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Section II – Analysis of Program Activities

2.1 Strategic Outcome
 

Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada

SWC’s strategic outcome is measured by using performance indicators that demonstrate the extent to which women are represented in the labour market (including entrepreneurship), senior decision-making positions in public and private sectors and the democratic process at local, provincial and federal levels. Progress toward this strategic outcome was monitored using the SWC Performance Measurement Framework (PMF), which identifies the expected results, performance indicators and targets. SWC recognizes the limitations of its current PMF and is committed to improving the tool to ensure its effectiveness in the collection and analysis of its outcome data and in reporting its performance. At the same time, SWC is exploring various strategies to start the process of measuring progress toward its strategic outcome.

In 2009–2010, SWC supported the increased representation of women in senior decision-making positions, in the labour market, and in democratic participation by addressing key systemic barriers faced by women. The performance analysis presented in this section shows how SWC’s PAs contributed to the agency’s strategic outcome.
 

2.2 Program Activity by Strategic Outcome

Program Activity 1.1: Strategic Policy Analysis, Planning and Development
 

2009–10 Financial resources ($ millions)   2009–10 Human resources (FTEs)
Planned spending Total authorities Actual spending Planned Actual Difference
1.7 1.9 1.6   15 14 1
Expected results Performance indicators Targets Performance status Performance summary
Increased policy effectiveness in addressing women’s issues and gender equality Number of departments that respond to women’s issues effectively through policy/program formulation and implementation 3–5 departments per year Mostly met Seventeen federal departments or agencies reported that they perform and integrate GBA into relevant policy options.
Sustainable capacity of federal government departments to apply GBA Percentage of other government departments with increased capacity to incorporate GBA into their policy and program activities 3–5 departments per year Mostly met Thirteen federal organizations reported that they have in place four out of the five elements required for GBA implementation.
Increased integration of women’s issues in the formulation of policies and programs Number of new and improved policies and programs that respond to women’s issues 3–5 policies per year Mostly met In addition to continued GBA training and advice, SWC helped to identify barriers faced by women-owned businesses in the federal procurement process, laying the groundwork for future developments through membership in the Working Group on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Concerns, led by Public Works and Government Services Canada.
 
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

In 2009–2010, the first PA—strategic policy analysis, planning and development—supported systemic changes in decision-making processes that shaped policy formulation, program development, resource allocation and legislative initiatives. SWC enabled improved gender-responsive decision-making systems across the federal government through better GBA practices, as well as by providing policy advice that was adopted, and resulted in meaningful changes to policy, program, and legislative development and implementation across government.

This PA also engaged in organizational capacity-building, providing training, tools and expert advice. It provided policy commentary on Cabinet documents and the policy and program work of other federal organizations, while monitoring and providing Canada’s input to international bodies.
 

Sustainable Capacity of Federal Government Departments to Appl GBA: SWC’s progress with GBA received added impetus from the 2009 Report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) on its audit of the implementation of GBA in seven departments and agencies. In its response to the 2009 OAG Report, the Government of Canada committed to improving the practice of GBA by clarifying expectations concerning its application and by instituting an annual assessment of its effectiveness within the federal government. SWC, in collaboration with TBS and PCO, tabled with the Public Accounts Committee the Action Plan on Gender-Based Analysis (GBA Action Plan), a guideline to implementing GBA. This plan aims to help build sustainable institutional capacity to apply GBA across the federal government.

A survey of 37 departments and 25 agencies by SWC and TBS showed continued improvement in incorporating GBA into federal organizations. In addition to five of the seven departments audited, 12 other departments and agencies reported that they perform and integrate GBA into policy options, where relevant. Furthermore, 13 of the surveyed organizations reported that they have in place four out of five key elements of a sound GBA framework (i.e., departmental policy, roles and responsibilities defined, tools and methodologies readily available, a responsibility centre such as a champion).

The achievements of 2009–2010 in implementing the GBA Action Plan show the effectiveness of SWC as a catalyst for building GBA capacity. SWC, in collaboration with TBS and PCO, assisted the OAG-audited departments, using informal discussions and panel presentations to improve their GBA capacity. The current progress on GBA capacity building is expected to lead to improved public policies that address the needs of Canadian women and men and their families, a fundamental objective to advancing equality for women. The GBA Action Plan can achieve cumulative progress through successive annual cycles toward this PA’s expected results.
 

Increased Integration of Women’s Issues in the Formulation of Policies and Programs: Policy and program work on women’s economic prosperity and security continued during the reporting year. SWC’s recommendations to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs resulted in the inclusion of gender-specific targets for objectives and reporting in the framing of its Aboriginal Economic Development Framework. This is an important example of how SWC facilitated the development of increased economic opportunities for women.
 

Violence Against Women and Girls: SWC policy and programs addressed this priority area in many ways. In response to the ongoing vulnerability of Aboriginal and immigrant women to human trafficking, SWC continued its collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to deliver training on human trafficking to officials in law enforcement, the justice system, and border and immigration services.
 

International: SWC contributed to Canada’s role in international efforts to advance the status of women world-wide:

  • SWC led Canada’s participation in the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. It coordinated with other federal departments to provide Canada’s input and link other countries’ experiences in advancing gender equality with Canada’s domestic objectives.
  • At the Beijing + 15 meeting in March 2010, SWC played a key role in negotiating several UN resolutions to reflect Canadian priorities and integrate gender equality into national processes, structures, and accountabilities. SWC actively supported Canada’s reaffirmation of the Beijing Declaration and the Beijing Platform for Action, ensuring the latter continues to serve as the international standard.
  • For the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers forum, SWC worked to ensure that concrete evidence of Canada’s progress in critical areas was included in the Mid-Term Review of the Commonwealth Gender Plan of Action. The Mid-Term Review will form the basis of an important international report on the state of gender equality in the Commonwealth for the period 2007–2009.
     

Program Activity 1.2: Women’s Participation in Canadian Society
 

2009–10 Financial resources ($ millions)   2009–10 Human resources (FTEs)
Planned spending Total authorities Actual spending Planned Actual Difference
25.9 25.9 23.4   32 32
Expected results Performance indicators Targets Performance status Performance summary
Increased participation of women in their communities Proportion of funded projects that demonstrate level of women’s participation in their communities 10% of projects Met all Performance analysis shows that there is progress toward the expected results of this program activity. SWC-funded projects resulted in concrete outcomes for women and girls through:
  • Empowering and supporting diverse groups of women, including hard-to-reach populations, in accessing a range of opportunities, information, services, tools, etc. that are helping project participants in integrating into their communities.
  • Projects that highlight innovative frameworks, best practices and promising models that may be showcased in an effort not only to share knowledge, but also to explore opportunities to pilot them in different parts of the country or for different populations of women.
  • Resources leveraged for investment on gender equality through diverse partnerships (federal, provincial and municipal organizations, the private sector and NGOs).
Increase awareness among women in identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities Proportion of funded projects that demonstrate raised awareness or knowledge acquisition among women in identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities 10% of projects Met all
Increased partnerships with other federal departments, levels of government, NGOs and the private sector Proportion of funded projects involving partners addressing women’s issues through joint projects Approximately 10% of projects Met all
 
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
Strategic Investments

In 2009–2010, SWC made strategic investments through its second PA—women’s participation in Canadian society. It continued to provide financial assistance to women’s and other Canadian organizations addressing significant barriers to participation faced by Canadian women. A total of 357 projects received financial and/or other support from SWC in 2009–2010. Total funding expended for these projects during the reporting year was $19,495,268.

Of the 357 projects, 83 were new projects. As a result of the call for proposals launched under the Women’s Community Fund, 486 project proposals were received, of which 78 were approved for funding. SWC also approved five new Women’s Partnership Fund projects.

The large number of proposals received and women being reached continue to indicate that the need for supporting women in an effort to improve their social and economic condition and facilitate their participation in the democratic life of Canada is significant. By determining funding priorities, SWC invested strategically in areas where the need and the potential to achieve results were the greatest, and where there was a clear potential to make a concrete and direct difference. All projects contributed to one or more of the SWC priority areas:

  • improving women’s economic security and prosperity;
  • ending violence against women and girls; and
  • encouraging women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles.
 

SWC-funded projects are diverse in nature and scope, target different beneficiaries, address various issues, apply a variety of strategies and implement various activities (e.g., training, workshops, resource development, outreach, peer support, mentorship, information provision, service improvement, etc.).The projects funded through the Women’s Program generally addressed concrete outcomes for women and girls, but also worked, wherever possible, to remove systemic barriers impeding women’s progress and equality.

SWC also facilitated, where possible, the networking of different groups that share a common goal as well as helped groups gain access to or provided access to resource materials and tools that help organizations work more effectively.

Through this PA, SWC leveraged a significant amount of “partnership” dollars supporting diversification of funding sources for projects that address women’s issues. In 2009–2010, SWC engaged and/or leveraged funding from a number of Canadian organizations in the public, private, and voluntary sectors in advancing the full participation of women in the economic, social, cultural and democratic life of Canada.

An example of partnership building and program investments is SWC funding to the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters for the “Uniting to End Violence against Women” initiative. Their work will be carried out in collaboration with stakeholders, including government departments, community-based service providers, and women who are victims of family violence. This three-year project is groundbreaking in that it will bring together provincial/territorial shelter organizations across Canada to work to improve the access to and quality of services for women who are in abusive situations. The project will coordinate the national exchange and implementation of proven, promising, and innovative practices and service delivery models across Canada, through the establishment of a national network, including a strategy and action plan to link women’s shelters across Canada. By helping to establish a strong national voice, shelters will be able to act together to identify and effectively address their common issues and goals.

Progress Toward Outcomes

Projects funded under the Women’s Program demonstrate progress toward the expected results: increased awareness among women in identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities; and increased partnerships with other federal departments, levels of government, NGOs and the private sector. These results are achieved through Women’s Program projects that support diverse groups of women, including hard-to- reach populations, in accessing a range of opportunities, information, services, tools, etc. that can facilitate women’s participation in Canadian society in multiple sectors.
 

Economic Security and Prosperity: In 2009–2010, completed projects which addressed women’s economic security and prosperity worked to provide diverse groups of women with access to opportunities that could, for example, facilitate labour market integration by:

  • making women aware of available local supports and resources;
  • facilitating access to services through outreach, service improvement;
  • providing support with recruitment, retention and advancement in non-traditional occupations;
  • developing community action plans in support of new childcare models in rural communities;
  • supporting women entrepreneurs in growing their businesses; and
  • providing skill development on the topics of: financial literacy, business management and leadership, pre-employment skills, and life-skills, etc.
     

An area of intervention in 2009–2010 was support to women in non-traditional occupations. Projects included support with recruitment, retention and advancement in industrial construction trades and technology fields and business growth for women entrepreneurs. A project supported the development of partnerships with employers to assist women in entering the building trades and to retain women in the sector.
 

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls: Completed projects which addressed violence against women primarily addressed awareness and access issues, specifically supports relating to domestic and dating violence and improving the quality of and/or availability of services for women experiencing violence through:

  • awareness about the different forms of violence against women;
  • knowledge about available community resources;
  • tool development to support women who have been abused;
  • support to women at different stages in addressing the issue of violence in their lives;
  • service improvement (access, including cultural relevancy and quality); and
  • increasing access to services through outreach.
     

For example, a handbook has been completed and will help organizations facilitate workshops for sex workers addressing treatment. The handbook provides information missing in traditional support services. It uses innovative approaches to assist sex workers and sexually exploited youth’s transition to recovery, their successful exit from the sex trade, entry to mainstream employment and meaningful involvement in their communities. The handbook has brought new and innovative resources for communities and organizations to address the unique needs of women and girls in the sex trade.
 

Women and Leadership: In 2009–2010, completed projects which addressed women and leadership informed and/or supported diverse women with barriers in accessing various leadership roles, including: community leaders, board service, elected positions, and community action through information, tools and different opportunities, by:

  • providing women with knowledge and tools to achieve board appointments;
  • familiarizing women with Canadian governance processes;
  • developing tools to support the political participation of women (including culturally relevant tools);
  • developing the leadership skills of girls and young women and potential community leaders.
     

Projects ranged from providing qualified women with knowledge and tools to achieve board appointments to the development of a new on-line culturally relevant stand alone module aimed at increasing the political participation of Aboriginal women. For example, participants increased their skills and understanding of how to be recruited successfully for service on the boards of community agencies, including how to position themselves for board placement, and develop personal action plans in pursuit of board seats.

There are signs that support to women is helping project participants in integrating into their communities. The projects highlight innovative frameworks, best practices and promising models that may be showcased in an effort not only to share knowledge, but also to explore opportunities to pilot them in different parts of the country or for different populations of women.
 

Program Activity 1.3: Internal Services
 

2009–10 Financial resources ($ millions)   2009–10 Human resources
(FTEs)
Planned spending Total authorities Actual spending Planned Actual Difference
3.8 4.4 6.6   47 44 3
Planned spending within each program activity included forecasted expenditures which were funded centrally through Internal Services. This mostly explains the variance between planned spending and actual spending within each program activity.
 

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Strategic Planning and Reporting, Audit and Evaluation, Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. It also includes the budget for the Office of the Minister for Status of Women.
 

2.3 Benefits for Canadians

As indicated in its MRRS, SWC’s strategic outcome—equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada—represents an enduring benefit to Canadians. As the performance analysis shows, SWC, through its two PAs, is a catalyst for achieving its planned strategic outcome. SWC policy work enabled a growing number of departments to apply GBA, evidence of increasing institutional capacity to develop effective and inclusive policies and programs that improve the status of women in Canada. At the same time, with the growing number of women empowered with information, awareness, knowledge, skills, tools and opportunities, SWC expects to achieve demonstrable increases in the participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. These results will contribute to the Government of Canada outcomes: transparent, accountable and responsive federal government and income security and employment of Canadians.
 

2.4 Lessons Learned

In 2009–2010, opportunities and challenges provided valuable insights that will inform the agency’s work in coming years. As a small agency, SWC faced the challenges associated with a growing demand for policy and programming advice and intervention. For SWC to fulfill its role as enabler and effective catalyst for change, a more strategic approach to policy and programming activities could be beneficial. Specifically:

  • More targeted engagement with the federal family to leverage partnerships and investments;
  • Building synergies through partnerships both in Canada and internationally;
  • By recalibrating systems and processes to increase the responsiveness of the agency;
  • Deepening analyses to further inform future strategic programming investments;
  • Continue proactive renewal processes to ensure uninterrupted corporate memory while integrating fresh perspectives on policy, programs, and management, including full implementation of its risk management strategy.