Directorates
·	Director General's Office
·	Data Development
·	Strategic Evaluations
·	Partnership and Continuous Evaluations
Publications
·	Evaluation Reports
·	Evaluation Briefs
·	Labour Market Development Agreement Series
·	Lessons Learned Series
·	Evaluation Tool Kit Series
·	Evaluation Forum Newsletter
·	From Theory To Practice

This section provides a brief description of the IIP initiative and the environment in which it operates. It is descriptive in nature. Evaluation findings are presented in Section 4.

The November 1995 Program Handbook for Investing in People provides the following mission statement for the initiative:

"The Investing in People initiative helps social assistance clients achieve self-sufficiency through education, work experience and support services.Through the cooperation of GNWT departments and their community based partners, this initiative will encourage independence and self-determination and will result in long term social and financial benefits."

The initiative was intended to meet the following stated goals:

• to integrate and link social assistance with employment and career development programs and services;
• to foster the independence, self-determination and well-being of participants; and,
• to decrease participants' dependency on social assistance.

The stated objectives were:

• to provide social assistance recipients with the education, job search skills, job continuation skills, and effective support systems needed to compete more effectively for jobs or to continue formal education;
• to develop programs which increase the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at social assistance clients;
• to enable program participants to implement personal career plans;
• to develop partnerships with other levels of government, land claims groups, other GNWT departments, and private and non-profit sectors; and,
• to support community development.

The IIP initiative reflects a general shift in Canada's social security system from passive support to assistance that focuses on helping social assistance recipients to achieve independence and self-sufficiency. The program also reflects a trend toward more integrated service delivery to SARs and the increasing recognition that social security programming can play an important role in advancing community, and ultimately national, social and economic development goals.

An assessment of the IIP initiative requires an understanding of the complex environment in which it is delivered and the important and rapid changes that are taking place in that environment. Following is a summary statement of key features of the social, political and economic environment in which IIP operates:

• the distribution of the NWT's relatively small population over a huge geographic area. Most of the communities in the NWT are small and geographically isolated. For example, only 13 of 61 communities have populations in excess of 1,000⁸ and the vast majority do not have all weather road access;
• the significant rise in the level of social assistance expenditures in the NWT over the past thirty years and the very high levels of dependency in many communities.⁹ Figures 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 show the growth of the social assistance caseload in the past six years and the regional distribution of that caseload;
• the severity of the social problems in many communities as reflected in high levels of violence, suicide, and substance abuse. However, there is also growing determination on the part of communities to address their social problems and the growing recognition that community wellness requires family wellness, which, in turn, depends on individual wellness;¹⁰
• the cultural diversity within the NWT. The eight different official languages and traditions in communities have a bearing on the appropriateness of social programming in communities;
• a lack of jobs in the wage economy in many communities on the one hand and, on the other hand a renewed interest in participating in traditional pursuits that can reduce dependency and enhance personal and community well-being;
  • the low education and occupational skill levels of a significant proportion of the social assistance recipients in the NWT as evidenced by the estimated 65% of social assistance recipients in the NWT who have a Grade 8 education or less¹¹;
  • the upcoming establishment of Nunavut and the high level of commitment on the part of the GNWT and the Government of Canada to provide opportunities to prepare northerners for the jobs that will be created;

• the fragmented nature of the federal and territorial social and economic development programs delivered at the community level. There appears to be a continuing effort to coordinate and integrate service delivery at the community level and in doing so enhance the level of service in such areas as adult basic education, personal and career counselling, and child care;
• the shift in the direction of the GNWT to respond to the long-standing desire of many communities to have more authority with respect to the delivery of social and economic development programs. The current Community Empowerment initiative will allow communities to have more authority to design and deliver programs to respond to their unique community needs and priorities.¹²

Taken together, it is clear that the IIP initiative operates in a complex and dynamic environment.

All IIP projects, whether they are education-focused NSDPs or the more employment-focused WAPs, provide a combination of basic education, upgrading or skill training, life skills training, counselling, and a work experience opportunity. The project designs also include a process for assessing, selecting and orienting participants. Optional project components include traditional knowledge and aboriginal language instruction and cultural and recreational activities. The projects are between three and nine months in duration.

Project participants remain on social assistance while they are involved in IIP projects. In addition to social assistance, participants receive:

• an allowance of $10 for each day that they attend. This attendance allowance is paid by the project; and
• child care or transportation allowances in cases where such support is needed to allow clients to participate.¹³

NSDPs are sponsored by Aurora College and Nunavut Arctic College. WAPs are sponsored by businesses or organizations that are either community-based or have operations there.

IIP projects are built around teamwork and incorporate the collaborative efforts of project sponsors, CSSWs and CDOs, and representatives of key groups with a stake in the social and economic development of the communities. The goals and objectives of IIP are not prescriptive with respect to the type of project that will be considered. This flexibility resulted in a considerable variation among Year-2 projects, which range from a small engine repair course to entry level guide training and from a parenting program to training in silkscreening and graphic design. Table 3.4.1 provides an overview of the Year-2 projects.

To be eligible to participate, participants must meet the following criteria:

• be a resident of the NWT and the community in which a project was to be delivered;
• be at least 17 years old and no longer in school;
• be presently on, or eligible for, social assistance and at risk of long term or recurring unemployment;
• be actively seeking to upgrade their education and acquire new skills and choose, voluntarily, to participate in the projects;
• present barriers to self-sufficiency that could be addressed by the projects; and,
• not have substance abuse problems.

The program handbook outlines that the selection of project participants is the responsibility of a committee chaired by the project sponsor and including representatives of H&SS and ECE. Other persons can participate as requested by the committee.¹⁴ The structure of IIP furthermore includes the idea that these committees review project progress and address any issues as they arise.

The overall IIP initiative is overseen by a Management Committee that includes representatives of ECE and HRDC. The Evaluation Committee reports to the Management Committee.

The participant numbers shown in Table 3.4.1 are based on the training or work placement positions in each of the projects as indicated in the project proposals and contribution agreements.

View Table 3.4.1
Overview of Year Two IIP Projects

Footnotes

8	Statistics Canada 1991 Census.
9	See, for example, Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, Income Security Reform, March 1994, and Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, Education and Training for Adults in the NWT, Evaluation of the Investing in People Program - Year One, November 1995.
10	See, for example, Community Wellness Task Team, Outline for a Community Action Plan, Draft, May 1996.
11	Department of Education, Culture, and Employment, Income Security Reform, March 1994.
12	See, for example, Community Empowerment, Defining Community Opportunities and Territorial Interests. Draft, dated April 23, 1996.
13	The availability of child care is limited in many communities and this limitation is acknowledged by IIP. However, IIP projects do not provide child care spaces and any references to child care in the context of this evaluation relate only to the child care allowances for which IIP participants are eligible.
14	ECE, Investing in People Program Handbook, November 1995.