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Presentation to Alberta Asset Building Collaborative Edmonton Chapter - May 2011. janicemelnychuk@vibrantedmonton.ca. http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g2_VC_Evaluation.html. Vibrant Communities Canada The experiment: Some background. Poverty rate in Canada stalled for 30 years - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Presentation to Alberta Asset Building Collaborative Edmonton Chapter - May 2011
janicemelnychuk@vibrantedmonton.ca
http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g2_VC_Evaluation.html
Vibrant Communities CanadaThe experiment: The experiment: Some backgroundSome background
• Poverty rate in Canada stalled for 30 years• Interest to bring new ideas and thinking to poverty discussion• Vibrant Communities was designed to test a specific way to
address the complex realities of poverty through local level action.
• It was not a “model” but a set of core principles adapted to various local settings
• National supports such as matched funding, evaluation, coaching, national learning network
• Looking for 3 types of outcomes: Increased community capacity, policy and systems change, expanded benefits
5 Guiding Principles5 Guiding Principles
• Poverty reduction-a focus on reducing poverty as opposed to alleviating the hardships of living in poverty
• Comprehensive Thinking and Action-addressing the interrelated root causes of poverty rather than its various symptoms
• Multisectoral Collaborations-engaging individuals and organizations from at least four key sectors-business, government, non-profit organizations and low income residents-jointly countering poverty
• Community Asset Building-building on community strengths rather than focusing on deficits
• Community Learning and Change-embracing a long-term process of learning and change rather than simply undertaking a series of specific interventions
SustainableSustainableLivelihoods Livelihoods ModelModel
Personal
Assets
PhysicalAssets
Social Assets
HumanAssets
Financial Assets
Inner resources
•Increased self-awareness•Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence•Improved hope and motivation
Basic material goods and services
•Emergency supports•Food•Housing•Transportation•Dependent care
Relationships and Networks
•Civic participation•Support networks
Income, Savings and Sources of Financial
Security
•Employment income•Non-employment income•Savings and financial assets•Reduced debt/costs
Skills, knowledge, education & health
•Health•Life skills•Financial literacy•Education•Employment Skills
13 Cities eventually joined, Edmonton and Calgary included
4 Observable Patterns emerged4 Observable Patterns emerged
• Transformational Change: high aspirations driven by both systems interventions and program activity, Hamilton
• Programmatic Push: a focus on demonstrating the value of working together on tangible programmatic projects, Edmonton
• Citizen Empowerment: an emphasis on grassroots concerns and citizens’ voices as a clear driver in shaping the work of formal organizations, Saint Michel
• Policy Advocacy: a focus on changing the policies and practices of larger systems or organizations, Calgary
The patterns have differentThe patterns have different: Characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses
Prospects for resiliency and poverty reduction outcomes Conditions under which they thrive or wither
Outcomes until end of 2010Outcomes until end of 2010170,903 households accessing
322,698 sustainable livelihood benefits
Working collaboratively on poverty, Working collaboratively on poverty, communities can…..communities can…..
• Raise the profile of poverty. • Build a constituency for change.• Encourage collaborative ways of
working. • Begin to shift systems underlying
poverty. • Contribute to the asset-building
efforts for a large number of people.
Challenge our thinking aboutChallenge our thinking about…..
Poverty as a Complex Issue • It is Difficult to Frame It is Difficult to Frame - Is poverty just a lack of income or does in
also include poor education, jobs with meager benefits, insufficient education, hope and self-esteem?
• It has multiple joined up root causes It has multiple joined up root causes - Income is affected by decent housing and ability to get good housing is dependant on income.
• It Involves Multiple Stakeholders It Involves Multiple Stakeholders - No one organization or sector has authority, resources or leverage to address the causes of poverty on their own.
• It Has Unique Manifestations It Has Unique Manifestations - There are different levels of poverty (e.g. homelessness to working poor), demographics (e.g. youth, senior, immigrants) and local contexts (e.g. Fort McMurray in Alberta, Regent Park in Toronto).
• It Evolves It Evolves - As demographics, economies, policies, etc. change, the manifestations of poverty and possible solutions also change.
• It’s Not Clear When Poverty is ReducedIt’s Not Clear When Poverty is Reduced - When is someone out of poverty?
EdmontonEdmontonOur theory of change---Family Economic SuccessOur theory of change---Family Economic Success
Anne E. Casey Foundation
Some of Some of …..What HappenedWhat Happened $ : Local Resources of $500,000 over 9 years for VCE
Investors: City of Edmonton, ECFoundation, United Way, AEI Who: Multisectoral table, focus groups, organizations, individuals What: Research: theory of change, poverty matrix, focus groups,
Alternative Financial Products, Job Bus, Asset building New programs: Make Tax Time Pay, Job Bus Advocacy: Living Wage, Poverty Forum Collaborations: Financial Literacy Collaborative, Poverty
reports and forums on provincial poverty reduction New Approaches: City neighbourhood partnership(focused on
geographic area or place based) Outcomes: MTTP now run by E4C, Job Bus still running to Maple Leaf
foods, thousands of Albertans receive more benefits and dollars from MTTP advocacy on policy change, other Canadian examples
Vibrant Communities led us to: Vibrant Communities led us to:
Asset building approach to poverty reductionTrying to be comprehensive in our thinkingTrying to be a catalyst, broker, convenerCapture what we do and learn from it Work strategically on collaborations such as
provincial poverty reduction strategy networkTrying to bring a poverty reduction lens to
neighbourhood approaches
Some things to consider…..Some things to consider…..
• Low poverty rate compared to rest of Canada-motivating reasons for community action
• Major initiatives such as homelessness, crime and safety -frames the community discussion and takes energy away from complexity discussion
• Early childhood network and advocacy well established-good work is happening and collaboratively
• Strong, established programmatic offerings-established culture of “doing” and getting results
• Other?
Transition PlansVCE as an entity is winding down this portion of work with VCE as an entity is winding down this portion of work with
transition plans in place for….transition plans in place for….Locally:Edmonton Social Planning Council merging their work with many of
the roles VCE playedUnited WayAB. Asset Building Collaborative is strong steward of financial literacy Provincially:Provincial Poverty Reduction group/network includes municipalities,
FCSSA, funders, non profits, faith groups, Unions, PIANationally:Tamarack continuing phase 2 of VCE, different cities involved, ongoing
learning opportunities, focus on Cities
Resources/community change/povertyhttp://tamarackcommunity.ca/ http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g3s3_4.html Community engagement, schools
http://tamarackcommunity.ca/Strategic_Dialogue.html Place based dialogue
http://www.aecf.org/ Casey Foundation
http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/PublicationsSeries/FESPubs.aspx Family economic success library of publications
http://www.aecf.org/SearchResults.aspx?keywords=Building%20Strong%20Financial%20Futures&source=topsearch
http://www.lisc.org/section/aboutus/mission Financial Literacy
http://www.caledoninst.org/ http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/720ENG.pdfPoverty Policy, Torjman
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/913ENG.pdf MTTP story
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/community-change/publications Library of community change initiatives
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