Social Sciences and Humanities Conseil de recherches en Research Council of Canada sciences humaines du Canada Citizenship and Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada Immigration Canada Evaluation Metropolis Program Joint Initiative of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Fall 2000 E v a l u a t i o n o f M e t r o p o l i s P r o g r a m Table of Contents Executive Summary . .1 Description Background . .3 Objectives . .3 Budget . .3 Governance . .4 The Metropolis Centres Research Programs . .4 Evaluation Phase 1: A Mid-term Peer Review . .6 Highlights of the Review . .6 Scope of the Centres . .6 Partnerships and Policy Relevance . .6 Training . .7 Conclusion . .7 Phase 2: An Overall Strategic Assessment . .8 Approach and Methodology . .8 Objectives of the Assessment . .8 Summary . .8 General Conclusion . .11 Appendices 1. Summary of the Metropolis Program Federal Partners Meeting . .13 2. Metropolis Program Strategic Assessment Centre Directors Meeting . .16 3. Project Team Meeting—Executive Summary Report . .20 4. Research Results Reported by the Centres . .24 5. Metropolis Centres Managers . .38 6. Evaluation Steering Committee Members . .41 7. Members of the Mid-term Review Committees . .43 Table of Contents i E v a l u a t i o n o f M e t r o p o l i s P r o g r a m Executive Summary Established in 1995 under the Joint Initiatives evaluation of the Program and to focus on Program of The Social Sciences and a strategic assessment, emphasizing the over- Humanities Research Council of Canada all results and accomplishments in relation to (SSHRC), the Metropolis Program supports the program objectives. To this end, a ques- four university-based research Centres on tionnaire was sent to federal funding partners immigration and integration. The Program to learn their views about the Program. This is funded by SSHRC and a consortium of was followed by a focus group meeting with seven federal departments and agencies led representatives of all the federal funding by Citizenship and Immigration Canada partners. A second focus group was held (CIC). The four Centres will receive a total of with the four Centres' directors and other $8 million over the six years ending in 2002. researchers. A final focus group discussion When the Program was created, it was stipu- was held with staff of the Project Team—the lated that a review of the Centres' progress group that administers the Metropolis Program would take place after three years and that, as a whole. sometime thereafter, an evaluation of the overall achievements of the Program would The assessment revealed that the Metropolis be carried out. Program is contributing significant, new and useful knowledge on the subjects of In 1999, four expert committees conducted a immigration and integration. The Program's mid-term scientific review of each Centre. research projects, developed in collaboration The committees were unanimous in stating with community partners, provide relevant that the Centres had made significant progress information and tools to develop and assess in reaching their objectives and those of the policies and improve services. However, Program. They noted that the Metropolis increased linkages with the federal funders Centres constituted a unique, made-in-Canada are needed to improve the relevance of the concept, with no equivalent internationally. research at the national level. The Centres involved more than 250 commu- nity organizations, had more than 240 projects The assessment also found that the Centres underway, in which close to 300 researchers are providing multidisciplinary training focused were participating, provided employment and on community policy development, that they training for approximately 400 students, and are intensively involved in disseminating were germane to 115 M.A. and Ph.D. theses. research results to target audiences, and The committees also noted, however, the that they are providing expert advice in need to strengthen relationships between the public debates on immigration issues. The Centres and the federal funding partners. assessment noted the impressive scope and diversity of community involvement with the On the basis of this comprehensive mid-term Centres. review, the Metropolis Evaluation Steering Committee decided to forego a traditional Executive Summary 1 E v a l u a t i o n o f M e t r o p o l i s P r o g r a m The Centres are now at the point of conso- lidating their respective strategies and moving toward national comparative studies to strategically feed policy development. This change should of course lead to a greater capacity to undertake international comparative studies. The Project Team could continue to play an active role in improving linkages between the Centres and the federal funding partners and in developing capacity for more national and international comparative studies. 2 SSHRC and CIC E v a l u a t i o n o f M e t r o p o l i s P r o g r a m Description BACKGROUND Objectives The Metropolis Program was established under the Joint Initiatives Program of the Social l To promote innovative and multidisciplinary Sciences and Humanities Research Council of research on immigration and integration in Canada by focusing on areas that are of Canada (SSHRC) in 1995. The Program key relevance to policy and program devel- supports four research Centres in the areas of opment and to service delivery in a variety immigration and integration. It is funded, at a of sectors. level of $8 million over six years, by SSHRC and a consortium, led by Citizenship and l To develop multidisciplinary research designs and new methodological approaches to the Immigration Canada (CIC), of seven federal study of immigration and integration issues. departments and agencies. Other participating departments include Canada Mortgage and l To encourage comparative research, from Housing Corporation, Canadian Heritage, both domestic and international perspectives, Health Canada, Human Resources Development which can enhance our knowledge base and inform strategic policy directions. Canada (HRDC), Solicitor General Canada and Status of Women Canada. l To promote sustained collaboration among academics, policy-makers, business and The ultimate goal of the Program is to labour groups, foundations, community organizations, practitioners and other inter- improve policies for managing immigration ested parties in the conduct of research into and diversity by enhancing academic research contemporary issues of mutual interest. capacity, focusing research on critical policy issues and options, and developing ways to l To provide research training opportunities facilitate the use of research in decision making. for students and to encourage graduate students and researchers in the early stages of their careers to conduct immigration BUDGET research. The total budget for the Metropolis Joint l To disseminate research results widely to policy makers, practitioners, community Initiative Program is $8 million over six years, organizations and the general public. including SSHRC's contribution of $3 million ($500 000 annually). addition to this core federal support, the Each Centre receives a grant of $340 000 per Centres draw financial assistance from other year for six years, between 1996 and 2002. federal departments, provincial governments, This grant supports research and covers costs non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and related to governance and management. In the private sector to support special studies and reports. Description 3 E v a l u a t i o n o f M e t r o p o l i s P r o g r a m The Metropolis GOVERNANCE Centres The Metropolis Program has a multi-tiered system of governance. The federal level l Montréal Centre for Inter-University Research consists of the following: on Immigration, Integration and Urban Dynamics l the Interdepartmental Steering Committee, l The Joint Centre of Excellence for Research which provides overall strategic direction; on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS), Toronto; l the Interdepartmental Working Committee (IDWC), which promotes sharing of l Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research program research and policy information on Immigration and Integration, Edmonton; among the Centres, within the federal l The Vancouver Centre of Excellence for government and with other levels of Research on Immigration and Integration in government in Canada; the Metropolis (RIIM). l the Project Team (housed at CIC), which acts as co-ordinator for the Centres and At the Centre level, a composite of represen- funders, promotes the Program nationally tatives—federal, provincial, municipal, private and internationally, and acts as a sector and NGO—sit on research, management Secretariat for both the Steering and the and advisory boards and provide strategic and Working Committees. policy direction. At the international level, an International The Centres work with 15 universities and Steering Committee provides general strategic several hundred affiliated researchers, post- direction to the international component of doctoral fellows and graduate students, as well the Program, which has its own, separate fund- as hundreds of community partners in a multi- ing arrangement. This component involves institutional, multidisciplinary collaborative policy-makers and researchers from more than research environment. 20 countries. This Committee's main activity is to organize an annual conference which Research Programs serves as the forum for international senior government officials