Agenda Package - City of Vernon

Evaluation of Homelessness Strategy for the North Okanagan
to be assessed and evaluated on its own merits relative to the priorities and interests of the
partners and their overall interest in moving forward.
6.1 StrategicPlanningRecommendations:
lf strategic planning is to be the foundation for decisions and actions re: homelessness,
it should be undertaken in such a manner that it fully captures current circumstances;
articulates a clearsense of future aspirations; and outlines a proactive, focused, comprehensive
and measurable approach. Moving forward the following recommendations are proposed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The organization should continue to emphasize an open, consultative process in the
identification of needs and the articulation of goals, objectives and actions, Client and
stakeholder engagement is critical to success and this practice has been well
entrenched. lt should continue to be a defining characteristic of the exercise.
As a starting point "homelessness" and the "homeless" as it pertains to Vernon and the
North Okanagan should be described and defined. We know the issues and challenges
are changing in part because the demographics are changing. This has implications to
planning and subsequent programming.
An initial baseline of information is required. ldeally this baseline should be quantified.
It might include a census of the homeless or some proxy or series of proxies that might
be used to count the homeless and assess their apparent needs. lt might include a
comprehensive study that embraces the invisible homeless; it might include service
capacities, inventories contrasted with usage; it might be a "pilot family or a number of
individuals" that can be readily tracked; it might include a regular process of community
assessment utilizing a Likert scaling to track performance; it might include a number of
approaches. Obviously the more comprehensively you understand the people and the
issues the better able you are to focus programming. But it must be a starting point or
reference to point direction and measure progress.
Core principles of behavior should be affirmed. The organization was particularly
effective in its previous effort because of these core principles and this practice should
continue to be emphasized with a particular focus on: collaboration/cooperation;
awareness; accessibility; transparency; inclusivity; and equity.
Lochaven Management Consultants Ltd.
November 2010
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