Operational Bulletin 501 – February 21, 2013
Settlement Program: Implementation of the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships
Summary
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) plans to implement the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships. This report would facilitate the reporting by Service Provider Organisations (SPOs). These Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) provide indirect services under the Settlement Program.
This Operational Bulletin (OB):
- Describes the changes required and,
- Provides the necessary guidance to the Settlement Officers accordingly
Issue
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is implementing the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships. The Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would complete this report on an annual basis. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has specifically designed this report for Service Provider Organisations (SPOs). This is because these Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) receive funding under the Settlement Program. Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) typically use these funds for coordinating community partnerships.
Background
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) implemented the Annual Project Performance Report (APPR) in 2012. This report was a component of the Performance Measurement Strategy for the Settlement Program. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) designed the Annual Project Performance Report (APPR). It did this to facilitate the reporting done by Service Provider Organisations (SPOs). Typically, Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would use this report for documenting the details of direct services provided to newcomer clients.
Later, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) decided to expand the reporting against settlement outcomes to Service Provider Organisations (SPOs). These Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) provided indirect services in the form of a community partnership including:
- Local Immigration Partnerships
- Francophone Immigration Networks and,
- Sector-specific Partnerships
To achieve this objective, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) decided to supplement the existing Annual Project Performance Report (APPR). It achieved this by introducing the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships.
The Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships focuses on the results of the activities under partnerships. In particular, it focuses on the outcomes for newcomers and communities. This report would enable the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to:
- Evaluate the collective impact of partnerships on settlement outcomes in a better manner
- Inform policy decisions and program development and,
- Facilitate the sharing of successful practices
The Changes Required
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) requires that all Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) must fill the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships each year.In particular, it wants that all Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) receiving funding under the Settlement Program for providing indirect services via a community partnership fill this report on an annual basis. This change is effective immediately.
The Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) that need to fill and submit this report include:
- Local Immigration Partnerships
- Francophone Immigration Networks
- Regional Associations involving employers or associations, which create employment opportunities for newcomers (such as regional newcomer employment networks) or,
- Other types of Community-based or Sector-specific Partnerships
The Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships covers a period of one fiscal year. Therefore, it contains details from April 01 to March 31. Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to fill it and submit it no later than May 31 each year.
The Responsibilities of Settlement Officers
The Settlement Officers need to discharge various responsibilities. They would need to:
- Inform all Service Provider Organisations (SPOs), which have an existing Settlement Program Contribution Agreement (CA) with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), about the delivery of a community partnership as prescribed by this new requirement
- Provide all these Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) with the necessary documents including:
- Report templates
- Communiques
- Guides
- Serve as the primary contact for the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs), to address any questions or comments they might have concerning the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships
- Send a notification or a reminder to the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) at the end of every fiscal year, informing them that they need to submit the reports no later than May 31
- Read and review the reports submitted by the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs)
- Coordinate with the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) in case the Settlement Officers require:
- Any missing information from the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) or,
- Any clarifications from the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs)
The Responsibilities of Service Provider Organisations (Settlement Officers would need to communicate this to the SPOs)
The Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to complete one Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships annually. This is especially for those Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) that deliver indirect services under the Settlement Program in the form of a community partnership, as per the following framework:
- For a Contribution Agreement (CA) that is applicable for one year or less:
- The Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to deliver one report not later than 60 days after the end of the Contribution Agreement (CA)
- For a multi-year Contribution Agreement (CA):
- The Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to deliver one report at the end of each fiscal year
- Therefore, for a Contribution Agreement (CA) valid for three years, the Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to submit one report for each year i.e. three separate reports
- For Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) that receive funding under the Settlement Program for both, the delivery of direct services and the coordination of a community partnership:
- The Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to deliver:
- The Annual Project Performance Report (APPR) [for providing direct services] and,
- The Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships [for the activities of the community partnership]
- Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) would need to submit their reports to the Settlement Officer electronically
- They would also need to include any applicable attachments like:
- The logic model
- The documents produced or,
- Copies of media coverage
- Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) expects all Service Provider Organisations (SPOs) to submit the first round of reports for the existing Settlement Program Contribution Agreements (CAs) no later than May 31, 2013 – a date that is 60 days after the conclusion of the fiscal year
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
