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This section summarizes the findings from two special studies carried out as additions to the TAGS/HRDC Evaluation Study, the first on the household and gender dynamics of labour force adjustment among TAGS clients, and the second on the role and influence of community vis-à-vis client participation in TAGS/HRDC adjustment programs.

5.1 Special Study on the Household Dynamics of Adjustment

Throughout the TAGS/HRDC Evaluation Study close attention has been paid to the role of gender and household characteristics in labour force adjustment. As was described in Section 3 above, about 35% of those eligible for TAGS were women, 90% of whom were plant workers (women comprise just over half of the eligible plant workers). While TAGS was initiated as an adjustment program focused primarily on individual clients, virtually all TAGS clients (96%) were members of multi-person households, and 40% lived in households with other TAGS clients. A Special Study on the Household Dynamics of Adjustment was undertaken in 1995 to supplement findings from the other aspects of the TAGS/HRDC Evaluation Study. The goals of the special study were:

• to examine the role of the household in shaping adjustment options, actions and outcomes for TAGS clients;

• to examine the role of gender in determining adjustment options, actions and outcomes for TAGS clients;

• to examine the effectiveness of TAGS and of specific TAGS/HRDC program elements, in addressing the implications of household status and gender for TAGS clients and for the adjustment process.

5.1.1 Methodology of the Household Study

The study comprised the following research activities, carried out from May to October, 1995:

• a review of the literature on gender and household issues in relation to labour market adjustment in the fisheries;

• interviews with informed observers including government officials, industry and community leaders, and academics;

• secondary data analysis of the TAGS/HRDC client data and the 1991 Survey of Consumer Finances;

• case studies in five communities (four in Newfoundland and one in Nova Scotia) involving key informant interviews, focus groups with members of TAGS households and in-depth interviews with a small sample of individual TAGS household members;

• summary of household data from the TAGS client survey (September 1995).

The work of the TAGS/HRDC Household Special Study was later expanded and updated by a Masters Thesis in economics completed by a member of the Evaluation Team.⁵⁶ The thesis made use of the TAGS/HRDC client data and the October 1995 survey of TAGS clients.

5.1.2 Summary of Principal Findings

Women and men face different adjustment opportunities and constraints because of their different roles and often unequal positions in the family, the fishery and the community. Adjustment is a household process, where family circumstances affect the adjustment choices and needs of individual clients. Many TAGS clients have spouses who have enough work to keep them in their communities. Some have responsibilities for extended family members which constrain their options. Household constraints are particularly strong for women.

The client surveys found that just over half of both male and female TAGS clients lived with a spouse and children under 18, while 25% of TAGS clients had adult children living at home. 85% of TAGS clients had financial dependents, though most had others contributing financially to household expenses (87% of women and 66% of men in the September 1995 survey, and 80% of women and 61% of men in the October 1996 survey).

The 1995 TAGS client survey found that family-related issues such as the jobs or plans of other family members (for 23% of clients), and child care or elder care (for 33% of clients), constituted barriers to adjustment for many clients, especially women. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions in the Household Study confirmed this finding.

Female clients generally saw themselves as less mobile than did male clients because of family and household responsibilities, traditional gender roles in families, more limited labour market opportunities, and spouses who had jobs or just didn't want to leave. Men often chose to leave the home for seasonal jobs in other locations, but this was not seen as an option by most women.

Over half of the men interviewed were unwilling to move for a job opportunity for their wives, whereas almost all the women were willing to follow their husbands. While women were often more interested in training than were men, their ability to take advantage of these opportunities were conditioned by their household situations.

Given the evidence that adjustment is a family process, the Household Study inquired as to how effectively TAGS interventions facilitated this process.

A probit analysis found significant differences between men and women in the factors affecting the likelihood of adjustment apart from the impacts of age and education.⁵⁷ The incidence of adjustment for both men and women was positively related to education and negatively related to age, though the magnitude of the impacts was greater for women. For men the other significant factors were province and occupation, while for women they related to household characteristics, such as owning their own home, presence of a pre-schooler, and presence of other TAGS clients in the household.

The probit analysis confirmed the importance of the household factors for women, influencing their ability to take advantage of the adjustment options offered by TAGS. Interestingly, the presence of other TAGS clients in the household had no impact on men's adjustment but curtailed women's adjustment. The adjustment of women is constrained by their spouse's activity (or lack thereof), given traditional patterns of gender relations.

These results suggest that TAGS interventions did not adequately address the gender and household-related barriers which women faced. The fieldwork for the household study revealed many examples of program design elements which limited adjustment in a family context, especially for women:

• while individual counsellors were often sensitive to family issues, there was no systematic mechanism for involving partners in the formulation of Action Plans and choice of program options;

• client needs for a broader range of counselling services relating to psycho-social stress, financial issues and family conflict were not met;

• the limited availability of locally delivered training programs restricted most women to ABE. It was harder for women to go outside their communities for training, so access to more local training options and correspondence courses would have better met their needs;

• childcare allowance regulations did not meet the needs of women in some family situations, notably where husbands were present but unwilling to look after the children (many women were not comfortable with the requirement that the husband signify this unwillingness in writing). Lack of childcare was the biggest obstacle for many women, and more flexible rules are needed to accommodate their diverse circumstances;

• living away from home allowances were also criticized for not meeting needs when two members of a household had to go away for training, particularly the extra cost of maintaining the primary residence when it was not occupied. The allowance also did not take account of the extra time a family might need to be away in addition to their course length to accommodate children's schooling;

• men were more than twice as likely as women to have received mobility assistance under TAGS, reflecting the greater potential of men to initiate moves affecting the family;

• women were slightly more likely than men to have participated in Community Opportunity Pool (COP) projects. Women expressed an interest in having more COP projects and were frustrated with the difficulty of getting projects approved. For many women, the opportunity to work in the community was paramount;

• because of their limited mobility, female TAGS clients had higher expectations than men that TAGS would contribute to local job creation and economic diversification and were frustrated with the limited progress made in this area;

• many women interviewed said that Green Projects tended to be "men's jobs". This is borne out by the data on program participation, which show that men were more likely to participate in these projects.

5.1.3 Lessons Learned

Adjustment is a household process, and various family circumstances should be taken into account in adjustment programming. This is particularly crucial for women. Women's adjustment would be facilitated by:

• more flexible childcare supports and training allowances to fit various family situations;

• co-ordination of adjustment options when both spouses are eligible for a program;

• greater involvement of family members in counselling/career planning processes;

• more local provision of training and community projects which are compatible with family responsibilities and the work of other family members.

5.2 Community Dynamics of Adjustment

5.2.1 Background to Special Study

The Special Study on the Community Dynamics of Adjustment was only partially completed because the early termination of the TAGS program and the Evaluation Study.

The first TAGS/HRDC Evaluation Report drew the following conclusion from survey and focus group research carried out during 1995:

There are significant variations in levels of adjustment among different HRCC regions, and among communities within regions. These differences may reflect:

• differing labour market conditions in local areas;
• differing levels of community organization and leadership to deal with the crisis in the fishery;
• differences in community attitudes or culture;
• differences in HRCC adjustment approaches and priorities.⁵⁸

To further explore these relationships the Evaluation Team undertook special research activities in 1996 including the following:

• consultation meetings with TAGS Managers and staff in the RHQs and HRCCs;

• the addition of community related questions to the client survey conducted in June/July and November/December 1996;

• the addition of community related questions to the focus group sessions conducted in May/June, 1996;

• consultation meetings (in association with client focus groups) with community leaders and community development workers in communities in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Québec and Newfoundland.

In addition, the Evaluation Team produced detailed breakdowns of survey and client file data by HRCC, and held meetings with TAGS/HRDC staff in several HRCCs in 1995 and 1996 to discuss the respective data sets.

5.2.2 Survey Results on Community and Adjustment Issues

In answer to the open-ended question "What has been the biggest impact of the closure of the groundfish industry on your community? ", 66% of respondents mentioned unemployment. "People/young people moving away" was mentioned by 15% and "poverty/low incomes" was mentioned by 12%. Other respondents mentioned increased crime, family breakup/violence, and discouragement/ apathy.

Over 53% of respondents indicated they "don't know" what ways, if any, their communities had come together to deal with the problems caused by the groundfish shutdown. Other substantive responses included "they haven't come together" or "they haven't done anything" mentioned by 21% of respondents. Community economic development or job creation was mentioned by 10%, and 7% mentioned local counselling and support programs.

When asked who they saw as the main leaders or spokespersons for their communities in dealing with the fisheries crisis the most common response was "nobody" (33%) or "I don't know" (15%). The most common group or leader mentioned (16%) was the Fisheries, Food and Allied Workers/Canadian Auto Workers Union (FFAW/CAW) or local leaders of that union in Newfoundland. While 10% mentioned other unions or their leaders and 10% also mentioned local government, no other group or person received mention from more than 2% of respondents.

Over half of the clients surveyed had participated in an open community meeting to discuss TAGS or the fisheries crisis. Clients outside Newfoundland were much more likely to have done so than clients in Newfoundland. Some 46% of clients had been invited by their local HRCC or TAGS outreach office to an open meeting to discuss the program. The difference between clients in and out of Newfoundland was again substantial as was the difference between men and women. Women were 11% more likely than men to have participated in such a meeting.

5.2.3 Findings from Focus Group Sessions

In January through June of 1996 the Evaluation Team conducted focus groups in all five provinces with TAGS fishers and plant workers, community leaders and TAGS/HRDC staff. The key findings on community issues were:

• Community is a key factor in adjustment:
• there are wide variations among communities in levels of support for TAGS clients and their adjustment;
• in some communities local economic development organizations are seen as contributing significantly to mobilizing, motivating TAGS clients for training and employment;
• community adjustment appears to be strongest in areas with more community development/local economic development experience (e.g., co-operatives, Community Futures, Industrial Adjustment Strategy projects, etc.);
• many communities strongly support getting children through school, out of the fishery and out of the local area "so they will have a future".


• Community partnerships are essential to adjustment:
• most success with hard-to-adjust TAGS clients seems to come from co-ordinated, concerted efforts by HRCC, community college, regional development agency, unions, local business groups and other community organizations;
• local organizations are able to encourage and even pressure clients in positive and socially acceptable ways to start training, take job placements, etc.;
• there are positive results when fisheries employers co-operate with HRCCs in identifying training needs, encouraging employees to participate, and selecting clients for particular adjustment activities.


• There are variations in HRCC roles in communities:
• generally speaking, most HRCCs have not had the resources, the time or the skills to do effective community development work with TAGS clients and their communities;
• nevertheless, some HRCCs provide excellent leadership in developing community adjustment activities;
• there appear to be direct adjustment benefits when the community knows about TAGS program options, program changes; individual clients then get support and reinforcement from their social environment;
• where TAGS/HRDC staff were able to use community meetings and other community based communications processes they had success in mobilizing and motivating clients and in disseminating information about TAGS/HRDC program options.


• There is strong appreciation for TAGS/HRDC among community development leaders in active communities:
• leaders appreciate the flexibility of the TAGS program to tailor activities to local conditions and individual client needs;
• mix of TAGS program elements is seen to work well at the local level — training, job placement, self-employment, volunteer work, etc.;
• there are positive reactions among community agencies and groups to having ABE/upgrading, skills training, employment supports all in one package.


• TAGS clients are usually not "in the loop" in their communities:
• there have been few efforts in most regions to mobilize TAGS clients directly at the community level;
• for TAGS clients in Newfoundland, their unions have been key sources of information and organization and have had important roles in facilitating adjustment through training programs and other activities. The effectiveness of union activities vis-à-vis TAGS varies from community to community depending on local leadership and levels of support for the union.

5.2.4 Principal Findings and Lessons Learned

The following findings are indicated by the research on the community dynamics of adjustment for TAGS clients.

• Community attitudes and understandings are a significant influence on the adjustment choices of TAGS clients:
• interventions by the TAGS/HRDC program on the level of the community are therefore an effective means to influence the adjustment attitudes, choices and behaviour of individual clients;
• community interventions, combined with ABE/upgrading, appear to be the most effective means to influence the "hard to adjust" clients (i.e., clients constrained by age , education level, family ties, etc.), particularly those living in the more fisheries dependent communities;
• there is a need for more effective and consistent efforts to distribute accurate, up-to-date and reliable information about TAGS/HRDC adjustment programs and activities to all sectors of fisheries dependent communities.


• TAGS/HRDC staff at the HRCC level have not had a clear mandate, adequate knowledge and skills, and appropriate and sufficient resources to develop effective community interventions on a consistent and continuing basis:
• nevertheless, some HRCCs have been highly effective in mobilizing community resources, partnering with other community agencies and groups, and influencing community attitudes;
• there is a need for more sharing of ideas and experiences among HRCCs regarding best practices in the field of community interventions.


• TAGS/HRDC staff, and particularly the outreach staff, are often members of the local community, and may or may not be able to provide leadership and initiative in changing attitudes and challenging prevailing attitudes:
• in the context of any continuing interventions with TAGS clients on the community level, there is a need for specialized training, supervision and support to facilitate effective community interventions by HRDC field staff.


• Partnerships between TAGS/HRDC and local community colleges, community development agencies, community organizations, employers and other community interests have often been highly effective means of encouraging active adjustment by TAGS clients:
• community partners are often highly appreciative of the flexibility in TAGS/HRDC to adapt programs to local circumstances, needs and initiatives.


• There is interest both in the HRCCs and in the communities in developing comprehensive community based adjustment strategies on a pilot project basis:
• some communities, including the TAGS clients, placed a higher priority on adjusting young people out of the fishery than on adjusting the clients themselves, and wanted to be able to use TAGS resources on a local basis to accomplish the most effective adjustment for families and the community as a whole.


• There is a general view among TAGS/HRDC staff and community leaders that the job creation and community development components of TAGS have not yet had the impacts that were hoped:
• in the spring of 1996 FORD-Q and ACOA were mobilizing resources and building links with HRDC and provincial programs to make available significant capital and infrastructure support for local projects that meet approval criteria. The projects would not be just for TAGS clients, but would cover community based initiatives in general in communities impacted by the fisheries crisis. They would include economic planning, entrepreneurship training, and support for small business start-ups;
• there were numerous examples of useful and well managed Green Projects, but there were also cases where projects were poorly conceived and organized, where clients were reluctant to participate, and/or where resources were never sufficient to allow for success.

Footnotes

56	Crozier, Donna Labour Force Adjustment: Identifying Factors Influencing the Decisions of Displaced Workers in the Atlantic Fishery, Master's Thesis in Economics, Dalhousie University, June, 1996.
57	Ibid. The definition of the dependent adjustment variable was different from that later developed and used in the main Evaluation Study. However, sensitivity analysis of various adjustment measures showed that the results reported here are very robust.
58	HRDC, The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) Evaluation Report (Draft), Ottawa: HRDC Evaluation and Data Development Branch, June 1996, p. iv.