INSCAN (International Settlement Canada) Winter 2010 - CIC's Modernized Approach to Settlement Programming: A Brief Description

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Link: http://integration-net.ca:81/infocentre/2010/001e.pdf
By: Adrienne Smith
Org: Policy Analyst, NHQ - Integration, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)

Introduction

Citizenship and Immigration Canada?s vision involves a commitment to deliver with key partners the highest quality immigration, citizenship, and multiculturalism programs that are efficient and responsive to community needs. For its part, the Settlement Program contributes to the Department?s larger objective to help newcomers and citizens participate to their full potential in fostering an integrated society. The achievements of the Program are a reflection of a continuing successful relationship between CIC and service provider organizations (SPOs), which are a crucial partner in delivering settlement programming and addressing the needs of newcomers.

This article has been reproduced with the permission of the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies (formerly Research Resource Division for Refugees). To subscribe to INSCAN and view its past issues, please visit: the INSCAN website. To access complete past editions of this newsletter visit the INSCAN archive.

Download this article in PDF format:

The Settlement Program supports newcomers in a variety of ways by providing: language training so they have the language skills necessary to succeed in Canada; the information they need to better understand life in Canada and make informed decisions about their settlement experience; the required assistance to find employment commensurate with their skills and education; and help to establish networks and contacts in their communities so they are engaged and feel welcomed in Canada.

Previously, CIC supported settlement initiatives under the Immigration and Settlement Adaptation Program (ISAP) since 1974, the Host program since 1984, and the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program since 1992. In addition, CIC also supported indirect services and initiatives aimed at improving the delivery of settlement services and strengthening the settlement sector.

How did CIC arrive at the modernized approach and the new Settlement Program?

Over the last few years, based on the Government of Canada?s commitment to improving newcomer outcomes, settlement programs received additional funding to enhance programming and maximize its benefits for newcomers. The modernized approach is the result of two key changes: increased program funding and a renewed vision on how settlement services can be delivered though a new set of terms and conditions. Based on a series of consultations with the provinces/territories, settlement agencies, and newcomers over the last few years, CIC introduced new Settlement Program terms and conditions in 2008. With these changes came an opportunity to fully use the available resources to better meet the needs of newcomers. The modernized approach offers three key transformations to improve settlement outcomes: greater flexibility, results-oriented programming, and better planning and coordination.

The modernized approach is a shift in how CIC and SPOs address the needs of newcomers, and how settlement initiatives are delivered and administered. Settlement programming has moved from separate programs (i.e., LINC, ISAP, and Host) to one single Settlement Program. The approach is activity- and outcome-based to ensure that settlement programming is responsive and flexible to meet clients? needs:

Previous Programs

The Settlement Program

Expected Results

Activity Streams Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada(LINC)

A. Orientation Newcomers make informed decisions about their settlement and understand life in Canada

B. Language/Skills ? Newcomers have language/skills needed to function in Canada

C. Labour Market Access ? Newcomers obtain the required assistance to find employment commensurate with their skills and education

D. Welcoming Communities? Newcomers receive help to establish social and professional networks so they are engaged and feel welcomed in their communities

E. Policy and Program Development ? To ensure effective delivery and achieve comparable settlement outcomes across Canada

Needs Assessment and Referrals

- determine eligibility, assess needs, and refer newcomers to other services

Information and Awareness Services

- provide pre- and post-arrival information

Language Learning and Skills Development

- language and skills development training

Employment-related Services

- search, gain, and retain employment

Community Connections

- establish a social and professional network

Support Services

- help to access settlement services

Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program(ISAP)

Host Program(Host)

All services that were previously eligible for funding under LINC, ISAP, and Host remain eligible under the Settlement Program, but they are instead described by expected result and stream(s)

-As brands, LINC will remain a primary language training program, and projects that combine language training with bridge-to-work will still be called Enhanced Language Training (ELT). Matching an established Canadian citizen with a newcomer to practice English could now be classified under both ?Community Connections? and ?Language/Skills? streams. The expected result will be Welcoming Communities, since practicing English is a secondary benefit of a project that encourages established Canadians and newcomers to form social networks.

How does the modernized Settlement Program change how SPOs deliver services?

The modernized approach recognizes that each of the expected results can be achieved through a combination of activities from various streams. Therefore, service providers indicate, in a project proposal, how the project will contribute to one of the five expected results (by drawing from activities in one or more of the six streams). In many instances, services that previously required multiple contribution agreements may now be delivered through one agreement covering a range of services. This means that SPOs can spend more time and energy where they are needed most ? serving clients.

Description of Settlement Program Expected Results

Expected results under

Orientation focus on providing prospective newcomers with access to accurate settlement-related information, through in-person or online orientation activities and advertising, web sites, or publications. These interventions ? both before and after arrival ? are intended to enable newcomers to access appropriate information and services, thus supporting individuals? efforts towards settlement and integration. Indicators should include the percentage of clients who report that they received information which helped them learn more about Canadian laws, community resources, life, and culture.

The expected results under

Language/Skills are meant to develop the skills that newcomers need to function in Canadian society. Settlement programming is used to achieve language and skills development outcomes by:

Indicators should include the percentage of clients who report that they have the language ability and skills they need to participate socially, culturally, and economically in Canada.

Expected results under Labour Market Participationinclude helping newcomers to find and retain employment, and helping employers to find, integrate, and retain newcomers into their workplaces. Examples of activities include bridging projects, job search help, skills training, provision of labour market information and workplace orientation, and other services that are intended to equip newcomers with the skills, information, and support they need for entry into the labour market. Ideally, services are provided as part of a seamless continuum of supports for both newcomers and employers. Indicators should include the percentage of clients who report that they are connected to local labour markets, have knowledge of the Canadian work environment, and have the skills to find and apply for employment.

Expected results under Welcoming Communitiesrecognize the importance of social engagement as an integral aspect of the integration process and that integration is a reciprocal process with rights and responsibilities on the part of both newcomers and the community. Welcoming Communities projects support newcomers to form social networks and connect to the various dimensions of Canadian society while also engaging communities and neighbourhoods to welcome newcomers and support their full participation in the community. Activities focus on individual and community bridging, including: mentoring programs, supporting and encouraging volunteerism, fostering cultural awareness, anti-racism and welcoming communities, and neighbourhood services. Indicators should include the percentage of clients who report that they feel connected to the broader community and social networks, percentage of program participants who are aware of the needs and contributions of newcomers, and percentage of program participants who claim to create a welcoming community for newcomers.

Program and Policy Developmentprojects build capacity and facilitate the sharing of best practices within the settlement community. This ensures effective project delivery and achieves comparable settlement outcomes across Canada. Through this expected result, policy standards, tools, and guidelines can be developed. Additional examples under this stream include: curriculum and assessment tools and resources, professional development, and promotion of the settlement sector.

Description of Activity Streams to Achieve Expected Results

To achieve the expected results, six streams of services allow service providers to develop project proposals that best meet the needs of their clients, and produce intended results by mixing services from different streams.

Activities under four of the streams may be combined to lead to the expected results:

Needs Assessment and Referrals and Support Services are the two streams that help facilitate a newcomer?s access to settlement services. They help provide assistance to access the programs and services needed to help newcomers settle in their community. As a result, activities in these streams are almost always combined with other streams to achieve positive results for newcomers.

Needs Assessment and Referral

activities involve determining eligibility for services, assessing newcomers' needs, helping newcomers make informed settlement-related decisions, and basing programming and referrals on client needs and goals.

Support Services principally contribute to the ability of clients to access the settlement services required to address both immediate and long-term settlement concerns, such as childminding (previously available only for LINC clients); transportation assistance; Translation; Interpretation; and short-term counselling to deal with settlement issues.

Conclusion

The modernized approach allows service providers to mix and match activities to contribute to, at least, one of the five expected results. A combination of activities and programming results in better outcomes for newcomers, particularly for those with increasingly complex and intersecting settlement needs. Service providers continue to be a key partner in CIC's mission of delivering services to assist in the successful integration of newcomers in Canada. Therefore, Settlement Program officials will work with service providers to navigate the changes of the modernized approach throughout the transition process.

For more information on the Modernized Approach, please contact the Integration Branch at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Download this article in PDF format:

Other articles in the Winter 2010 edition:

This article has been reproduced with the permission of the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies (formerly Research Resource Division for Refugees). To subscribe to INSCAN and view its past issues, please visit: the INSCAN website. To access complete past editions of this newsletter visit the INSCAN archive.

Founded in 1987, INSCAN is a national and bilingual quarterly published by the Centre for International Migration and Settlement Studies with the financial support of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. As a forum of information sharing and discussion, it facilitates the work of the Canadian settlement community by covering a wide range of topics related to the settlement, adaptation, and integration of immigrants and refugees in Canada. With contributors from across the country, the periodical is distributed widely to settlement service providers, policy makers, and researchers.

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