Online Information Session
Join us online on February 22nd, 2011 from 11:00 AM to 1 PM to learn more about the second phase of the Organizational Standards project:
- the Peer Groups
- the next 3 years of the project and how you can participate
- and have all your questions answered!
Click the link below to register for the Online Information Session:
http://OSIOnlineInfoSession.eventbrite.com
Join the First Peer Group!
The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) invites ten (10) agencies to participate in a two-year organizational development program. The ten (10) agencies selected will participate in peer learning, organizational mentorship and resource development to achieve organizational excellence.
Benefits of Participating in this Initiative:
- Online self-assessment to identify each agency’s organizational development needs
- Work plan development to address the identified needs
- Group and peer support
- Ten (10) hours of expert coaching for each participating agency
- Deployment of a consultant to work with each agency to achieve the Standards
- Participation in an organizational mentorship program
We ask that Agencies do the Following:
- Identify a key representative to serve as member of a Peer Learning Group
- Sign an agreement for your agency to participate in organizational development for a period of 2 years.
There is a fee associated with participation in this initiative, which OCASI will negotiate with each agency. Please note that organizations with smaller budgets can apply to OCASI for a subsidy. OCASI has also allotted two (2) spaces for smaller agencies that are unable to pay. All participating organisations must be an OCASI member agency.
Apply Online by February 24th, 2011
To apply for this program please visit: http://OSISignup.eventbrite.com
Phase Two – Organizational Standards Initiative (OSI)
Building on the Organizational Standards Initiative, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) will embark in a multi-pronged approach to support organizations to self-assess and gain access to effective capacity building opportunities, and to support knowledge transfer within and across sectors. The aim of this work is to strengthen capacity and accountability in the immigrant and refugee serving sector in Ontario through the implementation of organizational standards and related tools.
Recognizing that extensive accountability, expertise, and good practices already exist in the sector, this project will build upon organizations’ strengths and further develop organizational capacity. We will, as a collective voice, efficiently and effectively create, locate, capture, and share organizations’ knowledge and expertise, and further bring that knowledge to bear on issues and opportunities.
Funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, this three year project will use the organizational standards and the self assessment tools as a focal point in bringing together organizations for capacity development through peer learning, mentorship and resource development. Peer groups of 10 agencies will meet regularly to share ideas and strategies, discuss challenges and participate in training and coaching to achieve organizational excellence. Important priorities throughout the initiative include transparency, ongoing communication and meaningful engagement of OCASI members and partners.
Benefits of the Initiative:
- Organizational Development Support
- Enhancement of Community Based Approach, Operations, Human Resources, Governance & Strategic Leadership
- Increase Access to Training, Information and Networking Opportunities
New Location for South Region OrgWise Info Session
Location for the OrgWise info session for EDs and managers in the South OCASI Region is now as follows:
Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Time: 9 a.m. – 12
Location: Welland City Hall
Welland Civic Square
60 East Main Street
Welland, Ontario, Canada
For more info pleae email jchamberlain@ocasi.org
OrgWise Info Sessions Coming to a Town Near You
OrgWise (CapacitOrg en français), OCASI’s Organizational Self-Assessment Tool is now available online for your agency to assess its strengths and areas for development! Visit www.orgwise.ca or www.capacitorg.ca for more information and to set up an account.
In March 2010 OrgWise staff will be coming to a location near you, offering info sessions about using OrgWise, OCASI’s online organizational self-assessment tool. The workshops, “Using OrgWise to Assess your Organization: From Getting Started to Planning your Next Steps, “ will include an introduction to OrgWise and an interactive discussion about organizational standards and self-assessment, including:
- How can OrgWise can be useful for your organization?
- Who should be involved in completing the self-assessment?
- What opportunities and challenges might self-assessment present?
OCASI member agency leaders who have used the self-assessment will be available to share their experiences.
All workshops are free and open for OCASI Member Agencies’ Executive Directors and Managers. Refreshments will be provided, as well as travel reimbursement for those travelling from outside the city of the workshop location.
Workshops will be facilitated by Julie Chamberlain, OCASI’s Organizational Standards Coordinator.
Space is limited, so please register as soon as possible by emailing jchamberlain@ocasi.org, or by phone at 416-322-4950 x 227
Workshop Details are as Follows:
East Region:
Date: Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Time: 12 noon – 4p.m.
Location: Hampton Inn Ottawa & Conference Centre, Meeting Room 209
200 Coventry Road, Ottawa, ON
West Region:
Date: Friday, March 19th, 2010
Time: 12 – 4pm. Lunch served at 12 noon.
Location: United Way Community Resource Centre, Open Space
425 McNaughton Avenue West, Chatham, ON
South Region:
Date: Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 noon.
Location: Welland Civic Centre
Welland Civic Square
60 East Main Street
Welland, Ontario
Central West:
Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Time: 12 noon – 4p.m. Lunch served at 12.
Location: African Community Services
3476 Glen Erin Drive, Suite 13A, Mississauga, ON
Central East:
Date: Friday, March 26th, 2010
Time: 12 noon – 4p.m. Lunch served at 12.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Canadian Room B
500 Beck Crescent, Ajax
North Region:
Upcoming date and location TBD
Toronto:
April dates and locations TBD
OrgWise: OCASI’s new Online Organizational Self-Assessment Tool
We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of OrgWise (CapacitOrg en français), OCASI’s new online organizational self-assessment tool, at the OCASI AGM on Wednesday, November 4 at Nottawasaga Inn, Alliston.
The launch will include an introduction to the user-friendly online tool and a chance for you to hear from the pilot test agencies about their experiences.
Starting in November 2009, OrgWise will be available to OCASI members at www.orgwise.ca, et en français à www.capacitorg.ca
OrgWise, which is based on the standards identified through the Organizational Standards Initiative, was pilot tested from May to September 2009 by 11 OCASI member agencies from across the province. The pilot agencies came together periodically for an orientation, to share their feedback and experiences as they worked through the self-assessment, and to participate in capacity building workshops on priority topics.
Pilot users told us that the experience was useful for them to take stock of their organizations’ strengths and challenges, prioritize, review policies, and plan for the future.
“This is a proactive tool, not a reactive tool”
“This helps you do a sweep through everything, with confidence that you won’t miss something”
“The supports that were in place were exactly what I needed”
The pilot test has helped us to fine tune OrgWise to be a user-friendly, practical tool for Ontario’s community based immigrant and refugee serving sector.
The success of the peer support model is informing OCASI’s future plans for organizational capacity development for the sector. We are currently pursuing funding to replicate and expand the model so that more OCASI members can access peer support, expertise, and coaching opportunities, with OrgWise as the centrepiece.
Visit www.orgwise.ca (ou www.capacitorg.ca pour le site en français) soon to check out the Organizational Standards, and begin a self-assessment for your organization!
Pilot Test Begins!
The Organizational Standards Initiative is pleased to announce that pilot testing of the online Organizational Self-Assessment Tool began this month. Over the next 5 months we will be working with 11 member agencies from across the province to fine-tune the tool. We will be getting feedback on the Tool’s usability, the content of the standards and indicators, the assessment report it generates, and the resources, tools and sample policies it links to. We will also be learning about the organizational change process that agencies embark upon – in gearing up for the self-assessment and in the follow-through afterwards.
Here’s a peek at a page of the Tool:
Based around the Organizational Standards developed through extensive consultation with the community-based immigrant and refugee serving sector, the online Organizational Self-Assessment Tool consists of 44 Standards, each with concrete and measurable indicator statements that users respond to. The Standards span topics that include A Community Based Approach, Governance and Strategic Leadership, Operations, including financial management, and Human Resources.
The Organizational Standards Initiative will be supporting the 11 Pilot Test agencies as they go through the process over the next few months, while working to expand and enhance the capacity development resources linked to the Tool.
We’re also searching for a great new name for the Tool, and your suggestions are very welcome! Contact Julie Chamberlain at jchamberlain@ocasi.org with your ideas.
Look for the launch of the online Organizational Self-Assessment Tool in Fall 2009.
Call for Participants – Settlement AtWork Redesign Focus Group
The Organizational Standards Initiative Self-Assessment Toolkit and related resources will eventually be housed on Settlement AtWork, a portal to professional development information for frontline workers and managers in the sector. OCASI is redesigning the site to serve you better and wants your input!
Settlement AtWork is holding a focus group at the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) office in Toronto on Friday, January 30, 2009 from 9:30am – 11:30am to gather feedback about the site’s new design.
Please complete the signup form to attend this focus group session to provide your thoughts on the current design draft for the new site.
If you cannot attend this focus group but would like to provide feedback, please contact Marco Campana, OCASI Online Capacity Development Coordinator, who will contact you directly.
Email: marco@ocasi.org
Tel: 416-322-4950, ext. 247
OSI Update and Consultation Report Now Available in French
We are pleased to announce that the Organizational Standards Consultation Report is now available in French: Click here to read the Rapport sur les consultations or visit our Project Documents page at www.ocasi.org/orgstandards.
Click here for the Consultation Report in English, if you haven’t yet had a chance to read it.
The Organizational Standards Initiative team is presently busy polishing the content and form of the Organizational Self Assessment Tool, based on your feedback and with the help of the Advisory Committee and organizational development experts. The Organizational Self Assessment Toolkit will be a user-friendly tool that guides agencies to identify their organizational strengths and challenges and links them to relevant resources. We have begun the technical development phase of the tool and we continue to gather resources, such as policies, procedures, articles, and website links, which will be linked to the self assessment tool. We are also looking at concrete next steps for the initiative beyond the current two-year Trillium funded project, which continues to October 2009.
The pilot test phase of the Organizational Standards Initiative will begin in the Spring of 2009.
For more information and to contact us, please visit www.ocasi.org/orgstandards
Consultation Report
[La version française sera disponible sous peu.]
Organizational Standards Initiative: Consultation Report
In the summer of 2008, the Organizational Standards Initiative consulted widely with community based immigrant and refugee serving agencies. This report provides a summary of findings from these consultations and outlines priority organizational development issues, recommended next steps, and a shared vision for the sector that emerged through the consultation process.
Click here for the consultation report in pdf form.
Introduction
The Organizational Standards Initiative (OSI) began in late 2007 in response to OCASI members calling for capacity development, standardization, and professionalization of the sector. The OSI aims to strengthen organizational capacity across the immigrant and refugee serving sector and demonstrate a commitment to accountability and the provision of relevant and high quality services to immigrants and refugees. The present phase of the initiative is a two year project funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, focused on research and extensive consultations with the sector in the development of voluntary organizational standards, an organizational self-assessment tool and related resources, and fleshing out a concrete implementation plan.
From July to September 2008 the OSI consulted with executive directors, managers, and frontline workers – through regional meetings and an on-line survey – to get input and direction in the development and implementation of standards and an agency self-assessment tool.
Ten consultations were held with agency representatives across the province: seven in conjunction with OCASI’s regional meetings, one with the French Consultative Group, and two with frontline staff. The consultation meetings focused on getting input on organizational capacity development needs and priorities. A total of about 150 people participated in the meetings.
The Survey & Consultation Document asked respondents to think through what organizational issues should be captured in the set of standards. Respondents rated the importance of various organizational elements and identified the extent to which their agencies currently have them in place. This provided us with an aggregate snapshot of organizational priorities, strengths and challenges. A total of 122 people responded to the survey, 8 of them in French. Sixty-three different agencies were represented, almost all of them OCASI members. Of the respondents, 37% were managers, 36% Executive Directors or CEOs, and 27% frontline staff, with a small number of board members, volunteers and students.
Summary of Consultation Findings
Support for Standards
Throughout the consultations we heard a great deal of support for standards. The OSI is seen as a tremendous and timely strategic opportunity to develop a shared vision of what we want to be as a sector, articulate and assert the sector’s importance and credibility, and gain access to capacity development supports, all the while strengthening accountability to ourselves and the communities we serve. In the consultation meetings, OCASI members talked about the interdependent nature of agencies and the need for a shared approach to strengthen and professionalize the sector through organizational standards, service standards and core competencies for staff.
Consultation participants also shared their concerns. Some talked about the internal and external challenges that might impact their ability and willingness to undertake an organizational self-assessment – lack of time, resources, infrastructure and board support. Many emphasized the need for the self-assessment tool, process, and follow-up to be relevant to community and region-specific challenges, a variety of reporting systems and relationships with funders, and to be sensitive to different stages of organizational development. We also heard that agencies would like the self-assessment tool to be harmonized with other standards initiatives they use.
Strengths of the Sector
The results of the Organizational Standards Survey told us we are generally headed in the right direction with the standards we have identified. Respondents were asked to indicate the importance of a range of components of organizational operations and systems, and to indicate the extent to which their agency has them in place.
Most of the survey items were characterized as being very important, while the range of responses regarding implementation in many areas confirmed the need for capacity building support in the areas of governance, board development, human resources management, financial management and the development of space and information management infrastructure.
Respondents provided many examples of areas of strength within their agencies, including knowledgeable and committed staff and boards, a collaborative spirit across the agency, management responsiveness, and programs and services that are in line with their mission.
More than anything else, the survey showed that our sector’s strengths lie in our community based approach – areas such as being grounded in the communities we serve, addressing the diversity and complexity within these communities through inclusive service delivery, and understanding the need to take a collaborative approach with partner agencies.
Vision and Current Context
Through the consultations, a clear, shared vision for the sector emerged:
- strong, well governed and managed organizations that support staff to be optimally effective, responsive and accountable to ourselves and the communities we serve
- a sector that can clearly assert our value and leadership role in working towards a shared vision for a just and equitable Canada
- a sector that clearly measures and communicates our achievements
This common vision arises out of our shared values as community-based agencies serving immigrants and refugees, which were often identified throughout the consultations as a key strength and defining feature of the sector. These values include:
- an anti-oppression approach, taking into consideration accessibility and equity
- a commitment to be accountable to ourselves, the communities we serve, and the broader Canadian public
- a user-defined and client-centred approach, that takes leadership and direction from the communities we serve
- an approach to service delivery that facilitates self-empowerment and supports individuals to develop the skills and knowledge to advocate for themselves
- a focus on capacity building and leadership development in the communities we serve, which includes our staff, boards and volunteers
- an holistic approach that addresses the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs individuals have as they settle in Canada
- an orientation towards positive change and advocacy
The consultations also revealed a shared understanding of the current environment and the opportunities and challenges it presents for the sector. There is much uncertainty about what will happen beyond the current five-year funding envelope attached to the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA) that expires in March 2010. COIA has provided tremendous opportunities and much-needed funds for Ontario’s immigrant and refugee serving sector and it is changing the landscape of agencies providing settlement services. Major shifts in immigration policy, such as the increasing focus on temporary workers, will lead to major shifts in demographics and changes in community needs. Short-term, project-based funding, lack of investment in infrastructure, and increased accountability and reporting requirements contribute to ongoing organizational development, governance, human resources, and management challenges.
Priorities
In the OSI consultations and survey, participants were asked to tell us about their main organizational development priorities. They talked about their ongoing organizational development needs in all areas of agency operations, from board development, to financial management, to HR management, to internal communications, to the challenges of implementing anti-oppression policies. As we heard from more and more people, some key priorities emerged:
- Lack of sufficient program and administrative staff/infrastructure
OCASI members are certainly not lacking in their commitment to deliver high quality services and build positive work environments. Rather, one of the most common challenges agencies face is the lack of sufficient program and administrative infrastructure – particularly administrative staff – to strengthen and improve their organizational systems.
- Human Resources Management
Human resource issues are a challenge for all nonprofit sectors, including ours. Consultation participants identified priority needs in all aspects of HR, but particularly focused on the hiring, recognition and retention of qualified personnel, fair and competitive salaries and benefits, addressing staff wellness, and clarity around how staff can be engaged in decisions that affect them and the people they serve.
- Evaluation and Research
Another very common theme across agencies was the desire to develop individual and collective capacities to both measure and communicate about our successes. For participants, this included being better equipped to understand broad trends and changing community needs, to access to relevant research, and measure, monitor and improve upon organizational and service effectiveness.
- Addressing Systemic Issues
For some, public education was identified as a critical means to address systemic discrimination and barriers facing immigrants and refugees; for others it’s about communicating better with the public and policy makers on the needs and contributions newcomers provide to strengthen Canada. Whatever their preferred approach, consultation members called for capacity and leadership development, as well as effective resources, in addressing systemic issues.
- Collaboration and Service Coordination
While many identified one of the key strengths of their agencies was in the collaborative approach it took to partnerships, we also heard quite consistently that this is an area that really needs to be further strengthened. There is a need for more effective partnerships within and across sectors, sharing of resources, expertise, leadership & promising practices, and better service coordination amongst agencies who share the same client group(s).
- Relevant Training & Info Needs
Everyone talked about the need for more training. For EDs and managers, it was more about the lack of time to participate in professional development opportunities. For staff, they talked about the dire lack of ongoing, relevant, and consistent training and information. While broad pieces of information are available, consultation participants called for more localized and specific settlement information to meet their needs. They also called for ongoing & consistent training across the sector
Recommendations
Based on the feedback we gathered from you on how OCASI can support meaningful member participation in the implementation of organizational standards, and taking into consideration the current context, opportunities, and challenges facing our sector, we have distilled what we have heard into the following recommended next steps for OCASI:
- Ongoing Implementation of Standards & Capacity Development
Consultation participants were emphatic that this work cannot end at the two-year mark with a self-assessment tool that will be left on a shelf to gather dust. Organizational capacity development and standards implementation should be a long-term priority for OCASI. A multi-year organizational development and standards implementation work plan should be fleshed out, outlining clear goals, objectives, and priorities.
- Facilitate Access to Organizational Development Funds
It’s been common, since COIA money has been rolled out, to hear that “money is no object in this sector”, yet organizations continue to find it challenging to access sufficient funds for infrastructure and organizational development costs. Through the sharing of information and strategies across agencies on how to address these gaps in funding, including support for organizational planning, we can start to tackle these challenges. Over and over we heard OCASI members call for the creation of a dedicated pool of funds administered by OCASI to ease access to organizational development monies. Consultation participants have also called for continued dialogue with funders to increase the availability of funding for infrastructure development.
- Organizational Development Support
While most participants agree that a self-assessment process can be very useful, many agencies would like increased opportunities for group and one-on-one support – through expert coaching that addresses the specific needs of individual organizations, through an external guide to help steer the organizational change process and build board buy-in, and through peer support on various aspects of organizational planning. OCASI could play a role in facilitating access to these peer and one-on-one supports – by vetting a list of qualified consultants and supporting leaders and mentors within the sector.
- Enhancement of Human Resources Management and Coordination
Resources exist – job descriptions can be found on the internet, along with information about performance management systems and employee recognition initiatives. Lack of time and staff keeps many agencies from accessing these resources. For some this can be addressed through improved organizational planning and learning about strategies to acquire funds for administrative staff, but gaps still remain for small to medium-sized agencies. Some ideas to address these gaps include better coordination and sharing of information on promising HR practices across the sector, and hiring an HR manager who is shared amongst a number of agencies. These ideas, as well as models in other sectors and regions, need to be further explored.
- Support Capacity and Leadership Development in Advocacy
Many called for strengthening the capacity and leadership of individuals, particularly EDs and board members, to communicate more effectively with government officials, politicians, and the broader public in order to further the rights of the immigrant and refugee communities they serve. Identifying OCASI as a leader in addressing systemic challenges facing newcomers and racialized communities, conference participants suggested increased training and networking opportunities in this area.
- Increase Access to Training, Information and Agency Networking Opportunities
There are numerous professional development and training opportunities that exist for non-profit staff and managers, as well as on-line resources on HR management, board governance, and organizational development. What OCASI members would like to see is enhanced access to relevant and targeted training, information, and agency networking opportunities.
Further Recommendations Beyond the Scope of the OSI
Throughout our consultations we heard a clear articulation of the connection between the development of organizational standards and the development of service standards and core competencies for staff. Together these can be thought of as three pillars of the strengthening and professionalization of the sector as we move into the future. Service standards and core competencies do not fall within the scope of the OSI, but are being pursued through other projects. Currently under negotiations with funders, OCASI proposes to research, develop, test, and support the implementation of Core Occupational Competencies for settlement service workers. The project will involve a highly consultative approach in partnership with the OCASI membership, other immigrant service organizations and many relevant stakeholders.
Next Steps
The next steps for the OSI are to pilot and finalize the organizational self- assessment tool and related resources. A plan for standards implementation and capacity development for the sector will also be developed.
