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2.1 Relevance 1. What was the process used to determine the social and economic need for the Labour Market Information (LMI) program and individual projects?
The LMI Working Group was established with members representing a diverse cross-section of agencies and government departments which utilize LMI at various levels and/or have clients who utilize LMI. The LMI Working Group had structured discussions to:
Projects were proposed in accordance with the goals and objectives of Strategic Initiatives, and priorities were identified for projects. A consultant was contracted to conduct a needs assessment for the following four potential LMI projects.
The needs assessments involved interviewing key informants who would utilize the LMI generated by these projects. The First Nations Client Tracking System project provides an example of a development process that includes a feedback loop from people who will use the information to identify what they want from the system. Consultation with Métis communities and on-going communication with the regional Métis Employment and Training of Saskatchewan Inc. (METSI) offices as well as the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan (MNS) also contributed to the development of the Métis Employment Strategy proposal and project design. Research conducted through the pre-operational phase of the Career Services Strategic Initiative projects also identified some of the LMI requirements of job seekers, counsellors, and employers. The research was shared with the LMI Working Group members and LMI project coordinator. The evaluators conducted six focus groups with job seekers, employers, counselors, Career Service representatives, Working Group members, and policy makers. The focus groups confirmed the importance and need for up-to-date, detailed labour market information being collected. The focus groups also identified current utilization of LMI, perceived gaps in LMI, and preferred formats for and access to LMI. 2. How have the labour force development needs of target groups been incorporated in the design of the Labour Market Information Initiative?
Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, women, visible minorities, social assistance recipients, and youth have been identified in the Labour Force Development Agreement (LFDA) as target groups and employment equity members for Strategic Initiatives projects. Target groups are represented on the LMI Working Group through Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board (SLFDB) members. Equity Reference Groups to the SLFDB, including Métis Nation people, visible minorities, women, people with disabilities, First Nations people, youth, and people living in poverty, have the opportunity to provide input on training and employment initiatives from the perspective of their members. Métis Nation and First Nations Working Group representatives identified the LMI needs of their constituents, and designed projects around those identified needs. The First Nations Client Tracking System, for instance, was primarily designed for planners in Aboriginal organizations involved in training and labour force development. Summary information also will be shared with other labour market partner agencies. The Métis Training & Employment Strategy project was designed to provide labour market information for Métis people, and will be used as planning documents by the Métis Council, Métis Legislative Assembly, and the 12 regional Métis Employment and Training offices. Some of the other LMI projects are also identifying target group employment. The Sector Study, for example, is profiling the employment of target groups in the workforce in various sectors by primary occupation. The Study is also identifying companies owned by aboriginal people. Information available through electronic sources also has the potential to be more accessible to people with disabilities and other target groups who may have a more difficult time in accessing information through traditional locations and formats. 3. How was innovation instrumental to the Labour Market Information initiative?
The LMI projects are piloting various innovations in partnerships, information collection, product development, and information distribution that are new to Saskatchewan. Examples of LMI innovations include the following projects:
4. How does the Labour Market Information initiative represent improvements in service to clients over existing programs?
The LMI initiatives are expected to collectively provide more comprehensive and up-to-date information in the following areas:
The Saskatchewan Sectors Study, for example, will provide more comprehensive and up-to-date information on current and future human resource issues and requirements for nine key provincial sectors that currently encompass 65 percent of the Saskatchewan workforce. More detailed information regarding future expected job opportunities by occupation, industry trends, and training requirements than previously collected will be available. Another example is the Métis Employment Strategy which will develop linkages between the Métis labour force, employment opportunities and required training needs. The project will provide a better understanding of local business needs and solutions required to address systemic barriers of the Métis participating in training and employment. The Strategy will identify which training programs will be most effective in meeting the training needs of Métis people, and will identify the vehicle for providing training, and will incorporate some of the Sectors Study findings to avoid duplication of efforts. Several LMI projects will also provide an infrastructure for improvements in the dissemination and access to LMI through new technologies such as LAN/WAN, the Internet, and the Extranet. The Saskatchewan Partnership Website, for instance, will develop an electronic single access point for communicating and distributing career, employment and other LMI to the general public. Linkages to other LMI sites will also be established. Focus groups composed of LMI users highlighted the importance of having access to user friendly and integrated LMI products. Users also stressed the importance and desirability of a single access point for information. Individuals and front-line LMI providers will be able to access on-line information more quickly. Information will be at their fingertips through search capabilities that will be built into the system and because of the interactive opportunities that the electronic media offers. The communication network developed through the LMI projects will decrease the time and effort required to transfer information between the various SI partners. The communication network will also allow for easier day-to-day communication between SI partners. Alternatives, such as CD-ROMs and computer disks, were evaluated as a means of distributing the information in electronic format but were determined to be not as effective as the Internet because of the relatively high costs of production, distribution, and updating. The public will have easy access to the LMI through computers at home or work, or through publicly funded sites like libraries and career centers, etc. Access to the Internet is expected to quickly increase as technology decreases in price. 2.2 Program Design and Delivery 1. Have any operational/legislative/regulatory/jurisdictional constraints been identified that impinge on the ability of the program to achieve its objectives? How were these handled?
Initial timelines for the LMI projects did not take into account the time involved in partnership development and in the development of appropriate policies and procedures. Prior to the Strategic Initiatives Contribution Agreement being signed, responsibilities for LMI activities were handled separately and distinctly by each order of government. In addition, the amount of time required and how resource demanding the project would be was not fully realized until the initiative reached its second phase. Consequently, several challenges arose from differences in approaches originally being undertaken by the partners and as a result of the complex nature of the LMI stream itself. Difficulties arose in integrating the two separate and distinct LMI collection and dissemination systems. Some of the challenges that had to be overcome during the initial stages of implementing the LMI initiative included the following:
The LMI Working Group planned the LMI projects within the overall SI timelines and guidelines set by the Agreement. Extensions for timelines were often needed to successfully implement LMI projects and ensure that requirements were met. Strategic Initiatives staff members have been flexible in providing extensions for projects as required. 2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Labour Market Information initiative's organizational structure?
A copy of the LMI initiative organizational chart and a brief description of the primary roles and responsibilities of LMI partners and staff can be found in Appendix Two. An organizational weakness was the short timeframe in which the LMI initiative was required to be operational. The short timeframe for program design and development resulted in a lack of understanding regarding the parameters of the LMI initiative. It also created a forced and rushed atmosphere for partnership development. The LMI Working Group, made up of experts in the area of labour market information from government departments and organizations that use LMI, was responsible for the pre-operational program design, the development phase of the program, identification of gaps in labour market information, and the development of project proposals. The Working Group was involved in the recommendation and approval of projects and did not undertake a formal needs assessment process for all projects to identify projects. LMI Sub-Groups were created to oversee the implementation of the projects approved by the LMI Working Group. In addition to the pressures arising from the tight timeframes for program design and implementation, another complication resulted from the reduced timeframe to make the program fully operational. Some frustration resulted from the hurried and somewhat forced nature of the partnership approach. The opportunity to develop and nurture real partnerships and build trust to ensure ongoing commitment to the LMI projects was not available. This, in turn, created a high pressure environment in which Working Group members and LMI staff were constantly trying to catch up with, and remain on top of, program delivery. A conscious decision was made to separate LMI from the Career Services Program stream. However, common linkages do exist between LMI and Career Services which were supported by the findings of the focus groups. The focus groups determined that clients sometimes do not distinguish between LMI and Career Services. The Working Groups, partners, and staff recognized the importance of co-ordination occurring between the LMI and Career Services. Close communication between LMI and Career Services has been taking place at the Coordinators' level with many initiatives to increase coordination occurring between the two areas. Increased coordination between LMI and Career Services at all levels will be important, particularly as LMI proceeds to the next stages of developing products for end-users. The development of LMI products, for instance, has the potential to benefit from the formal needs assessments that have been conducted by Career Services. A strength of the LMI organizational structure was the involvement and interest of partners in the LMI initiative. All officials and partners have shown a strong commitment to the program by spending significant time, in addition to their regular duties, supporting it. Internal communications were also seen as a strength of the LMI initiative. They included interaction with the members of the LMI Working Group, the Strategic Initiatives senior management, co-chairs, and staff. Monthly progress reports were provided to partners and a newsletter entitled LMI Update, was developed for Working Group members and other partners. The newsletter was a strength of internal communication. The newsletter kept stakeholders up-to-date on the progress of the program and the distribution of the newsletter was expanded because of its effectiveness. The monthly co-chair meetings were also effective in keeping all Strategic Initiatives streams informed of current activities. 3. How was the community informed about the Labour Market Information initiative? Was the external communication effective?
A newsletter, LMI Update was initiated by the LMI project coordinator to keep the Working Group members informed on the progress of pending and approved projects. The newsletter distribution was expanded to include all Strategic Initiatives staff, and later further expanded to include PSEST department directors and others. Because of the success experienced by the LMI Update in keeping people informed, the concept was expanded to Career Services, Work/Study, and Evaluation. Some stakeholders indicated an interest in being updated on the LMI research findings of projects such as the Sector Study, on a more regular basis. The Working Group and Sub-Groups have used several options for distributing summaries of research findings including, but not limited to, printed newsletters, E-Mail, listserve, and Extranet. Workshops also indicated the desirability of distributing a document to help to create common understandings of the LMI initiative among the stakeholders summarizing the Labour Market Information projects and identifying their client group. Communication plans are underway to create user awareness of the various LMI products. The development of a marketing strategy to inform the general public about the Saskatchewan Partnership Website will be particularly important. A communication specialist has been retained to assist in developing and implementing a communication strategy. 4. What measures are being taken for tracking, monitoring and assessing the projects? Are these adequate?
Procedures are in place to monitor the LMI initiative's financial expenditures, progress of the LMI projects, quality of LMI products, and how the products meet user needs. Every LMI project has a workplan with milestones and/or deliverables that are attached to payments. The LMI project coordinator ensures that timeframes for project milestones are in place, monitors the process and achievement of milestones on a monthly basis, and reports to the co-chairs and management. The SI Database/Tracking System has been designed to facilitate the monitoring of progress for all LMI projects. The LMI and Career Service project coordinators worked with the contractors to develop the software, with the expectation that the system would be operational by August, 1996. Significant changes made to incorporate changes into the requirements of the Work/Study SI Stream resulted in delays in getting the Database/Tracking System operational. Focus groups and stakeholder interviews identified the importance of having accurate information to make decisions. The LMI Working Group will be ensuring information presented at all levels takes into account the sample size of the research. Standards are being set for presentation of information as descriptive or statistically significant. The LMI co-chairs and sub-groups are responsible for monitoring the quality of LMI projects. Achievement of the objectives for projects such as the Sector Study is being monitored through progress reports. Co-chairs and sub-groups review interim and final reports and recommend required changes to better meet objectives. Monitoring will be conducted to ensure that LMI products are meeting user needs. For instance, use of the websites and systems will be tracked and online surveys will be incorporated as part of the evaluation. 2.3 Program Success 1. What types of partnerships have been developed through the Labour Market Information initiative? What have been some of the partnership achievements and challenges? Will these partnerships be sustainable?
LMI partnership achievements and benefits during the formative phase and expectations for future partnerships include the following:
There is an opportunity to learn from the following successes achieved in dealing with partnership challenges:
In order for the partnerships to be sustainable, the partners must continue to realize positive net benefits and continue to have similar agendas to accomplish specific objectives. Organizations must be selective in partnership building because of the resources that they require. Sustainability of the partnerships will depend on the commitment of partners as demonstrated by an allocation of financial and human resources. The Working Group is expected to continue to work together as a permanent LMI advisory board or council. Decisions will be made as to how to include new partners on the council. Additional organizations such as Saskatchewan universities, community based organizations and federal and provincial government departments that use or collect various types of LMI have the potential to contribute positively to the LMI initiatives through consultation or future participation. Government departments in other provinces such as British Columbia and Alberta have also developed LMI products, including Internet sites, which may be useful to consider in Saskatchewan's LMI product development. Opportunities exist to further build on linkages and learn from others' experiences and knowledge in developing LMI products and administrative systems. 2. How is the Labour Market Information initiative contributing to increased federal and provincial coordination and collaboration in labour force development? How does this represent an improvement over previous collaboration?
Prior to the Strategic Initiatives Contribution Agreement being signed, responsibilities for LMI activities were handled separately by each order of government. Although there was some collaboration on individual LMI projects in the past, this initiative has increased the level of collaboration. Under Strategic Initiatives, the federal and provincial governments are working together as equal partners through joint decision making and planning, communication, and overall involvement in LMI project development and implementation. An increased level of communication between the two orders of government has also resulted in more sharing of information on an informal basis. The extensive involvement of the federal and provincial co-chairs in the initiative has increased awareness of the information that the two orders of government have available and provided a better appreciation of the information needs of both orders of government. An important contribution of the federal-provincial coordination will be the seamless connection of national and provincial LMI systems. Organizations will have access to the same information through a coordinated database - for instance, everyone will be able to access the same census data and use it for their specific requirements. The opportunity to access or to provide information through a single point will be an important factor in increasing efficiency for the two orders of government and other partners. Access to up-to-date and comprehensive LMI is necessary to support the transition towards increased provincial responsibility for career training and employment services. Infrastructure within the province to collect information and develop LMI products in the future is being established through this initiative. The electronic infrastructure, such as the LAN/WAN and the Partnership Internet site, will help to facilitate sharing of labour market information between the federal and provincial governments, other partners, and the general public. The infrastructure will assist the province in fulfilling its role in providing LMI under the Saskatchewan Training Strategy: Bridges to Employment. The LMI projects will also be useful if the provincial government assumes increased responsibility for other labour market services, including employment services and training, from the federal government under potential new agreements. 2.4 Program Cost Effectiveness 1. How were the funding allocations determined? Are the allocations appropriate relative to the identified needs?
In designing the LMI initiative, resources were allocated to maximize funding for project delivery and minimize funding for administration. The level of time and human resources required to develop and implement the program was not fully appreciated in the initial stages. As a result, several issues resulting from administrative resource constraints have had to be overcome. The administrative budget is relatively low compared to many other programs. However, many of the traditional administrative costs have been made through in-kind contributions as a result of the partnership approach of Strategic Initiatives. For example, program design was undertaken with stakeholders at their own expense and time. Federal/provincial management of the program has been done by existing staff who have other primary job duties. As well, the province has contributed office space and necessary equipment to ensure the effective operation of the program. A total of $2,200,000 was identified in the Strategic Initiatives Contribution Agreement for the Labour Market Information stream. The Working Group has prioritized requirements for LMI products and balanced identified needs within the available budget. Funding allocations for specific LMI projects were initially based on estimates made by the project coordinator. Flexibility, based on need, has been available to move funding to projects to ensure completion after the actual costs are determined. Some projects were designed to meet objectives within budgets set for those projects. As a result, priorities were set and trade-offs were made. For instance, sample sizes for Sector Study surveys were influenced by the budget; if more funding had been available, the sample sizes and correspondingly the reliability of the data, could have been increased. The LMI projects also benefited from contributions of financial and human resources from partner organizations that leveraged the funding provided by the Strategic Initiatives program.
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