In the spring of 1998, 72 on-site service provider interviews were conducted with a total of 81 respondents (in some interviews, more than one respondent was present). An attempt was made to interview people from each of the following sectors in the seven host communities: settlement agencies, adult ESL providers, the education system (K-12), police, health care providers and general community service providers (e.g., YMCA, food bank). Six different versions of the questionnaire were developed (see Volume 3, Part III). Individuals in settlement agencies, educational institutions, churches, and community agencies were first contacted by telephone. In each instance, they were asked to refer the research team to any other agencies/individuals who could provide some information on refugees’ settlement experiences. In this way, a broad spectrum of service providers was located for each community. In general, respondents were very willing to meet with the interviewers, although some people expressed concern that they would not be able to answer all questions. The participating organizations are listed in Volume 3, (Part III). ( See Volume 2 for results of Service Provider Interviews.).
The taped interviews were transcribed and responses were sorted by question for each community. A qualitative thematic analysis of the responses was then conducted with a focus on similarities and differences between smaller and larger centres, reasons that refugees stay in or leave a given community, and factors affecting integration.
In addition, in the fall of 1998, one of the principal investigators interviewed six CIC personnel in several of the larger host communities about their perspectives on the settlement and integration of refugees in their respective communities. The interviews were transcribed and sent to the respondents to give them an opportunity to modify or add to their comments. These interviews were also analyzed thematically.