Another useful report from CIRA. But important to point out that this report is focused on philanthropic institutions, not government funders. While government funders can learn from this report, their ability to impact at scale is very different, and that is a very different conversation.
However, still useful.
"Why fund digital equity?
With many seeing online connectivity as an essential human right, digital equity is crucial to our society, economy and democracy. However, digital inequity has become a serious problem in communities across the country, as millions of Canadians lack even the basics required to connect. Markets and governments have especially failed Northern, rural and Indigenous communities, as well as numerous underserved populations where infrastructure and investment has not materialized in a meaningful way.
While funders may see addressing digital equity gaps as largely the responsibility of government or industry, there are roles for philanthropy to advance the social impacts they seek—and more funders are seeing these roles.
This guide is for funders who are new to digital equity and for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of why and how to fund in this space."
"The objective of the survey is to assess how has pandemic impacted access to services among newcomer who have limited access to technology and how digital literacy affect service accessibility.
The survey was conducted from September to October 2021 online and there were nine in-person data well also collected. There was a total of 106 data collected during the data collection period.
Goals:
Conclusion and Recommendations
The pandemic restrictions and safety measures that were implemented by the federal and provincial governments made major impact on delivery of programs and services. As all the organizations have shifted to virtual methods and electronic communication, clients were forced
to either adopt to the new normal or stop accessing newcomer settlement services.
However, computer skills and language skills in either English or French affected the access of programs and services. On the other hand, majority of the members have limited access to devices, limited data and unstable internet connection. A significant number of households have to share the available devices among the family members for school activities, work from home tasks and accessing newcomer settlement services. Though, there were few institutions offered free data and lending devices, the information hasn’t reached the public as expected.
As per the survey results, respondents have been accessing language programs and adult education program whereas, accessing other services such as employment support and settlement support services have been reduced significantly. While majority of the respondents
have used video calls, email/text and phone calls to connect with service providers and access services, majority of the members preferred virtual meetings and email/text messages as their primary communication channels.
Respondents who have been accessing services virtually had positive experience in using devices and communicating with frontline workers who were friendly and supportive. However, some of continue to face some other challenges such as limited number of devices available
and other responsibilities at home. As students continues online schooling and parents also worked from home, the household tasks also changed.
Recommendations
"In 2022, the Research Shop, in partnership with the Guelph-Wellington Local Immigration Partnership, conducted an investigative analysis to explore how the digital divide has impacted Canadian newcomers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project specifically sought to investigate how and in what ways the digital divide has impacted the provisioning of programming to newcomers during the pandemic. Over the past two years, the public health guidelines surrounding the pandemic have shifted service and program delivery online, resulting in an increased reliance on technology by schools, government, and social services. This shift can be especially challenging for newcomer families, who now must navigate a largely digital system that may be new and unfamiliar.
The goal of this project is to understand how the digital divide impacts newcomer families in the Guelph-Wellington area as they navigate accessing digital resources and programming, specifically in the context of the pandemic. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) defines a “newcomer” as “an immigrant or refugee who is adapting to life in Canada”, regardless of how long they have been in the country (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2020a). For the purposes of our research, we interpret this definition to refer mainly to permanent residents and refugees, unless otherwise specified.
The objectives of this research project include:
Findings
"Service providers spoke to several ways in which their organizations are adapting with the increased use and/or reliance on digital programs. Some ways they are adapting include: Utilizing 'Navigator Roles', Staff training, Mobile services, Sending clients ‘how to use’ videos for different technology platforms; constantly communicating with clients through different platforms, like by phone, mail and email, Providing tablets, chromebooks, wifi hubs to clients.
... participants emphasized that newcomers are not a monolithic group and that different groups will have different needs depending on their employment status, level of English literacy, and level of digital literacy, amongst other factors. To meet the needs of newcomers and to prevent issues related to language barriers, navigators and service providers who can communicate in various languages should be accessible to clients.
Additionally, funding is an important component and should be secured to ensure that various services can be offered. Through the research interviews, it became clear that organizations require more funding for English language training and for digital literacy training programs for individuals with low levels of English proficiency. Furthmore, funding can be applied towards providing clients with the devices they need to be successful – e.g. laptops, tablets, cellphones, and wifi connections if they don’t have access.
Lastly, service providers could offer more flexibility in when services are offered and how to accommodate people who are working shifts and may not be working in an online environment. This likely means offering a hybrid of in-person and online service options as the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions loosen with time. As previously mentioned, people are more likely to come in person to obtain services. Continous connection and communication with clients is also important in a virtual environment to help alleviate some of the distance felt when communicating online – e.g. sending clients ‘how to use zoom’ videos the day before appointments; calling and emailing with appointment reminders, etc. These are a few recommendations and considerations that could reduce the digital divide and increase accessibility.
What is this research about?
As immigrants continue to seek information online, Immigrant service provider organizations (SPOs’) websites hold value in increasing the health literacy and health-wellness of immigrants. This research assessed the current state of immigrant SPOs’ websites as information infrastructures and reveals areas for improvement.
What do you need to know?
SPOs are often immigrants’ first point of contact to Canadian systems, such as job, education, health and social care, and housing. Prior research emphasizes the health literacy potential of websites as information infrastructures that can reduce information poverty and improve health outcomes. Yet, whether health-wellness resources are present on immigrant SPOs’ websites in a user-friendly manner remains unexplored.
What did the researchers do?
The authors identified the presence of health-wellness resources on SPOs’ websites and analyzed those contents to understand their typology. They also looked at website navigability, usability, and credibility of those websites regarding the health-wellness resources.
What did the researchers find?
Among the 1453 SPO websites identified via Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) newcomer services webpage. The authors used the IRCC list as it is used by immigrants to Canada to locate SPOs near them, by location. After removing duplicate website links and websites with inactive links, they were left with 804 eligible websites. Only 289 had health-wellness information in their web-contents.
Of the websites with health-wellness contents, “lifestyle and wellness resources” were present on 86.5% and “healthcare system resources” were present on 80.6% of the websites.
The authors defined navigability as "number of mouse clicks required to navigate to health-wellness resources and the number of language options available to navigate the website. The category of number of mouse clicks was coded according to decreasing navigability: whether zero, one to two, or three or more mouse clicks were required to navigate to health-wellness resources. The category of number of language options was also coded according to decreasing navigability: whether four or more, two to three, or one language option was available to navigate the website." Zero to two mouse clicks were required to access health-wellness resources on 94.8% of the websites; however, more than one language option was very limited, available on less than a quarter of websites.
Categories for usability were "site map/menu, return to homepage from every page, headings or sub-headings, high contrast between website background and text, search bar, site logo/name on every page, and large font size. The categories under the focus area of usability were coded according to whether or not they were present on the website."
Credibility was divided into three categories and ten sub-categories: authority (authoritative domain name (.gov, .org, .edu), street address, and contact web form), reliability (distinction between advertising and non-advertising content, disclosed funding source, and authorship/references), and relevance (date content created, date content updated, date currency (less than 5 years) and no date).
How can you use this research?
Improve your websites if you're providing health and wellness resources and information.
Make sure your websites are navigable, usable, and credible. The content you create, in any category, should meet the categories for each of these to ensure the information is helpful for Newcomers.
The authors recommend SPOs add resources for obtaining healthcare card, accessing primary care, sexual and reproductive, parenting, senior's health, mental wellbeing, and women's health information to their websites.
They also recommend websites accommodate ethnic language option to improve navigability for immigrants.
This paper outlines the importance of digital equity, the urgent need for a digital equity strategy, and the actions stakeholders must take to realize digital inclusion across the province. Understanding the role that each level of government must play to accomplish this will help clarify our calls to action and formulate the needs communities and community‐based organizations must advocate for.
Digital Equity – a state where people can readily and effectively access and use technology to participate in our society – is intricately bound to Health Equity.
"We understand health equity to be an approach that includes policies and interventions that address discrimination and oppression with a goal of eradicating social inequality and disadvantage for the purpose of reducing differences in health outcomes." The Alliance for Healthier Communities, Health Equity Charter
Two things in particular have highlighted this fact: the extraordinary and unprecedented growth of information technology over the past decade, and the restrictions placed on in‐person access to healthcare providers because of the COVID‐19 pandemic. It will take the combined efforts through a Collective Impact approach of all three levels of government working closely with communities, private sector and community‐based organizations to “bridge the digital divide.” Collective impact is a form of collaboration which brings together different sectors to solve large complex problems. Private sector corporations like TELUS, Bell and Rogers will all have to play a significant part to make this possible.
Numerous groups do not currently share the benefits of participating fully in the digital world. These include racial and ethnic minorities, elderly populations, indigenous groups, low‐income individuals and those living with disabilities. Although it is a lofty goal, digital equity is attainable – with your assistance. In doing the research for this paper, we found that many organizations, like the Toronto Public Library and ACORN Canada are already strongly articulating the need to bridge the digital equity divide. What is required is a core strategy that will serve as a vanguard to the critical work that must be done to ensure no one is excluded.
The federal government plays a strategic role in recognizing the need for all citizens to have reliable access to the Internet. This is increasingly necessary for everyday activities such as accessing health care, education and government services; purchasing food and other necessities; and connecting with one’s family and community.
The provincial government can support the federal position by leveraging cost‐effective ways to close the gap. This includes access to reduced priced Internet service for low income individuals/families and low cost options for hardware such as cell phones or tablets.
Local governments can support communities by looking for unique and creative ways to provide access to the Internet, re‐use existing technology and training individuals on how to participate in the digital world.
Local communities, non‐governmental organizations and groups can provide opportunities for outreach, education and support.
Corporate organizations, particularly telecommunications companies, can provide devices and access to the Internet.
This paper recognizes the Alliance for Healthier Communities evidence‐informed Model of Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) which guides the delivery of primary health care. The MHWB champions transformative change for people and communities facing barriers to health. Furthermore it recognizes that digital equity is a significant enabler of a Learning Health System.
What is this research about?
This report discusses the rapid shift to online delivery of settlement services as COVID-19 took hold, outlining some of the major challenges during the first eighteen months of this transition in the Immigrant and Refugee-serving sector.
What do you need to know?
The COVID-19 pandemic affected many aspects of immigrant-serving agencies but none more than the mode of service delivery. There was a rapid switch to online delivery of services, with 100 percent reporting they had shifted some services online by September 2020.
As it became clear that some clients could not be served online, a hybrid model of delivery, with most services offered online and in-person services offered to especially vulnerable clients and those in the most urgent circumstances was widely adopted.
What did the researchers do?
They surveyed 74 managers and 238 frontline workers from OCASI member agencies between November 26 and December 23, 2021. Complete results can be found here:
Watch video of presentations made which form the basis of this report/policy preview:
What did the researchers find?
By September 2021, 30.95% of managers said their agencies had increased their capacity to offer services in a hybrid model combining in-person and online delivery. Eighteen months of experience with online and hybrid models of service delivery revealed three notable challenges: the growing complexity of client needs, the difficulties of recruiting, training, and deploying volunteers, and the mismatch between funding practices and the financial support required.
Even as the total number of clients served by agencies decreased, the number of services delivered to clients was stable or increased slightly.
Effects on Newcomers
According to the Frontline Workers Survey, 78% of staff reported that their organizations had difficulty ensuring that clients had adequate and stable digital access. Clients’ difficulties gaining access to online services are especially concerning because the wholesale shift to online services by immigrant-serving agencies required that workers and clients use new platforms and programs. Almost two-thirds of workers, 62%, reported that their organizations had introduced new virtual platforms and 59% reported using new programs to serve clients remotely.
The mismatch between the online services now being offered and clients’ digital barriers raises serious concerns about which migrants will be able to access settlement services in the future.
How will the most vulnerable who are least likely to have either the technological tools or the digital literacy required for online services be served? Hybrid service models that 67% of workers said were in place by September 2021 are one answer to this question; however, their success depends on sustained community outreach that was disrupted by the pandemic.
Effects on Staff and Volunteers
Agencies lost volunteers during the pandemic, with 39% of managers reporting the loss of most volunteers. Volunteers could also experience digital barriers that limit their involvement with ISAs.
Managers are already concerned about staff, with 85.1% of respondents identifying the mental health and wellbeing of staff as an organizational priority in the year preceding the survey.
Impact on funding
Revenue sources shifted during the pandemic resulting in more reliance on government funding. Between September 2020 and September 2021, 48% of agency managers reported a loss of revenue from user fees and fundraising.
Key funders such as Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) enabled agencies to move services online and adopt COVID-19 health measures. Funding was largely maintained and equally important, client targets were relaxed allowing agencies to offer more services to a smaller number of clients.
The shift to online services also altered the geography of service delivery with important implications for funding.
How can you use this research?
Sector advocacy
The report calls for institutionalized learning from the pandemic, maintaining flexible and stable funding from municipal, provincial, and federal governments, along with the reduction in bureaucratic rules and reporting requirements... immigrant-serving agencies and their funders should assess pandemic practices and aim to retain and enhance those that are beneficial to the agencies and ultimately enhance immigrant integration.
From the perspective of Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs), the report recommends maintaining the collaborative decision-making processes that developed during the pandemic. The survey findings underscore the success with which the sector pivoted to online services, maintained in-person services for the most vulnerable, and engaged in heightened collaboration. They demonstrate the value of maintaining and strengthening collaborations among all levels of government and sectors.
While not calling for it explicitly, the report also makes the case for enhanced sector participation in digital equity and inclusion initiatives across the sector, among all governments and other funders, as well as in policy circles. The sector has learned a lot about digital equity and inclusion during this time and this should make up part of the core diversity, equity, and inclusion work done by the sector.
This report provides a snapshot of the current salary/wage and benefit situation within not-for-profit service providers receiving IRCC funding in 2018. The findings reflect significant wage and benefit variations for similar type positions in different size communities and regions funded by IRCC.
In total, 162 immigrant and refugee serving, not-for-profit organizations funded by IRCC completed the survey.
Employee gender and ethnicity
Sample position/wage rate
Benefits
Overview
“AAISA’s Health of the Newcomer-Serving Sector in the PNT Region research project sought to examine the perspectives of front-line staff working within agencies in the newcomer-serving sector to better understand their employment experience, assess organizational strengths and challenges, as well as discern opportunities for growth. With 912 responses from across the PNT region, the results of the HOTS survey provide uniquely invaluable insight into the realities of front-line service delivery in the PNT region and potential opportunities for improvement in service of broad sectoral health.”
Overview
“Settlement of immigrants is a period of adaptation between newcomers and the host society, during which the federal government provides services to newcomers. Effective settlement paves the way for immigrants to contribute to the Canadian economy and to participate in the social, political and cultural life of Canada.
To support successful integration into Canadian society, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides funding to third-party organizations to deliver settlement services in all provinces and territories except for Quebec. The Settlement Program aims to assist immigrants and refugees in overcoming barriers specific to the newcomer experience.
The Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) has incorporated data from IRCC's Settlement Program and Resettlement Assistance Program focusing on services accessed by recent immigrants up to April 2021. The current article examines the settlement services accessed by adult immigrants admitted from 2016 to 2020.
Refugees are the group of immigrants that accessed settlement services the most
By April 2021, close to half (46.3%) of adult immigrants admitted from 2016 to 2020 accessed at least one type of settlement services. Refugees, who came to Canada in order to escape war, violence, conflict or persecution in their home countries, accessed settlement services the most among all immigrants. The vast majority of refugees (89.4%) accessed settlement services. By comparison, dependents of economic immigrants (51.0%), family sponsored immigrants (40.4%), and economic principal applicants (35.2%) relied less on those services.
Information and orientation the most commonly accessed type of settlement services among recent immigrants
Among the different types of services available to recent immigrants, information and orientation services were accessed the most (40.4%). This type of services provides newcomers the knowledge they need to better integrate into Canadian society, including, but not limited to, procedures to obtain official documents, information on how to obtain health and child benefits, as well as information about daily life in local communities.
Across all types of federally funded settlement services received by adult immigrants, needs assessment and referrals were the second most accessed services (30.4%). They were most used by refugees (77.3%) and least used by economic principal applicants (21.5%).
The third type of most commonly accessed services by adult immigrants was language training (13.4%). Overcoming language barriers is considered an important step to enable immigrants to adapt to Canadian sociocultural life as well as assist them in finding employment in the Canadian labour market. Among adult immigrants, 46.8% of adult refugees, 13.4% of sponsored family immigrants, 11.1% of dependants of economic immigrants and 3.9% of economic principal applicants had language training.
Overall, more immigrant women than men access settlement services
Among immigrant women admitted from 2016 to 2020, 49.5% accessed settlement services, compared with 42.9% of men. Information and orientation services had the biggest difference in terms of access by immigrant women and men; they were accessed by 46.0% of women and 37.0% of men. Language training services had the second biggest difference, with 16.1% of immigrant women using this type of services compared with 10.5% of men.
The settlement services module of the IMDB covers federally funded services provided to immigrants. The addition of this information in the IMDB can facilitate future analysis of the roles settlement services play in immigrants' short- and long-term socioeconomic outcomes. For example, it is possible to assess the impact of employment related services or language training on immigrants' wages and salaries as well as other sources of incomes over time.”
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