Peel Newcomer Strategy Group completed its consultation on the key question: What might newcomer settlement sector funding and governance look like with regional-level disbursement and accountability in Peel?
The Regional Accountability Models for Settlement project (RAMS) is initiated and funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as part of the Service Delivery Improvement stream.
Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG) is one of the local immigration partnerships across Canada invited by IRCC to develop a regional model for community-based planning and funding. IRCC recognizes that newcomer settlement and integration occur locally, and that decision-making at the local-level may improve the effectiveness of service delivery, leading to better outcomes for newcomers.
The goal of the RAMS Project is to carry out a co-design process through community consultations towards a shared recommended model for regional settlement funding accountability.
The model was developed over a two-year period in collaboration with stakeholders from Peel-based newcomer-serving agencies. PNSG had partnered with the Centre for Community-Based Research (CCBR) for this project. It was carried out in three phases:
- Project formation phase
- Environmental scan phase
- Model development phase
The findings of this project has been shared with IRCC to inform the development of future funding models, including possible testing in the future.
Laying the Foundation (December 2021 – March 2022)
- On January 21, 2022, PNSG hosted the first information forum to share the project concept with interested stakeholders.
- An advisory committee has been formed of 11 partners from settlement and related organizations to guide the project, and support with designing the model.
Environmental Scan
(March 2022 – December 2022)
- A Peel-specific newcomer demographic data summary
- A review of existing funding models in operation in other sectors or regions
- A survey with settlement service providers in Peel region to identify how programs that support newcomers are currently being funded
- A series of place and issue-based focus groups with service providers across the settlement sector
- A community forum to share outcomes of the environmental scan phase
Locate a Funding Host and Finalize Model
(January 2023 – March 2024)
- Identify and consult with different potential funding hosts to learn about their ability and capacity to manage the funds
- Dialogue between advisory committee and funding hosts about how settlement funds might be governed if they became the host
- Develop the final Peel-specific regional accountability model and its implementation plan
- Compile the final report with model recommendations to be shared with IRCC
- Conduct a project evaluation with stakeholders