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1.1 The Context of the Evaluation

In 1998, Income Security Programs (ISP) Outreach was created as a separate entity from ISP Communications as a result of an ISP Omnibus Submission approved by the Treasury Board. The Omnibus Submission addressed four key results/goals:

• provide quality service to Canadians;
• strengthen the management and administration of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability;
• increase public understanding of the goals, methods and administration of Canada's public pension system; and
• protect Canada's public pension system against errors, fraud and abuse.

Based on the Submission, the Treasury Board approved additional resources for the administration of the Income Security Programs. This allocation included resources for ISP Outreach. These resources were intended primarily to address the third goal/objective above. However, achieving this goal is not the sole responsibility of ISP Outreach.

Prior to 1997, Outreach resources were in place in regional and local offices across the country. However, since Outreach had been funded by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), there was no presence in Quebec where the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) is administered by the provincial government. As a result of the Omnibus Submission, three changes occurred:

• the scope of Outreach activity was expanded to also incorporate Old Age Security (OAS);
• resources were increased (approximately doubled) in each of the regions and a significant presence was established in Quebec; and
• a headquarters presence was established for program direction, planning, product development, and research.

The Omnibus Submission included an Accountability Framework (AF). The AF notes two measures which relate directly to ISP Outreach:

• a performance management system which would monitor the activities under the program and provide measurements of effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the Outreach program; and
• evaluation activity would be based on an evaluation framework.

To address the Treasury Board requirement for evaluation, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) developed a two-phased approach. This report marks the completion of the first phase — a formative evaluation which was designed to "provide information on the progress towards the achievement of the overall objectives and ... to identify weaknesses in design, delivery and implementation that could be corrected so that the program could be more effective". A second phase was planned during 2001-2002 —a summative evaluation "to measure the effectiveness of ISP Outreach in delivering on its mandate".

1.2 Evaluation Issues

This evaluation addresses 15 issues relating to the following five categories:

• Rationale;
• Design, Delivery and Implementation — Clients Reached;
• Design, Delivery and Implementation — Tools;
• Design, Delivery and Implementation — Specific Activities and Alternatives;
• Design, Delivery and Implementation — Co-ordination.

The 15 specific issues and findings for each are provided in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 provides the conclusions of the Evaluation.

1.3 Evaluation Methodology

The methodology applied to this evaluation has been described in detail in the Methodology Report submitted on March 21, 2000. In brief the following methodologies have been applied to the evaluation:

• case studies which examined the detailed operation of ISP Outreach in four regions —New Brunswick, Quebec, Southwestern Ontario and Manitoba;
• interviews with ISP Headquarters officials (11) and with ISP Regional managers (12) in the six regions where a case study was not conducted;
• interviews (9) with Non-Government Organizations and Other Government departments;
• interviews (39) with organizations identified by regional offices as partners or organizations which they have worked with. This is in addition to 19 similar interviews conducted during the regional case studies;
• case studies of two events conducted under the auspices of ISP Outreach. The first was operation of a booth at the Atlantic National Home Show in Saint John, New Brunswick March 10—12, 2000. The second consisted of three retirement/pre-retirement information sessions in St. John's, Newfoundland in April and May, 2000;
• interviews with 83 direct Outreach clients at these events;
• review of the design and implementation of the Performance Management Database;
• review of documents pertaining to the program; and
• literature review of experience relating to Outreach type activities in 9 other countries as well as experience of the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency.