ARCHIVED – Enhanced Language Training Initiative: Formative Evaluation

Management response

Key Finding Response Action Accountability Implementation Date
I. Overall Success

1) Findings from this formative evaluation, which were largely qualitative in nature, indicate that ELT is a successful initiative that meets the immediate needs of the target audience.

These immediate needs include: improvement of language skills; increased knowledge/experience of the Canadian work environment; increased job finding skills; preparation for licensure exams; and the establishment of mentors/contacts and networks.

CIC agrees with this finding.

No further action required.

CIC will continue to promote and develop the ELT initiative, building on successes and lessons learned.

 

Integration Branch

(in consultation with Operational Management and Coordination Branch)

 

2) The quality of the curricula, tools and instructors have all contributed to the overall success of ELT.

CIC agrees with this finding.

No further action required.

Promotion/marketing of existing tools, instructors and curricula to promote and develop the ELT initiative will be done as part of II – Program Design and Delivery.

Integration Branch

(in consultation with Operational Management and Coordination Branch)

 

II. Program Design and Delivery

3) The flexibility of the program, which is viewed by stakeholders as one of its strengths, has resulted in a variety of delivery approaches. However, the evaluation found that some are more successful than others: the use of work placements, in particular, was considered a key success factor by program participants. The work placements appear to be more effective when specific resources are dedicated to finding and managing them.

CIC agrees with this finding.

CIC will develop communications tools to demonstrate and market the benefits of these work placements

Integration Branch

(in consultation with Operational Management and Coordination Branch)

Additional promotional materials targeted to employers will be available Spring 2008

CIC will continue to encourage service providers to include work placement opportunities when appropriate.

 

Operational Management and Coordination Branch

CIC Regions

Ongoing

4) As indicated above (#2), the quality of tools and curricula developed by the ELT program are strengths of the initiative.

Further, the expert review indicated that many of these tools are generalizable to other occupations or settings. The evaluation found there is a need for more sharing of these tools and more knowledge transfer within the initiative.

CIC agrees with this finding.

CIC will ensure that existing tools and curricula are used where possible in new initiatives, including the development of mechanisms to ensure that existing curricula and tools are used in and/or adapted to new initiatives where possible.

Integration Branch

(in consultation with Operational Management and Coordination Branch)

 

A national conference is planned for the Fall of 2008

CIC will work on a knowledge transfer strategy that will outline potential linkages and mechanisms to ensure that tools and curricula are proactively used and shared. This may include determining an effective web presence for marketing and information-sharing.

Integration Branch

(in consultation with Operational Management and Coordination Branch)

 

Knowledge transfer strategy developed by Summer 2008 with implementation by Fall 2008

CIC will continue to facilitate the sharing of tools and lessons learned amongst stakeholders and service providers delivering ELT through such mechanisms as: a catalogue of ELT products and tools, and regional fora, and sharing best practices and publications.

Operational Management and Coordination Branch

CIC Regions

(in consultation with Integration Branch)

Regional conferences are scheduled for February and March 2008.

5) Some of the ELT-funded projects are very much “niche” projects, in that they focus on a specific occupation. In cases where the projects appear to be very successful, consideration should be given to actively marketing these approaches in other geographic areas.

CIC agrees with this finding.

CIC will support the piloting of successful ELT projects in other jurisdictions through conference presentations and promotional materials.

Operational Management and Coordination Branch

CIC Regions

Annual conferences provide opportunity to showcase successful projects

 

As with finding II.4, mechanisms will be explored and developed that will most effectively market approaches, tools and curricula.

Integration Branch

Knowledge transfer strategy developed by Summer 2008 with implementation by Fall 2008

III. Data Collection

6) The information provided by the projects and/or provinces for inclusion in the ELT database is inadequate for a quantitative assessment of the initiative outcomes. At the same time, SPOs have indicated that the data collection requirements are onerous and that some have concerns about providing personal information about participants to CIC. Given those findings, CIC will have to develop an approach in order to ensure adequate information is collected to support a more quantitative assessment of participant’s outcomes for the summative evaluation.

CIC agrees with this finding.

CIC will review and work to streamline the data collection requirements for the upcoming summative evaluation, ensuring that data to evaluate outcomes and efficiency of the initiative are collected.

Integration Branch

 

 

First draft of data collection strategy developed by March 2008, with expected finalization by April 2008

A data collection plan will be prepared, working with Research and Evaluation, and a methodology expert.

Along with the data collection plan, various data collection tools will be developed (e.g. informed consent forms, survey and sampling methodologies, questionnaires, etc).

Integration Branch

Evaluation and Research Branch

Development of all evaluation tools beginning April 2008 and completed by Dec 2008

CIC will implement the data collection plan as developed by Integration and Evaluation and Research branches and defined in the previous Action

Operational Management and Coordination Branch

CIC Regions

Implementation of strategy and data collection beginning Spring 2008 (to be done in a phased approach as tools are developed and approved)

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