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The Office for Disability Issues and the Social Development Directorate would like to thank all those who participated in the evaluation of the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP).

Evaluation findings showed that the SDPP has played a unique role, working to assist partners in the social non-profit sector to address the social development needs and aspirations of persons with disabilities, children and their families and other vulnerable or excluded populations; and, to promote their inclusion and full participation as citizens in all aspects of Canadian society.

We are pleased that the evaluation confirmed the many strengths of the SDPP, including its continued relevance and the impact and effectiveness of its funding activities. At the same time, participants offered a number of positive suggestions for enhancing the design and delivery of the program. We would like to take this opportunity to respond to some of the key issues raised by representatives of social non-profit organizations in the course of the evaluation process.

Program Relevance

The SDPP was established in 1998 to combine the Disabled Persons Participation Program (DPPP), and the National Welfare Grants (NWG) program, both of which predated the creation of HRDC in 1993. [The SDPP has also been funding projects formerly supported under the Child Care Visions (CCV) program since FY 2000-01. The CCV program was the subject of a separate evaluation.]

The SDPP evaluation showed that the Program remains firmly grounded in a number of the government's overarching policies with respect to social development and inclusion and furthers specific government priorities with respect to persons with disabilities, children and their families and other vulnerable populations. The SDPP also helps fulfill the federal government's commitments under the Social Union Framework Agreement and the Accord Between the Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector.

The evaluation found that SDPP is fully consistent with HRDC's mission "to enable Canadians to participate fully in the community beyond the workplace", and is unique in its role of ensuring the continued health and capacity of voluntary sector partners needed for HRDC programs and policy development.

Program Design and Delivery

The evaluation revealed a number of areas for improvement with respect to program design and delivery, including the need for more clarity concerning funding activities and the appropriate use of grants versus contributions. Participants also commented on the need for broader consultations with stakeholders in establishing funding priorities and a more open process for soliciting and assessing proposals and allocating funding. In addition, the evaluation called for a reduction in the administrative burden imposed by new financial accountability requirements. All of the design and delivery weaknesses identified in the evaluation are being addressed in the SDPP renewal process and improvements are reflected both in the renewed Terms and Conditions and in new program management approaches.

The renewed Terms and Conditions clearly specify the activities that will be supported by the SDPP. [SDPP project funding will be provided to support activities related to the generation and dissemination of knowledge; fostering collaboration and partnerships and participation in public dialogue/consultations on Canada's social policies and programs. Organizational funding will be provided to support activities related to strengthening organizations' capacity in the areas of governance, policy and program development, community outreach, organizational administration and management. ]

The use of grants and contributions are also being clarified. Under the renewed Terms and Conditions, contributions will be used for funding projects; grants will be used to support organizational capacity building. In order to achieve this clear distinction, it will be necessary to regularize the current allocation of funding for organizational capacity in relation to project funding (approximately 50-50). This will require a transition period of several years in order to convert $3.6 million in contribution funding to grants.

The evaluation found that SDPP grants have achieved significant results with respect to strengthening the capacity of national organizations in the social non-profit sector and continue to be an appropriate funding instrument to achieve the program's capacity building objectives. However, the continued use of grants involves some challenges with respect to ensuring accountability for results. The renewed SDPP includes new provisions to minimize financial risk and help ensure accountability for results when providing funding through grants and contributions.

With respect to a more representative and inclusive method for consulting its partners on priority setting, the renewed Terms and Conditions require that "Specific priorities and assessment criteria for project funding will be developed in ongoing consultations with government and non-government stakeholders and will be published as part of regular intake processes." SDPP officials will consult with partners within the federal government, in provincial and territorial governments, in academia and in the voluntary sector to ensure that the funding priorities remain current and relevant on a pan-Canadian basis. This broader and stronger network of partners will help to shape priorities and ensure the Program continues to advance common social goals.

The evaluation observed that a small number of organizations had received a disproportionate amount of the funding available through SDPP. In part, this reflects the fact that the number of national-level social non-profit organizations focusing on priority areas is currently unknown. In addition, since SDPP and its precursor programs have deep historical roots, many stable and mutually beneficial partnerships have been developed over time. These longstanding partnerships continue to make valuable contributions to the achievement of shared social objectives. Given that some of the organizations that have traditionally received SDPP funding have constituencies that are among the most disadvantaged in our society, they have little prospect of becoming totally self-sustaining. In assessing applications for grants in the renewed Terms and Conditions, preference will be given to organizations that demonstrate commitment to several government priorities including identifying and addressing priority social issues; expanding networks and ongoing alliances with those with common goals; developing a sustainable funding base; etc. This may help free up more resources for new recipients over the longer term. At the same time, the increased focus on results will help ensure that grants yield demonstrable benefits on a continuing basis.

With respect to suggestions regarding expanded outreach and marketing of the SDPP, the Program has a relatively small funding base and focuses on multi-year commitments. The resources allocated for the SDPP have not increased since the program's inception. Thus, if the number of recipients were significantly expanded, the organizations that currently receive funding may well receive considerably less funding or no funding at all, with a concomitant strain on the trust and rapport that has been carefully nurtured over the years. This conundrum is the inevitable consequence of having enduring partnerships and a fixed amount of funding to respond to growing demand. The need to market the Program has to be balanced against the risk of creating unrealistic expectations among potential recipients. There is also a need to consider the administrative cost-effectiveness of reviewing proposals, the vast majority of which cannot be approved because of lack of resources.

Nevertheless, the Program intends to be more open and inclusive in its funding processes and will continue to expand the SDPP's reach to organizations that are well placed to help improve outcomes for targeted populations. The commitment, under a renewed SDPP, to establish funding priorities in consultation with a broader range of stakeholders and to publish funding priorities, assessment criteria, application procedures and deadlines on a regular basis will go some distance to improving the openness and transparency of the funding process.

The SDPP evaluation found that the rigorous implementation of new administrative measures for financial accountability, in response to previous findings of the Auditor General, appears to be undermining the Program's ability to pursue improvements in other areas, and is threatening the viability of some funded organizations. In response to these concerns, program officials are now working with their HRDC colleagues to achieve the right calibration between financial accountability regimes and effective partnerships. They are also working in close collaboration with representatives of the social non-profit sector to address major irritants in the funding relationship.

Program Effectiveness

The SDPP evaluation showed that the Program has been effective in achieving its objectives. It found that SDPP funding successfully contributes to the development and promotion of best practices and models of service delivery in Canada; strengthening community capacity to meet social development needs; and enhancing the capacity of the social non-profit sector to contribute information and knowledge on new and emerging social issues.

The evaluation of the SDPP, while noting the high quality of the information and knowledge generated by project funding, indicated that the impact of the Program could be enhanced if results were more widely disseminated. Although funding recipients appeared to be conscientious about sharing information and knowledge with their member organizations, they were less consistent in reaching the broader social non-profit sector.

To help improve the impact of project funding, the renewed Terms and Conditions will require that funding recipients identify appropriate plans to disseminate information and share the knowledge generated by their projects. The recent proliferation in Websites and electronic networking will no doubt facilitate these efforts. Subject to resource limitations, the SDPP will also continue to provide funding for conferences where sponsors can showcase results.

With respect to capacity building, the SDPP evaluation found that SDPP's organizational funding significantly increases the capacity of recipient national non-profit organizations, which in turn contributes to community capacity to meet social development needs. SDPP's funding has both direct and indirect impacts, as recipients lever funds from other donors, and use the legitimacy associated with SDPP funding in other fund-raising efforts. Case studies rated the provision of grants as particularly important for enabling participation and effective contributions to government policy development.

Since the SDPP is designed to achieve its long-term objectives indirectly through partners in the non-profit sector, demonstrating the impact of SDPP funding will be an ongoing challenge. However, the increased clarity with respect to the SDPP's objectives, activities and expected outcomes will help officials to measure progress and assess impacts. Also, the SDPP is currently developing a database on grants and contributions, which will facilitate continuous monitoring, analysis and reporting. The SDPP database will complement the "common system" that has been developed by HRDC to manage all of its grants and contributions.

Notwithstanding their confirmation of the continued relevance and effectiveness of the SDPP, participants in the evaluation expressed concern about the Program's relatively small budget (consists of less than 1% of HRDC's overall grants and contributions budget) and lack of visibility within the federal government. Although the Program is small and has consequently had a fairly low profile, it has remained aligned with the modern policy framework and the ongoing priorities within HRDC and the government at large. The process of renewing Terms and Conditions has already helped to raise the SDPP's profile and has helped create a broader understanding of the SDPP's objectives. Building on the momentum created by the renewal exercise, officials will continue to work to highlight the role of the SDPP in advancing governments' social goals.

Healthy democracies value the contributions of strong, autonomous intermediary organizations that bring together groups of citizens to advance policies that benefit all members of the society. The SDPP occupies an important strategic niche in carrying forward Canada's social agenda at the national level. The renewed SDPP, now built with greater clarity of purpose, and better tools to measure the incremental impacts of program investments, is in good shape to identify and nurture the innovative ideas and positive actions generated in the social non-profit sector.