Tools for an Inclusive Ontario

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3: Selection of Demonstration Sites, Role of Local Agents, and Role of Local Working Groups

Selection of Demonstration Sites

The following selection criteria were developed by the partners to consider potential demonstration sites:

1. Impact on the selected community,
2. Impact on the project's partners,
3. Potential impact on municipal, provincial and federal policy,
4. Diversity/comparability of locations (size, urban-rural, ethno-racial, cultural, etc.),
5. Readiness/willingness/capacity to participate,
6. Official languages status.

The selection criteria are the result of extensive discussions between OPC, the Laidlaw Foundation, Health Canada, and the Social Planning Network of Ontario.

Demonstration Sites

The following demonstration sites have been selected:

• Toronto: an immigrant and refugee population, seeking primary health care and health promotion services.
• Peterborough: children and parents in a small city with a surrounding rural population, seeking support programs.
• Eastern Ontario: a rural Francophone population, seeking inclusion through cultural activities.
• The Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres, Thunder Bay: First Nation children and youth from seven to eight seeking inclusion in all aspects of life.

Role of Local Agents

Local agents will coordinate the activity in the demonstration site on behalf of the project. The local agent will also assist the technical team supporting the Provincial Advisory Group. The local agent will recruit members of a Local Working Group and handle the logistics of their participation in the project. The local agent will introduce the Indicators to the demonstration site, on behalf of the Provincial Advisory Group, and assist the Local Working Group in the testing and adjustment of the Indicators in the site.

The following are being considered as local agents:

• Toronto: Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre
• Peterborough: Peterborough Family Resource Centre
• Eastern Ontario: A health promotion consultant collaborating with local agencies
• Thunder Bay: Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres

Role of Local Working Groups

A local working group will be designated in each community to guide the demonstrations. The local working groups will:

1. Determine specific community engagement strategies
2. Test the social and economic inclusion indicators through local application, using the selected community engagement strategies
3. Using the results of the findings, identify gaps, strengths and weaknesses in policy that influence social and economic inclusion within their community
4. Assess the effectiveness of the draft indicators and methodology, using the selected community engagement strategy, as measures of social and economic inclusion and as tools to identify areas for policy-related interventions
5. Refine the draft indicators and methodology; make recommendations for improvement to the Provincial Advisory Group.

The members of the local working groups will receive honoraria and expenses.

June 1, 2003

The opinions expressed in this project do not necessarily reflect the official views of Health Canada, Population Public Health Branch, now the Public Health Agency of Canada, or the Laidlaw Foundation.

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