Program Evaluation 2015-17 for Head Start in Business Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 3 1.0 Introduction and Overview .................................................................................................. 5 2.0 Research and Evaluation Method ........................................................................................ 8 3.1 Quantitative Survey Method ............................................................................................ 9 3.2 Qualitative Survey Method ............................................................................................... 9 3.0 Outcome Evaluation ............................................................................................................ 10 3.1. Provide programming throughout Northern Ontario ............................................... 10 3.2. Provide programming to at least 13,000 participants between 2015-17. ................. 11 3.3. Help 30 young people start a business ......................................................................... 11 3.4 Provide support for five ongoing businesses operated by young people ............... 12 3.5. Increase participants’ entrepreneurial orientation ..................................................... 13 3.6. Increase participants’ employment/self-employment ............................................... 14 3.7. Establish/maintain 150 community partnerships ....................................................... 14 3.8. Create three new direct full-time jobs .......................................................................... 14 3.9 Qualitative Evaluation Findings .................................................................................... 15 3.10 Limitations of this Evaluation ...................................................................................... 16 4.0 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Emphasize ongoing data collection and program tracking. .................................. 17 4.2 Develop a formal stakeholder analysis and communications plan for regions. 18 4.3 Research best practices in recruitment and retention of contract staff. ................ 19 4.4 Refine and clarify volunteer and partner roles in events. ...................................... 19 Appendix A: Quantitative Survey Instrument ...................................................................... 20 Appendix B: List of HSIB Partners .......................................................................................... 30 2 Executive Summary The North Claybelt Community Futures Development Corporation (North Claybelt CFDC) administers the Head Start in Business Program (HSIB), more recently known as the Northern Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative. This program offers a range of courses, workshops and interactive sessions that encourage youth from four to thirty-four years of age to explore self-employment as a career, and to build entrepreneurial skills. Since 2004, over 36,000 young people have participated in these programs, and there are now 24 CFDC coordinating partners across the province. As a condition of FedNor and NOHFC funding agreements for the three-year program1, North Claybelt commissioned a third party Certified Program Evaluator to identify the extent to which HSIB’s objectives were met. The evaluation described in this document follows guide- lines established by the Canadian Evaluation Society, and includes both quantitative and quali- tative research methods. These methods include a statistically significant survey, reviews of documentation provided by HSIB managers, and interviews with stakeholders. Table 1 summarizes the level to which the program’s measurable objectives were met. Of the eight measurable objectives, seven were fully achieved and one was mostly achieved. Table 1: Summary of Program Objective Achievements Program Objective Extent of Achievement Not Fully 1. Provide programming throughout Northern Ontario achieved achieved Not Fully 2. Provide programming to at least 13,000 participants achieved achieved Not Fully 3. Help 30 young people start a business achieved achieved Not Fully 4. Provide support for five ongoing youth businesses achieved achieved Not Fully 5. Increase participants’ entrepreneurial orientation achieved achieved Not Fully 6. Increase participants’ employment/self-employment achieved achieved Not Fully 7. Establish/maintain 150 community partnerships achieved achieved 2 Not Fully 8. Create three new direct full-time jobs achieved achieved 1 NOHFC Project Number 8210085 dated October 1, 2015. FedNor Project Number 851-807130 dated August 19, 2015. North Claybelt delivered the program from fiscal year 2015/16 to 2017/18. 2 This objective is part of the funding agreement with the NOHFC. The other objectives are part of the FedNor fund- ing agreement scope statement. 3 Quantitative Findings A 2017 study surveyed 300 HSIB participants and 100 young people randomly selected from across Northern Ontario, all of whom were between the ages of 15-29. The findings suggest sta- tistically significant differences between individuals in the HSIB group and members of the con- trol group. HSIB Participants are more likely to be: • Self-employed (6% vs 3.6%) • Employed full-time if not in school (14.7% versus 9%) • Both self- and other-employed (5% vs 0%) • Operating or planning to start a business in the next five years (26% vs 22%) • Enrolled in post-secondary education (38% vs 25%) They also demonstrate statistically significant higher scores on two of the three entrepreneurial orientation traits tested than do members of the control group: • Need For Achievement (Mean 5.8 vs 5.6) • Self-Efficacy (Mean 5.4 vs 5.1) • Creativity (Mean 4.6). 2017 Qualitative Findings The qualitative evaluation component assessed data from written documentation, funding ac- tivity reports and interviews with stakeholders. Table 2 itemizes the program strengths, sugges- tions for improvement and recommendations emerging from this evaluation. Table 2: Summary of Strengths, Opportunities for Improvement and Recommendations Program Strengths Opportunities to Improve Recommendations 1. Provides good facilitators, presenters 1. Improve ongoing program 1. Emphasize ongoing data col- and tools. evaluation processes, par- lection and tracking, and in- 2. Encourages entrepreneurial thinking, ticularly with respect to pre- corporate formal processes in awareness, and opportunities to ap- and post-testing. each program to capture data ply problem solving and creativity 2. Improve stakeholder man- effectively. skills. agement. 2. Develop formal stakeholder 3. Motivates and engages participants 3. Reduce staff turnover. analysis, management and using practical learning experiences. 4. Refine and clarify partner communication plans. 4. Good relationships with school and volunteer roles. 3. Research best practices in boards and other stakeholders in- recruitment and retention of creases program reach and credibil- contract staff. ity. 4. Prepare more detailed “job 5. Offers bilingual, pan-northern acces- descriptions” for partners, sibility. mentors and volunteers who support events. 4 1.0 Introduction and Overview The North Claybelt Community Futures Development Corporation (North Claybelt CFDC) administers the Head Start in Business program (HSIB). The program encourages youth aged four to thirty-four to explore and build entrepreneurship skills by participating in a range of age- appropriate workshops, programs and learning opportunities (Figure 1.1). These help young people identify and harness entrepreneurial curiosity and skills. Figure 1.1: Head Start In Business Programs Start Me Up Be a Business Bee Grades 7-12 Grades K-2 Kids Invent Canada Enterprise Olympics Ages 9-12 Grades 9-12 Youth Enterprise The Amazing Entre- Camp preneurial Race Ages 9-13 YOUTH ENTERPRISE CAMP Grades 7-12 Financial Literacy by Create a Logo Prosper Canada Grades 3-6 Ages 16-34 Hector the Business GenE Plan Assistant Ages 16-34 All Ages Market your BizBattle Thoughts Ages 18-34 Grades 7-8 Programs like HSIB are based on the premise that exposing young people to entrepreneurship education predisposes them to more favourable perceptions of self-employment as a career.3 3 Raposo, M., & Paco, A. D. (2011). Entrepreneurship education: Relationship between education and entrepreneurial activity. Psicothema, 23(3) | Landström, H., & Sexton, D. (2000). Introduction. In H. Landström & D.L. Sexton (Eds.), Handbook of entrepreneurship. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, xix-xxiv. 5 This is supported by research that demonstrates a positive correlation between entrepreneur- ship programs and business outcomes. 4 HSIB is funded by FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program, the Northern Ontario Herit- age Fund Corporation (NOHFC), the Ontario Trillium Foundation, participating CFDCs, and regional corporate sponsors. The Evolution of Head Start in Business HSIB is the most recent brand iteration of an entrepreneurship training program (ETP) that has grown significantly since FedNor first began funding localized self-employment development initiatives in 2004. Since then, the program has scaled up from a series of one-offs to its current pan-northern Ontario scope. It has been known by several names since 2006, each of which reflected the program’s increasing reach: • 2006-2008 Regional Youth Entrepreneurship