program from the YMCA of the National Capital Region providing resources and toolkits for SPOs across Canada to evaluate the effectiveness of their service delivery and adapt their models accordingly to improve services.
Find out more about how the evidence-based toolkit was created and why you should book an information session with the WESO team to learn how your staff can be trained to implement this new, free, and useful tool.
Transparency and accountability should be by design
I recently attended an IRCC consultation focused on “Client Service Excellence.” I've been mulling over that experience, trying to figure out a good (and constructive) way to share it.
A transparent commitment to transparency in sharing not only finished products, but also processes. We know this from discussions about the "black box of AI" and other technologies. How they exclude, discriminate, and oppress. And so, transparency of everything is essential.
As I pushed in the IRCC consultation, the Government of Canada's own Digital Standards recommend work in the open by default, as well as sharing sharing and collaborating in the open. To push for transparency is aligned with Government of Canada standards and vision.
But it isn't actually happening.
So, where to look for inspiration? Shockingly, in this case, from Meta's example.
When I saw a recent post on LinkedIn about Meta (Facebook) sharing how their AI ranking and recommendation system works I thought, well, this is a great comparison of IRCC and what they can do. Because, well, IRCC is kind of the Meta of Canadian government departments. A closed system that changes constantly without really informing anyone, forced to share via federal courts or access to information requests rather than having an actual open sharing system... Read on and let me know what you think.
A Model Cybersecurity Policy for Nonprofits (webinar recording)
How can we move past paralysis and anxiety to joy and innovation when it comes to cybersecurity in the nonprofit sector? In this conversation, Jason Shim (CCNDR) and Omar Yaqub (IslamicFamily) explore a model cybersecurity policy for nonprofits and share practical steps you can implement to support your team.
Help develop data governance practices for Canada’s community and human service providers
Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN), Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), and Digital Governance Standards Institute (DGSI) are working together to develop data governance practices. These practices will help Canada’s community and human service providers protect their client and donor data. But your help is needed to set these standards. Recruitment is underway for members to join the Technical Committee, a group of interested individuals that will review existing standards documents, and consider what nonprofits may need to promote responsible data handling and privacy protection. No previous data or standards experience is required. Your ideas and thoughts are welcomed on what guidelines would support responsible, ethical and privacy-preserving data collection, storage, use, and sharing within our sector!
If you are interested in learning more about this unique short term commitment over the next few months, please contact Neemarie at neemarie@theonn.ca.
Reimagining settlement funding and service delivery to improve outcomes for newcomers
This project is part of a number of similar IRCC-funded projects focused on investigating potentially new or different "Regional Accountability Models for Settlement." It would be great to see all their reports housed in one place, as well as more active public collaboration among them sharing what they've found in common and what nuances or regional differences they're proposing... But at least there is this report
"Reimagining Funding and Service Delivery for Newcomers: Lessons from the Literature and Stakeholders explores how newcomer settlement and integration outcomes are impacted by the current model of funding and service delivery. This report looks at the dynamics of collaboration, data sharing, and service delivery among im/migrant- and refugee-serving organizations in the Toronto South area, with a particular focus on the experiences of racialized and marginalized newcomer communities as well as small, grassroots, and POC-led organizations."
The Peel Newcomer Strategy Group has probably been the most open of these projects, sharing their work and progress as they move through the project. Be like PNSG. Share openly and often.
This week's WES weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community.
Articles of interest include:
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