Introduction

Purpose of the evaluation

Western Economic Diversification (WD) has developed the following two programs tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs with disabilities in Western Canada:

The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP), which was established in 1997 to target entrepreneurs who live in a rural community in Western Canada and have a physical disability or mental impairment that impairs their ability to perform at least one of the basic activities of self-employment or entrepreneurship. This program is delivered through the network of Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in Western Canada with support provided by provincial associations of CFDCs that have been established in each of the four western provinces.
The Urban Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Initiative (UEDI), which was established in 1998 to extend the services of EDP into the major urban centres. The program is delivered through local non-government organizations in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.

The programs provide both financing and other business support services. Funding for EDP and UEDI was scheduled to end March 31, 2005 but has been extended for one more year. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide an objective, disciplined and systematic study and assessment of EDP and UEDI for the purpose of supporting senior management decision-making for continued funding of the programs. More specifically, the study is intended to address a series of evaluation issues related to:

Rationale (Relevance);
Success;
Business Growth and Diversification;
Service Quality; and
Cost-effectiveness.

In addition to addressing these issues, the evaluation report is also expected to provide recommendations where changes can be made, if necessary, to meet the needs of entrepreneurs with disabilities and to comply with the strategic objectives of the Department. The scope of the evaluation encompasses:

All 4 western provinces;
The time period from 1999 to 2004 for EDP (EDP was evaluated in 1999) and from 1998 to 2004 for UEDI; and
All of the major activities, operations and systems utilized in the management and administration of EDP and UEDI.

Method of study

We conducted this study in two phases. The primary objective of the first phase was to prepare a detailed work plan that was then implemented in the second phase of the study. The major components of our field research are as follows:

Conducted interviews with 8 representatives of WD from each of the four provinces and Headquarters who have been involved in the management, development and delivery of EDP and UEDI. A list of representatives and organizations (excluding clients) that were interviewed during the course of the study is provided in Appendix I.
Contacted representatives of the 90 CFDCs and 7 delivery agencies. Because there is no central database of information on clients who receive services, we had to contact each of the delivery agencies to seek client information including contact numbers that we could use in our client survey. We first distributed a letter from WD to each of the organizations and then followed-up by telephone (typically, a number of times). Within the time frame available, we were successful in obtaining client names from 6 of the 7 organizations delivering UEDI (many of the clients of the seventh organization were surveyed as part of a previous evaluation) and 34 of the 90 CFDCs in Western Canada (including 5 from Saskatchewan, 6 from Manitoba, 10 from Alberta and 13 from British Columbia). In most instances, we received only a few names from each organization. Some of the reasons why certain delivery organizations were not able or willing to provide client names to us were because of policies of their organization regarding privacy and the use of client information, some needed to first obtain permission from the clients and they were not able to do so within the available time, and some CFDCs have not been very active in delivering the program.
Conducted field trips to each of the four provinces in Western Canada to undertake personal interviews with organizations involved in the delivery of EDP and UEDI. During these visits, we met with 8 CFDC managers, 4 representatives of provincial associations, and 10 representatives of organizations that deliver UEDI. We visited the offices of the 5 of the 7 organizations that deliver UEDI.
Conducted telephone interviews with representatives of 37 of the 90 CFDCs and all 7 urban partners involved in delivering the EDP and UEDI as well as 6 representatives of CFDC provincial associations across the four provinces. The 44 CFDCs and UEDI delivery agencies surveyed represent 45% of the delivery agencies in Western Canada for the two programs. Because we tended to place somewhat more emphasis on surveying the delivery agencies most active with respect to the program, the 44 agencies have actually accounted for 58% of the loans issued under the programs. A detailed summary of the responses to the interviews with delivery agencies is provided in Appendix II.
Conducted interviews with a sample of 75 community stakeholders who share a similar target market to that of EDP and UEDI. This included both organizations that provide services or support to entrepreneurs and those that provide services or support to people with disabilities. Of the 75 community stakeholders contacted, 46 were familiar enough with EDP and or UEDI to complete a more detailed interview. A detailed summary of the responses from these interviews is provided in Appendix III.
Conducted interviews with a sample of 148 clients receiving assistance through EDP or UEDI. The size and characteristics of the sample was determined in large part by the availability of client information from the CFDCs and UEDI delivery organizations. As such, it should be noted that they survey results are not necessarily representative of the total population of clients that have been assisted under the program. More specifically, current loan clients and successful clients tend to be over-represented in the sample while past clients who were not successful (e.g. the loan was written off) tend to be under-represented in the sample. This issue will be further discussed later in the report. A detailed summary of the responses from these interviews is provided in Appendix IV.
Followed-up with a sample of 8 selected businesses that received assistance under the program. The purpose of the case studies was to illustrate how the assistance provided under the programs assists in the development of businesses and the generation of impacts for both the entrepreneur and the business.
Undertook an extensive literature review. As part of this process, we reviewed available background information on the EDP and UEDI including funding proposals, quarterly and annual reports, statistics on loans and other services provided, press releases, program descriptions, and other materials. We also reviewed information on the needs of entrepreneurs with disabilities. In addition, we collected information on other programs and services that are available to assist entrepreneurs with disabilities in Western Canada and in other jurisdictions. In Appendix V, we have profiled examples of these other programs.
Developed a profile of a sample of projects or initiatives supported by the provincial associations of CFDCs. The purpose of the project descriptions (which are provided in Appendix VII) is to illustrate the types of projects that have been supported through the provincial delivery model.

A summary of the number of interviews conducted by province is provided in the chart. For the purposes of this chart and others in the report, we have grouped the responses of WD representatives in with the response from representatives of the provincial associations of CFDCs.

Structure of the report

This report is divided into six chapters:

Chapter I have provided a description of the purpose and method of study.
Chapter II provides an overview of the Entrepreneurs With Disabilities Program (EDP) and the Urban Entrepreneurs With Disabilities Initiative (UEDI) including a description of the delivery agencies.
Chapter III reports on the perceived need for the programs and reviews the fit between the programs and the priorities of the organizations involved.
Chapter IV summarizes the program models and analyzes the impacts and effects of the programs including the impacts on both the clients and client businesses.
Chapter V reviews the design and delivery of the program including delivery of the key components of the programs, the design of the programs, and respondent recommendations for improvement.
Chapter VI presents the major conclusions and recommendations arising from our review.

The appendices contain a list of representatives who were interviewed during the course of the research, summarize the results of the delivery organizations, clients and stakeholder interviews, profile examples of other programs that have been established in Western Canada and in other jurisdictions, profile examples of programs funded through the CFDC associations in each province, and provide direct responses to the evaluation issues that were detailed in the evaluation work plan.

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