Agenda Package - City of Vernon

Evaluation of Homelessness Strategy for the North Okanagan
the organization's core principles3s; (2) a review of "defined" outputs/outcomes and impacts
(RBM); and (3) a contrasting of implementation efforts with best practice assessments from other
jurisdictions. A brief explanation of each proposed performance measure with subsequent
comments and observations follows.
s.2.1, Core Principles
An organization's core principles are a reflection or articulation of the beliefs and ideas
about what kinds of goals and act¡vities members of an organization should pursue and the
appropriate kinds or standards of behavior the organization and its members should use to
achieve these goals. lt is the culture of the organization that determines how and why selected
activities are conceived and how and why they are implemented as they are'
A review of the
and the activities and actions arising pursuant thereto would suggest the following development
and implementation principles apply or are intended to apply:
inclusive
engaged/participative
awareness
collaborative
public support
equitable
u ndersta ndi ng/responsive
open and transparent
respect
How well the actions and activities undertaken pursuant to the 2007 Homelessness Strategy
conform to these principles is a valid indicator of performance in that there is an obvious and
arguably significant correlation between the degree of adherence to these principles and how
effective efforts have been. By way of example, without adequate collaboration the design and
delivery of programs/services with a multi-dimensional aspect will undoubtedly not fully
maximize their potential. However, it should be pointed out that while this organizational
culture is an important determinant of success we cannot measure exactly how impoftant it is.
Observations on Performance RE:Core Principles
Beyond observation a series of stakeholder (clients, representatives of service
agencies/authorities) interviews were undertaken during the course of the investigations. Many
of these interviews provided relevant impressions, thoughts and opinions on the governance
components inherent within the planning process and implementation efforts. Relative to
organizational behavior or culture some of the more interesting perspectives were as follows:
RE: U nderstanding, Respectful, lncl usiveness and Awareness:
"Homelessness is o community problem...ond it requires a community solution..."
Ltt';
36 Core principles are in aggregate usually referred to as the organization's culture. Organizational culture in turn is
defined as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and
that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization.
hn¡¿al Lochaven Management Consultants Ltd.
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