Evaluation of the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 July 2011 to March 2014 Evaluation Services Directorate November 3, 2015 Cette publication est également disponible en français. This publication is available in accessible PDF format on the Internet at http://www.pch.gc.ca © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, Catalogue No. CH7-29/2015E-PDF ISBN: 978-0-660-03486-7 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... I 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2. PROFILE OF THE 1812 COMMEMORATION INITIATIVE ....................................... 2 2.1. Background and Context ................................................................................................................ 2 2.2. Objectives and Outcomes ............................................................................................................... 4 2.3. Secretariat Management, Governance, Target Groups, Key Stakeholders & Delivery Partners .. 5 2.4. Secretariat Resources ..................................................................................................................... 6 3. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 8 3.1. Evaluation Scope, Timing and Quality Control ............................................................................. 8 3.2. Evaluation Questions by Issue Area ............................................................................................... 9 3.3. Evaluation Methods ...................................................................................................................... 11 4. FINDINGS – RELEVANCE ............................................................................................... 13 5. FINDINGS – PERFORMANCE ......................................................................................... 15 5.1. Core Issue: Achievement of Expected Outcomes ......................................................................... 15 5.2. Core Issue: Demonstration of Efficiency and Economy ............................................................... 30 6. CONCLUSIONS, GOOD PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED ........................... 35 6.1. Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 35 6.2. Good Practices and Lessons Learned .......................................................................................... 36 6.3. Recommendations and Management Response ............................................................................ 39 APPENDIX A: LOGIC MODEL .............................................................................................. 42 APPENDIX B: EVALUATION FRAMEWORK .................................................................... 43 APPENDIX C: SECRETARIAT EXPENDITURES, 2010-11 TO 2014-15 .......................... 48 APPENDIX D: BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 49 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Expected 1812 Commemoration Outcomes .................................................................................................... 5 Table 2 : Detailed Budgeted Cost for the Secretariat, 2010-11 to 2014/15 ($ Canadian dollars) .................................. 7 Table 3: Overview of Evaluation Issues and Questions .............................................................................................. 10 Table 4: Planned vs Spent Secretariat Expenditures, 2010-11 to 2014-15 ($ Canadian dollars) ................................. 32 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 .............................................................................. 4 Figure 2: Types of organizations that received funding from the Secretariat .............................................................. 16 Figure 3: Distribution of G&C funded projects, by Canadian region .......................................................................... 20 Figure 4: Distribution of G&C recipient organizations, by Canadian region .............................................................. 21 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADM Assistant Deputy Minister CCP Celebration and Commemoration Program EOI Expression of interest EBP Employee Benefit Plan ESD Evaluation Services Directorate G&C Grants and contributions GoC Government of Canada ICC Interdepartmental Commemoration Committee IWG Interdepartmental Working Group on the War of 1812 KII Key informant interviews O&M Operating and Maintenance OPI Office of Prime Interest PCH Department of Canadian Heritage SAP System Analysis and Program Development SMEC Sport, Major Events and Commemorations TBS Treasury Board Secretariat Executive Summary Description of the Initiative and Overview of the Evaluation The commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 (“1812 Commemoration”) was a three-year Government of Canada (GoC) initiative that sought both to promote greater awareness, knowledge and understanding of the War of 1812 and also to provide opportunities to engage the Canadian public and target audiences in activities and events related to commemoration of the War of 1812, with a view to strengthening Canadian identity. This was meant to be a one-time commemoration, with no intention of renewal. The 1812 Commemoration was an horizontal initiative delivered by means of activities involving various federal departments and agencies and stakeholders, in fiscal years 2011- 2012 to 2013-2014. Budget 2010 provided incremental funding of $28 over three years, allocated to the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) ($17.8 million), the Parks Canada Agency ($9.42 million) and the Canadian War Museum ($718,000). In addition to this incremental funding over three years, programs within PCH, funded War of 1812 activities and events from within existing budgets (e.g. Celebrate and Commemorate Canada, Canadian Studies, Building Communities through Arts and Heritage, Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, etc.). Other federal departments and agencies also developed activities from within their existing budgets over the commemoration period (e.g. National Defence and Canadian Forces, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Canada Post Corporation, Royal Canadian Mint, etc.). PCH provided leadership and coordination to the GoC War of 1812 initiatives to stimulate the involvement of federal departments and agencies to increase awareness and appreciation of the importance of the War of 1812 on the evolution of Canada. Funding was used to establish a Federal Secretariat for the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 (“Secretariat”) whose main responsibilities were: to manage the 1812 Commemoration Fund (grants and contributions program); to promote national awareness; and to coordinate federal participation. The Secretariat was housed within the Major Events and Celebrations Branch and the 1812 Commemoration Fund was delivered under the authorities of the PCH Celebration and Commemoration Program (CCP). This evaluation covers the activities of the Federal Secretariat for the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 from July 2011 to March 31, 2014. Its purpose is to inform the GoC on the relevance of the War of 1812 initiatives and the performance of the Secretariat, while providing senior management with reliable, timely information on results achieved and on operational efficiency and economy. The evaluation also focusses on lessons learned and good practices from the 1812 Commemoration that could inform the planning and implementation of similar initiatives in the future. Evaluation findings will feed into the next evaluation of the CCP, scheduled for 2016-2017. i Conducted between February 2014 and March 2015, the evaluation is based on three lines of inquiry: a document and database review; seven case studies designed to gather evidence from G&C funding recipients; and fourteen interviews with key informants, including PCH program managers, directors and external stakeholders. The evaluation was led by the Evaluation Services Directorate (ESD) of PCH, which gathered all information associated with the three lines of inquiry. A private consulting company was entrusted with the review and triangulation of all evidence on hand and with the drafting of an evaluation report. Relevance The 1812 Commemoration initiative highlighted a significant historical moment that was key to shaping Canadian identity and was determined to be worthy of commemoration. This initiative was designed and implemented with a view to strengthening Canadian identity and presenting Canadians from across the country with opportunities to become more aware of a defining moment in Canadian history and to participate in its celebration. The 1812 Commemoration initiative was both aligned with PCH’s priority to encourage “Canadians to share, express and appreciate their Canadian identity,” and consistent with stated GoC priorities. The initiative was also envisioned as a key event leading towards the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, in 2017. Performance The evaluation found