Results at a Glance - Evaluation of the Horizontal Coordination Function of the Family Violence Initiative (2011/12 to 2016/17)
Family Violence Initiative (FVI)
The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the horizontal coordination aspect of the Family Violence Initiative (FVI) for the period 2011-2012 to 2016-2017.
Since its inception in 1988, the FVI has been the Government of Canada’s main horizontal mechanism for addressing the issue of family violence in Canada.
The FVI is horizontally managed to ensure a shared federal perspective, to foster collaboration, to create partnerships, and to provide opportunities for joint action. The FVI involves seven funded departments and eight unfunded departments, with the Public Health Agency of Canada as the lead.
What the evaluation found
A horizontal approach to the Government of Canada’s response to family violence is important due to the multifaceted nature of the issue and the differing mandates of partners.
Over the past five years, the FVI has been successful in fostering a strong network of professionals, across the Government of Canada, who work on issues related to family violence. The FVI forum has allowed federal partners to share information, network, and collaborate on various projects.
Although the FVI has been successful at developing a strong network, the evaluation found that it is currently not demonstrating a deeper level of horizontality among FVI departments (i.e., sharing ideas and resources, frequent communication, all members having a vote in decision-making).
However, the evaluation also found that a deeper level of horizontality was not possible over the previous five years of the FVI, due to: (1) stagnant and limited funding; (2) limited engagement at the senior level; (3) the fact that departments do not necessarily have the same results at the delivery level; and, (4) that the Government of Canada is just one player in the response to family violence.
Nonetheless, the majority of interviewees felt that a greater degree of horizontality would improve outcomes related to family violence. Furthermore, original program authorities (1998) outlined a more collaborative approach to the management of the Initiative, focussing on the importance of a multidisciplinary response to foster collaboration, create partnerships, and provide opportunities for joint action.
Moving ahead, it will be important for FVI partners to discuss what is the most appropriate form of horizontality for the current FVI, including the possibility of piloting projects that involve a deeper level of horizontality and monitoring the impact this type of collaboration has on program outcomes.
Finally, the evaluation assessed if gender analysis was discussed in the context of the FVI, not as a critique of performance in this area, but as a means of informing future coordination of similar initiatives. Interviewees felt that it was not necessary to discuss gender analysis as a specific topic within the FVI, as it was seen as integral to departments’ work related to family violence.
Lessons Learned
Define and communicate to stakeholders the level of horizontality that is most appropriate for the initiative, but also reassess the appropriateness of this level on an ongoing basis to ensure it remains relevant and that stakeholders agree with its form.
For an initiative such as the FVI, that involves a number of departments (currently 15), it should be recognized that not all departments will have the same needs or incentives for horizontality. In such cases, it is important to ensure that there is flexibility in how, and in the degree to which, departments participate in horizontal cooperation.
Ensure that governance structures are determined based on fostering the specific type of horizontality that is best suited to the initiative. For example, less senior management engagement is required for cooperation-type horizontality than for collaboration.
Create clear procedures and policies that could be transferred to new participants. This would include purpose and number of meetings for each level in governance structure.
It is important to balance the need for reporting performance at the initiative level with the need to respect departmental reporting requirements and time restrictions. However, at a minimum, the lead department must be able to tell a performance story of results achieved at the initiative level, across partner federal departments.
Sharing resources where appropriate, ensuring the initiative is a government priority, and engaging senior management are all critical to the success of developing a collaborative style of horizontality.
