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.

Date Change: Ottawa Consultation with Frontline Staff – October 3, 2008

Please be advised that the Ottawa date of the Organizational Standards consultation with frontline staff has been changed to October 3, 2008. It was kindly brought to our attention that the previous date may conflict with both Eid al-Fitr and Rosh Hashanah. Our apologies for the oversight; we hope all interested frontline staff will be able to participate on Friday, October 3rd.

Organizational Standards Consultation and Sponsorship Breakdown Workshop
Friday, October 3, 2008
10am-4:30pm
Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization
945 Wellington Street West, Ottawa

Frontline staff are invited to share their point of view on organizational issues and the development of voluntary standards for the sector. We will discuss what kinds of organizational challenges need to be addressed in order for staff to best serve immigrants and refugees.
‘Sponsorship Breakdown – What You Need to Know’ will be facilitated by Francisco Rico-Martinez, co-director FCJ Refugee Centre.

This will be a FREE full day event; lunch will be served. Some limited funds are available to cover the transportation costs of participants coming from outside Ottawa; hotel stays cannot be covered.

For more information please contact Julie Chamberlain: (416) 322-4950 x227 or jchamberlain@ocasi.org

Consultations with Frontline Staff to be held in Toronto and Ottawa

The Organizational Standards Initiative is pleased to announce upcoming consultations with frontline staff of community-based immigrant and refugee serving agencies. This is an opportunity for frontline staff to give their valuable input into the development of voluntary organizational standards for the sector.

We would like to get feedback and suggestions from staff about organizational issues and priorities for agency capacity building as they relate to the needs of staff. We will discuss what kinds of organizational challenges need to be addressed in order for staff to best serve immigrants and refugees.

The consultations will be held in Toronto on September 25, 2008 and in Ottawa on September 30, 2008, in conjunction with training sessions about “Sponsorship Breakdown – What You Need to Know” (see details below).

TORONTO – Thursday, September 25, 2008
Time: 9:30am – 4:30pm
Location: Family Service Association Toronto
355 Church Street (just north of Gerrard)

OTTAWA – Friday, October 3, 2008
Time: 10am – 4:30pm
Location: Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization
945 Wellington Street West

These will be FREE, full-day events. Lunch will be provided.
OCASI will reimburse the day travel costs for a limited number of staff coming from outside Toronto and Ottawa. Hotel stays will not be covered.

To register please complete this registration form and email it to jchamberlain@ocasi.org or send it by fax to 416-322-8084.

“SPONSORSHIP BREAKDOWN – What You Need to Know”
Family reunification is a crucial part of immigrant settlement and integration. Sponsorship breakdown occurs when the sponsor or the sponsored family member withdraws from the sponsorship relationship before the end of the period specified in the Sponsorship Undertaking.  The breakdown could be the unwanted result of changing financial conditions or could be a necessary course of action to sustain the well-being of the sponsored family member(s).
Sponsors and immigrant and refugee service providers may not be aware of the consequences of sponsorship breakdown. This session will provide an overview of current Ontario Works regulations and a general picture about the implications of sponsorship breakdown. It will also provide you with an opportunity to raise some of your questions and concerns.
Facilitated by Francisco Rico-Martinez, Co-director of FCJ Refugee Centre

For more information please contact Julie Chamberlain at 416-322-4950 x227 or jchamberlain@ocasi.org

Organizational Standards Survey Prize Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Organizational Standards Survey prize draw!

Lakeshore Area Multi Services Project (LAMP–Ask!) (Etobicoke), Social Enterprise for Canada (Newmarket), and Community Action and Resource Centre (Toronto), have each won a party for their staff!*

Thank you to everyone who responded to the survey, contributing your valuable input and experience to the Organizational Standards consultation process. Watch this space for news of the forthcoming report.

To take a look at the consultation document and survey in French or English, click here.

*Winners were randomly drawn from among those who completed all or most of the survey

Organizational Standards Survey Now Closed

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to the Organizational Standards Survey. The survey is now closed.

We are now in the process of compiling and analyzing the feedback gathered; we look forward to reporting back what we’ve learned. For your interest, please take a look at the Consultation Document in French or English.

July Update: Organizational Standards Survey & Consultation Document Online Now

[La version en français se trouve juste après celle en anglais]

We need your input! Please read and complete the Organizational Standards Survey & Consultation Document.

The Organizational Standards Survey & Consultation Document is part of OCASI’s Organizational Standards Initiative (OSI), which aims to strengthen capacity and accountability in Ontario’s immigrant and refugee serving sector through the development and use of voluntary organizational standards, an organizational self assessment toolkit, and other related tools.

The purpose of the survey is to get feedback from community based immigrant and refugee serving agencies about the direction and focus OCASI should take in the development of organizational standards and related capacity development initiatives.

Now is your chance to shape the direction of the standards. Give us your feedback by completing the online Organizational Standards Survey between July 7 – August 1, 2008. Please also read the companion Consultation Document before you complete the survey.

The Survey & Consultation Document is available online at: www.ocasi.org/osisurvey

Complete the survey and your agency could win one of 3 catered parties!

* This survey is open to EDs, board members, managers, staff and volunteers of community based immigrant and refugee serving agencies. We also welcome feedback from researcher, advocates, and other people who are engaged in the strengthening of the community social services sector, particularly as it pertains to serving newcomers.

For more information contact us.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nous avons besoin de votre apport ! Veuillez lire et compléter le Sondage et document de consultation sur les normes organisationnelles.

Le Sondage et le document de consultation sur les normes organisationnelles font partie intégrante de l’Initiative pour les normes organisationnelles (INO) d’OCASI. L’INO vise à soutenir les capacités et l’aptitude à rendre des comptes au sein du secteur desservant les immigrants et les réfugiés[1] en Ontario par le biais du développement et de l’utilisation de normes organisationnelles adoptées de manière volontaire, d’une trousse d’autoévaluation organisationnelle et d’autres outils connexes.

Le présent document de consultation et le sondage visent à obtenir la rétroaction des organismes membres d’OCASI et d’autres organismes communautaires desservant les immigrants et les réfugiés concernant la direction que doit prendre OCASI et l’accent qu’il doit mettre dans l’élaboration de normes organisationnelles et d’initiatives de développement des capacités.

Voici votre opportunité pour influencer la conception des normes. Faites-nous connaître votre opinion en complétant le sondage pour les normes organisationnelles sur internet entre le 1er juillet et le 1er aout 2008. Veuillez lire le Document de consultation qui accompagne le sondage avant de répondre à ce dernier.

Le sondage et Document de consultation est disponible en ligne à : www.ocasi.org/osisurvey

Complétez le sondage et votre organisme pourrait gagner sa participation a une de 3 fêtes avec repas fournis!

* Le sondage peut être completé par les Directeurs généraux, les membres du conseil d’administration, du personnel et les bénévoles des organismes communautaires desservant les immigrants et les réfugiés. Nous accueillerons également toute rétroaction de la part de chercheurs, des groupes de plaidoyer, et d’autres intervenants engagés dans le renforcement du secteur communautaire de services sociaux, en particulier ceux qui desservent les nouveaux arrivants.

Pour plus d’informations contactez nous.

[1] Dans ce texte, le masculin est utilisé dans son sens neutre, en vue d’alléger la lecture et sans aucune intention de discrimination.