Summary of the evaluation of Canada 150, 2015-16 to 2017-18
Evaluation Services Directorate
August 20, 2020
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On this page
- List of tables
- List of acronyms and abbreviations
- Overview
- Relevance
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Best practices and lessons learned
Alternate format
Summary of the evaluation of Canada 150, 2015-16 to 2017-18 [PDF version - 718 KB]
List of tables
- Table 1: projects administered by Region
- Table 2: Quorus survey on awareness and communications
- Table 3: monthly social media reach of Canada 150 (in millions)
- Table 4: budgeted versus actual spending for Canada 150 Federal Secretariat
List of acronyms and abbreviations
- FS
- Federal Secretariat
- GC
- Government of Canada
- PCH
- Canadian Heritage
Overview
In 2017, the Government of Canada marked the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Canadian Heritage (PCH) was responsible for Bringing Canadians Together and the slogan was “Celebrate, Participate, and Explore.”
The Federal Secretariat (FS) at PCH was the primary coordinating body and the official source for national Canada 150-related information and celebrations.
The Canada 150 Fund supported three types of projects administered through Major Events, Commemorations and Capital Experience, Regional Offices and the Canada 150 Secretariat:
- Signature Initiatives (large scale, pan-Canadian);
- Major Events such as:
- New Year’s Eve: 2,545,000 TV viewership,
- Celebrate Canada events: 6,528,000 TV viewership, 5,850,211 online viewership, and
- Community-driven projects.
Priorities of the Fund: Diversity and inclusion; national reconciliation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians; engaging and inspiring youth; and our environment.
Relevance
Canada 150 activities were relevant to Canadians.
89% (in July 2017) and 88% (in January 2018) of Canadians surveyed strongly or somewhat agreed that the federal government was right to recognize and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
There were 4,009 applications for Canada 150 funding.
“Diversity” was most popular Canada 150 priority among PCH recipients.
Effectiveness
Achievement of expected outcomes
There was a high level of engagement among Canadians in Canada 150 events, and Canada 150 activities were generally considered to contribute to vibrant communities.
- Over 158,000 volunteers contributed over 5.3 million hours.
- 174 projects reported partnerships with financial contributions totalling over $60M.
- Community Foundations of Canada recipients leveraged an additional $44.4M in cash and in-kind.
- 70% of Canadians participated in a Canada 150 event (includes volunteering, attending or watching on TV or the internet).
- Canada named as a top 2017 vacation destination by: The New York Times, Lonely Planet, Travel & Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler.
- 3 out of 4 Canadians surveyed in January 2018 had seen the Canada 150 logo.
| Region | Community-driven projects | Major Events | Signature Initiatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairies and North Region | 54 | 12 | 3 |
| Atlantic Region | 205 | 10 | 1 |
| Western Region | 132 | 10 | 5 |
| Ontario | 148 | 6 | 27 |
| Quebec | 95 | 7 | 5 |
| Question | Wave 1 (June 2016) | Wave 2 (July 2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Seen, heard or read anything about Canada 150 | 32% | 94% |
| Seen, heard or read any GC advertising about Canada 150 | 19% | 84% |
| Aware of Canada 150 logo or brand | 16% | 83% |
| Know where to find information about Canada 150 | 44% | 61% |
| Following Canada 150 on social media | 4% | 15% |
| May 2017 | June 2017 | July 2017 | August 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 157 | 888 | 1,681 | 119 |
Canada 150 had a major impact on a sustained sense of pride in Canada.
Federal secretariat oversight and coordination
Partners and stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the collaboration and communication and there was a general consensus that Federal Secretariat was effective.
Design and delivery
A networked governance model was effective.
- 86% of applicants were notified of funding decision within 26 week standard.
- 88% of recipients surveyed were somewhat or very satisfied with timeliness of this notification.
- 96% of recipients surveyed were somewhat or very satisfied with their interaction with the program officer assigned to their project.
The Communications Strategy led to significant partnerships and, along with paid advertising, resulted in a social media outreach of nearly four billion people. However, the Canada 150 delivery model for communications services was identified as an issue.
Efficiency
Total actual spending for the initiative was lower than planned. The FS was budgeted to spend $14,777,605, but actually spent $14,009,241, resulting in a surplus of $766,709, which represents 0.05% of the budget.
The participation of federal departments and agencies, and the requirement for multiple funders of each Canada 150 Fund project were cost-effective.
| Fiscal year | Budgeted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | $678,721 | $609,215 |
| 2015-16 | $3,306,782 | $3,198,742 |
| 2016-17 | $6,097, 096 | $5,868,298 |
| 2017-18 | $3,986,317 | $3,727,648 |
| 2018-19 | $708,689 | $605,338 |
| Total | $14,777,605 | $14,009,241 |
Best practices and lessons learned
Governance
Future decision-makers need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the various ways to structure and staff a coordinating body to achieve the desired impact.
Delegation of Ministerial authority for smaller grants and contributions can be more efficient.
Partnership
Cross-sector collaboration (among private sector, other government departments, partners, stakeholders, and delivery organizations) was a key contribution to the success of the Initiative.
An Assistant Deputy Minister level committee is very effective in engaging other government departments.
The administration and awarding of individual grants by community based organizations, which also matched funding, is a best practice.
Objectives, planning and reporting
To support reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, PCH should continue to support a broad eligibility for funding that enriches our understanding of Canadian history with many interpretations of the meaning of the past.
In the case of an event with significant funding, legacy projects are seen as having high value.
Should economic objectives be assigned to a large-scale event, a pre-established methodology and systematic data collection is needed to assess economic impact.
More accurate participation and attendance estimates need to be developed and consistently used to better measure impact.
Events bringing together recipients measurement of subsequent corporate engagement and private sector funding.
Design and delivery
Clear staggered deadlines for applications is likely more efficient than continuous intake. A national review committee process can be very efficient. Regional offices’ expertise and delivery capacity should be fully engaged.
Consideration should be given to developing an application process where the level of effort involved in application and payment is proportionate to the size of the amount being awarded.
Small and micro grants
An easy and short online application form increased participation and reduced PCH’s administrative burden.
The development of an algorithm to automate the distribution of microgrants can be repeated and adapted for many funding models.
The assessment of applications should be tailored, since the capacity of charitable or less formal organizations varies.
©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2020.
Catalogue No.: CH7-65/1-2020E-PDF
ISBN: 978-0-660-36000-3
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