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This report concludes the evaluation of the Sectoral Partnership Initiative (SPI). It was prepared on behalf of Evaluation and Data Development by Ekos Research Associates Inc.

We wish to thank the members of the SPI evaluation advisory committee for their valued participation in this project. Their advice, feedback, assistance and goodwill are appreciated.

We also wish to thank the various human resource councils involved in the SPI for their cooperation in this evaluation project and for their important input.

FOREWORD

The evaluation of the Sectoral Partnership Initiative (SPI) was planned originally to include three phases: 1) formative; 2) monitoring and data collection; and 3) summative. Since most sector councils were only early into their operational period when the SPI evaluation was initiated, a formative evaluation was conducted during 1994 and 1995. The subsequent monitoring and data collection phase was designed for implementation in two possible rounds of data collection. This report draws from the Round One data collection which was completed by mid-1997. Significant changes have impacted upon the SPI, including the federal Youth Strategy, the EI Act, and federal-to-provincial devolution of labour market training. Given these changes, it became evident that it would not be worthwhile to pursue the rest of this evaluation.

The formative evaluation of the SPI dealt primarily with rationale and delivery issues. The monitoring and data collection stage of the evaluation was intended to cover all of the evaluation issues. These issues revolve around:

• rationale;
• delivery results;
• impacts and effects;
• efficiency and cost-effectiveness; and
• alternatives.

The emphasis of this report is on new information collected, however, for completeness, findings from the formative evaluation have been integrated with this report. This report summarizes findings from both phases of the evaluation conducted to date.