1997/98 PCERII Funded Research Abstract
Research Title: The Settlement Renewal Initiative: Quo Vadis Immigrant Settlement in Canada?
Research Team: Dr. Joseph Garcea (University of Saskatchewan) - Principal Investigator
Research Domain(s): Public Services & Political
The overarching objective of this research project is to analyze the Settlement Renewal initiative undertaken by the federal government between 1995 and 1996. More specifically the objective is to examine the purpose, process, and products of that initiative.
In analyzing the purpose and process of the Settlement Renewal initiative the objectives will be to ascertain the political, programmatic, and economic factors that provided the impetus for it, shaped the process used during the first stage of the initiative, and influenced the substantive content of the products (i.e., various position papers, briefs, and reports) of the first stage of the initiative.
In analyzing the products of the first stage of that initiative the objective will be to ascertain the recommended and potential policy and management directions for the immigrant settlement services sector in the future. The Settlement Renewal initiative has produced a plethora of documentation that contains invaluable observations and recommendations regarding future directions both for the policy and management of immigrant settlement services. A detailed and thematic analysis of those observations and recommendations has not been produced to date. Such an analysis would not only help answer questions regarding what the prevailing views of stakeholders are regarding various issues and options in reforming policies and management structures in the settlement sector, but it would also provide a basis for discussing and negotiating future reforms.
The research project will result in three products. The first product will be a thematic compendium of recommendations on policy and management directions made by various organizations both to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and also to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration during their respective consultation process. The compendium will be titled: A Thematic Compendium of Recommendations on Policy and Management Directions for Settlement Services in Canada: 1995-1996. The second product will be an article titled: "The CIC Immigrant Settlement Renewal Initiative: Purpose, Process, Prescriptions, and Progress." The third product is an article titled: "Settlement Renewal: The Role and Recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration."