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