through joint planning and organization of activities and achievement of mutual objectives. Collaboration is when individuals, agencies or organizations are willing to compromise and work together in the interest of mutual gains or outcomes. Working in this way will be critical to the development of an effective, multi-sector plan. Many municipalities, First Nations and their partners that are developing local plans have found that having a dedicated coordinator is very helpful in supporting and facilitating collaboration among all the different partners involved in the development of the plan. As partners work together and find new and more effective ways of tackling common challenges, they may begin to operate in convergence, which involves the restructuring of services, programs, budgets, objectives and/or staff.
In Sault Ste. Marie, a local multi-agency service delivery model focuses on providing vital services and programs under one roof, and acts as a support to a specific neighbourhood through the Neighbourhood Resource Centre – a collaborative effort of 32 local agencies and groups.
Evidence and Evaluation
Before a plan can be developed, it will be important to gather information and evidence to paint a clear picture of what is happening in the community to support the identification of local priority risks. Some communities have already started to gather and analyze data from various sources, including Statistics Canada, police and crime data, as well as data on employment levels, educational attainment rates, social services and health care information. If gaps in service or programming are found in locally-identified areas of risk, research should be done to determine the most appropriate evidence-based response to be put into place. On the other hand, communities that already have evidenced-based strategies in place that directly respond to a local priority risk identified in their plan should review each strategy to ensure outcome measures are established and that they are showing a positive impact. Depending on these results, enhancing or expanding these strategies should be considered. Once a completed plan is implemented, data and information will be equally critical in order to evaluate how effective it has been in addressing the priority risks and creating positive changes in the community. The same data and information sources that indicated from the beginning that housing and homelessness, for example, was a priority risk in the community, should be revisited and reviewed to determine whether that risk has been reduced. Sharing evidence that the plan is creating better outcomes for community members will help to build trust and support for the implementing partner agencies and organizations, the planning process, and the plan itself.
Cultural Responsiveness
Cultural responsiveness is the ability to effectively interact with, and respond to, the needs of diverse groups of people in the community. Being culturally responsive is a process that begins with having an awareness and knowledge of different cultures and practices, as well as one’s own cultural worldview. It involves being open and respectful of, cultural differences and developing skills and knowledge to build effective cross-cultural to, relationships. It also includes developing strategies and programs that consider social and historical contexts, systemic and interpersonal power imbalances, acknowledge the needs and worldviews of different groups, and respond to the specific inequities they face.
