William Ashton (Bill)

Assessment of Settlement Services Systems in Western and Northern Canada: Perceptions of Settlement Provider Organizations

Abstract: In Western Canada, away from cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, and Winnipeg, where fewer immigrants arrive, newcomers often inject vital lifeblood into local economies, bring new ideas for businesses, and further diversify the ethno-cultural profiles of rural communities. Yet, there is far less research on settlement services available in rural communities and smaller urban centres. This paper explores the perceptions of 159 officials from settlement service organizations (SPOs) across 32 rural communities in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Western region, which consists of the four western provinces and three northern territories. A mixed method approach was used to investigate SPOs’ organizational capacity, partnerships and assessment needs in three sub-categories of rural communities: remote, small, and medium-sized. The majority of SPOs reported sufficient capacity to communicate and coordinate with stakeholders and meet reporting requirements. In contrast, a majority of SPOs also reported a lack of capacity for investing in governance and strategic planning. Smaller communities (less than 30,000 population) were the most challenged in providing settlement services. The conclusions call for more support for SPOs and a more robust and integrated settlement services provision system that can meet the needs of all categories of immigrants. Résumé: Dans l’Ouest Canadien, loin des villes comme Vancouver, Calgary, Regina et Winnipeg, où peu d’immigrants arrivent, les nouveaux arrivants injectent souvent de l’énergie vitale dans l’économie locale, en apportant des nouvelles idées aux entreprises et en diversifiant les profils ethnoculturels des collectivités rurales. Il y a déjà moins de recherches sur les services d’établissements disponibles dans les communautés et les petits centres urbains. Ce travail explore les perceptions de 159 fonctionnaires des organisations des services d’établissement (OSE) à travers 32 communautés rurales d’immigration, de réfugiés et de citoyens dans la région de l’Ouest canadien, qui sont constituées de quatre provinces de l’ouest et trois territoires du Nord. Une approche méthodologique mixte est utilisée pour analyser les capacités organisationnelles des OSE, les partenariats et l’évaluation des besoins dans trois sous catégories de communautés rurales : les régions lointaines, les petites et les moyennes. La majorité des OSE ont déclaré une capacité suffisante de communiquer et coordonner avec les parties prenantes pour satisfaire aux exigences des rapports. En revanche, une majorité de OSE ont également déclaré un manque de capacité à investir dans la gouvernance et la planification stratégique. Les petites communautés (moins de 30 000 de population) étaient les plus rétissants à fournir les services d’établissement. Les conclusions interpellent à plus de soutien pour les OSE et une mise sur pied d’un service d’établissement plus robuste et intégré d’un système d’approvisionnement qui peut satisfaire les besoins de tous les catégories d’immigrants.

Critical gaps in public policy programs in Canada: Identifying subject areas for graduate training in rural policy

ABSTRACT Since rural Canada contributes about one-third of the national economy and significantly to culture, we argue it deserves greater attention in public policy, beginning with policy education. A scan of 22 Canadian Masters of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs reveals a marked absence of policy training focused on rural issues and communities. By comparing the subject areas offered in these programs and the learning outcomes presented at the 2015 International Comparative Rural Policy Studies (ICRPS) summer institute, we identify subject areas essential for training in rural policy. The comparison establishes an important congruence in the learning offered in the MPP/MPA programs and the summer institute, and yet critical differences. The analysis recognizes that training in analytical tools and socio-political contexts is foundational for policy design and implementation. However, acquiring competency in rural policy reinforces the need for graduate coursework centred on rural policy sectors.