Ministry of Community Ministère des Services and Social Services sociaux et communautaires Assistant Deputy Minister Sous-ministre adjoint Social Assistance Division des opérations Operations Division relatives à l'aide sociale

Hepburn Block, 6th floor Édifice Hepburn, 6e étage 80 Grosvenor Street 80, rue Grosvenor ON M7A 1E9 Toronto () M7A 1E9

March 19, 2015

MEMORANDUM TO: Ontario Works Administrators

FROM: Richard Steele Assistant Deputy Minister

SUBJECT: Additional Funding for SAMS Implementation

I am writing to inform you that the ministry will be providing an additional $5 million in one-time funding in this fiscal year to assist Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) with costs related to the implementation of the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS). The additional funding comes from within the Ministry’s existing social assistance administration budget.

This funding is in recognition of the tremendous efforts being made to implement SAMS, and brings the cumulative amount of provincial funding provided to support the operational cost of SAMS implementation to $15 million – $5 million anticipated and provided prior to implementation and an additional $10 million provided post- implementation. The funding is 100 per cent provincial with no cost-sharing requirement for costs incurred up to March 31, 2015.

Distribution of the $5 Million in One-Time Funding (100% Provincial):

The new funding will be distributed in the same fashion as the previous funding. A base of $50,000 will be provided to all 47 CMSMs and DSAABs, with the balance of the $5 million being distributed based on each delivery agent’s share of the Ontario Works caseload.

The intent of the funding is to assist with additional costs delivery agents have incurred from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 for SAMS implementation and can be spent on any eligible program delivery activity, such as staff overtime, backfill, etc. As the funding is expenditure-based, delivery agents should work with their Program Supervisors to identify expenditures to be claimed.

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Future Funding

The ministry will be keeping the lines of communication open to consider additional assistance for costs that may be incurred in 2015-16. It is expected that any discussions will include plans for transitioning back to a normal state of operations.

In working with the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and other stakeholders, the ministry has committed to a process for returning to regular business. The nature of the transition plans and approaches to allocating any future funding, as well as the final amount available, need to be discussed with our municipal partners, including OMSSA and the Association of Municipalities on Ontario (AMO). Any decisions will be informed by these discussions.

Thank you,

Richard Steele

Attachment (1) c. Erin Hannah, A/Assistant Deputy Minister, Social Policy Development Martin Thumm, Executive Lead, Social Services Solution Modernization Project Jeff Butler, Director, Ontario Works Branch Patti Redmond, Director, Social Assistance Service Delivery Branch Jeff Bowen, A/Director, Social Assistance and Municipal Operations Branch Gloria Lee, A/Director, Ontario Disability Support Program Branch Nelson Loureiro, Business Director, Social Services Solution Modernization Project Gurpreet Sidhu-Dhanoa, A/Manager, Ontario Works Branch Kira Heineck, Executive Director, Ontario Municipal Social Services Association Pat Vanini, Executive Director, Association of Municipalities of Ontario

Sent via e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

March 16, 2015

The Honourable Dr. Helena Jaczek Minister of Community and Social Services 80 Grosvenor Street Hepburn Block – 6th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 1E9

Dear Minister Jaczek:

Thank you for our recent meetings when we discussed AMO’s concerns with the implementation challenges of the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS). I appreciate your door being open to us on this matter and others.

As we discussed, there are deep concerns among our Board with the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS). We seem to agree that continuing effort, activity, and resource expenditure is needed in light of the current situation. I was pleased to hear about recent Ministry actions to help remedy the problems. In particular, the establishment of a third party advisor should be helpful in soliciting independent, expert advice to help chart the course forward in order to achieve a stabilized system in the short term, and a more effective one over the long term. It will be critical to the successful outcome of the exercise for the Ministry to direct the 3rd party advisor to speak with AMO and other municipal sector organizations such as the Ontario Municipal Social Service Association (OMSSA) and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA).

In addition, the visits by yourself and your Deputy Minister to various Ontario Works sites should be instructive and do send a vital message to our municipal and DSSAB staffs that you and the Ministry are making an active effort to listen, learn, and strive for solutions together in a collaborative manner. The creation of the front-line user group will also provide an opportunity for the Ministry to hear vital front-line input. We would ask, however, that the Ministry consider that the primary input should come from the senior staff in municipalities and District Social Service Administration Boards (DSSABs). These senior staffs are most appropriately positioned as the managers for the social assistance system, and as employers of the front-line staff.

200 University Ave. Suite 801 www.amo.on.ca Tel 416. 971.9856 Toll Free in Ontario Toronto, ON, M5H 3C6 [email protected] Fax 416. 971.6191 877.426.6527

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While the Ministry’s efforts to address the problems are acknowledged, one outstanding issue is that of financial compensation. As you are aware, municipalities and DSSABs have incurred significant overtime costs to ensure that payment runs are successful. It is not fair or reasonable that municipalities and DSSABs are incurring more ongoing costs associated with SAMS implementation. These costs cannot be considered part of the 50:50 administration formula.

While your Ministry has provided some initial mitigation funding, we are still looking for the Province to assume 100% responsibility for all the short and long-term costs associated with the implementation of the government’s new software system. Therefore, I would again reiterate my earlier request of February 5th, 2015, that the Province reimburse municipalities and DSSABs for the additional ongoing costs associated with SAMS until such time as the short and long-term implementation problems are resolved. I would suggest that the Ministry start efforts to immediately survey municipalities and DSSABs to gauge the extent of the additional financial compensation required.

Minister, again I appreciate your willingness to discuss the SAMS implementation challenges with AMO and the municipal sector. I look forward to the Ministry’s response on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Gary McNamara AMO President

cc: The Honourable Ted McMeekin, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Catherine Matheson, President, Ontario Municipal Social Services Association Gary Scripnick, Chair, Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association Kristen Munro, Chief of Staff, Ministry of Community and Social Services Bohodar Rubashewsky, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Community and Social Services Richard Steele, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Community and Social Services

Randy Hope March 13, 2015 Mayor Chatham-Kent The Hon. Helena Jaczek th Roger Anderson Hepburn Block, 6 Floor Chair 80 Grosvenor Street Durham Toronto ON M7A1E9 Gary Carr Chair Halton Dear Minister,

Fred Eisenberger I am writing to you on behalf of the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario of Single Tier Cities Mayor Hamilton and Regions (MARCO) group to express our concerns with the continuing problems and additional costs being incurred by Consolidated Municipal Services Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs) in their ongoing implementation of the Mayor Kingston Social Assistance Management System (SAMS), and to request that the Province commit to covering 100% of all direct and indirect costs incurred by CMSMs and DSSABs for SAMS Matt Brown Mayor implementation and business recovery. London The implementation of SAMS has been challenging, extending unanticipated negative service John Klinck Chair impacts to participants and increasing workload for staff. Implementation costs have greatly Muskoka exceeded the one time funding provided by the Province and these are expected to grow as implementation difficulties persist and our deferred workload grows. To date, neither the Alan Caslin Chair Province nor the sector knows the full cost. SAMS implementation and its associated problems Niagara have come on fast and furious. Work has been deferred, other staff have been recruited from

Jim Watson other work areas to assist and significant overtime has been required including additional staff Mayor overtime in centralized support functions such as treasury. Deferring workloads due to SAMS results in limited participant contact, missed opportunities, potential incorrect benefits and lack

Frank Dale of ability to meet or maintain provincial outcomes. Missed opportunities include issuing further Chair benefits and significantly reduced community agency referrals. While overtime costs should be Peel relatively easy to quantify, it is not the complete picture. The cost of work deferred is very costly

Brian Bigger but more difficult to quantify. In addition, the cost of what needs to be done for business Mayor recovery is not easy to determine at this point. Sudbury

Keith Hobbs Accordingly, MARCO calls on the Province to continue to work closely with the sector to solve Mayor the implementation issues and to guarantee 100% funding to CMSMs and DSSABs for all costs associated with their implementation of SAMS and business recovery. Mayor I would be happy to discuss this further with you should you have any questions. Toronto

Ken Seiling Best regards, Chair Waterloo

Drew Dilkens Mayor Ken Seiling Windsor MARCO Chair 2015-2018

Wayne Emmerson Ken Seiling, Chair Chair Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario of Single Tier Cities and Regions York The Regional Municipality of Waterloo 150 Frederick Street, 1st Floor, Kitchener Ontario N2G 4J3

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