September 24, 1998

To:Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee

From:Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

Subject:Social Development Strategy Elements, Timelines, Process and Preliminary Budget

Purpose:

This report outlines the proposed elements, timelines, processes and preliminary budget for the Social Development Strategy and explains its relationship to the City's Strategic Plan.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The 1998 budget for the Social Development Strategy will be absorbed within the current Community and Neighbourhood Services operating budget. For 1999, it is estimated that $90,000.00 will be required for the spring consultation, the production of a Social Development Atlas, costs related to social reporting and monitoring and the production of a final Social Development Strategy document in the late summer of 1999. Of the $90,000.00, the Department could accommodate approximately $20,000.00 from its 1998 base, as well as the staff resources to support the initiatives thereby requiring the Department to request $70,000.00 in the 1999 budget.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)Council approve the development of a social development strategy and the process and timelines as outlined in this report;

(2)The Department provide in its 1999 budget request an amount of $70,000.00 for developing the Social Development Strategy;

(3)this report be referred to the Budget Committee for consideration in the 1999 budget process;

(4)Council adopt the Social Development Strategy objectives, as follows:

(a)to set the direction for social and community development in the new city of Toronto by establishing a set of clearly articulated goals and monitoring systems;

(b)to involve communities, clients, funders and policy makers, in defining community social needs and priorities;

(c)to channel the results productively into a comprehensive and coherent vision for the future;

(d)to improve service co-ordination and linkages and to rationalize the provision of social and community services across the new city of Toronto;

(e)to maintain and enhance the reputation of Toronto as the best city in the world to live through the development of dynamic, responsive social policy and the provision of effective services and programs; and

(5)Council authorize the appropriate City officials to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its March 4, 1998 meeting, City Council approved a report which outlined the need for, and the purpose and key components of a Social Development Strategy for the City.

As identified in that report, the ultimate purpose of a social development strategy for the City is to contribute to maintaining a strong social infrastructure that meets the diverse needs of communities and residents. The social development strategy will provide the necessary framework for coordinating, and integrating the responsibilities for social and health services in the City of Toronto. It will also be the basis for the social wellbeing component of the Strategic Plan.

The specific objectives of a social development strategy are:

(a)to set the direction for social and community development in the new city of Toronto by establishing a set of clearly articulated goals and monitoring systems;

(b)to involve communities, clients, funders and policy makers, in defining community social needs and priorities;

(c)to channel the results productively into a comprehensive and coherent vision for the future;

(d)to improve the service co-ordination and linkages and to establish broad outcomes to assist in assessing the effectiveness of programs and services in meeting social and health needs across the new city of Toronto; and

(e)to maintain and enhance the reputation of Toronto as the best city in the world to live through the development of a dynamic, responsive social policy and the provision of effective services and programs.

City Council directed that the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services consult with key community stakeholders regarding the development of a social development strategy and report to the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee to outline the elements, timelines, process and preliminary budget. This report is in response to that request.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The three key elements of a social development strategy are:

(1)Social Vision

With its new and expanded mandate for social infrastructure, the City Council, in partnership with the community, has the opportunity to articulate its vision for the future, and to provide leadership in social planning in the City of Toronto.

(2) Social Plan

Through a social plan the City will establish the broad strategic framework for the provision of the social and health services and programs provided by the City. The strategic goals and priorities established through the framework form the basis for service planning, management and delivery of a range of human services. It will impact on Parks and Recreation as well.

Social infrastructure planning also provides a strategic framework within which service delivery options can be assessed. An integrated planning approach that focuses on outcomes for communities and residents is a valuable tool to assess how services are best organized, coordinated and delivered.

(3) Social Monitoring and Reporting

A key element of a social development strategy is monitoring and reporting on social conditions in communities, setting targets for improvement, and reporting on social progress. The community-based sector recommends forming a new civic alliance between the City and community sectors to begin to define new standards for health and social well-being in communities. These standards, or outcomes, will support decision-making regarding policy directions, and resource allocation, and provide one basis from which to assess the effectiveness of service delivery across the city.

Process Considerations:

The City is currently involved in a number of strategic planning initiatives, and there are also a number of task force initiatives that are directly relevant to the Social Development Strategy. It is imperative, therefore, that the Social Development Strategy be coordinated with, and not duplicate the efforts of these other initiatives.

Linkages with other City planning processes:

As outlined in the Chief Administrative Officer's report to the September 24, 1998 Strategic Policy and Priorities Committee, the Social Development Strategy will inform the social well-being component of the Strategic Plan. As the initiative that overarches all the other planning processes, the leadership for coordinating between the various strategic initiatives, such as the Official Plan, the Environmental Plan and the Economic Plan, will be through the Strategic Plan process. At a staff level, the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department will have close linkages with other planning process through the staff working group established for the Strategic Plan. Like the Strategic Plan, the elements of the Social Development Strategy will be co-ordinated with the implementation timeframe for the Strategic Plan.

Community partnership:

A consistent message emerging from the community-based sector is the need for a civic partnership for social development. The process for the Social Development Strategy forms the basis for that partnership. It is recommended that a community development approach, that recognizes and legitimizes this partnership be adopted in developing this strategy, and that each element of the strategy include community participation.

However, another message that has been clearly heard is that communities are experiencing some consultation fatigue. During the period leading up to amalgamation, and with the numbers of task force initiatives that are currently underway, the City has been very active in consulting on a number of issues. The sentiment being expressed at the community level is that asking for more input and general comment is not productive; that communities are interested in more than expressing their opinion and hence, consultation should be action-oriented, with tangible results.

Therefore, it is proposed that at least initially, the Social Development Strategy process be informed through the existing consultation processes related to the task forces and other initiatives, and through recent relevant consultations such as the Children and Youth Action Committee consultations related to the Children's report card held in June and the "More than Bricks and Mortar" consultations held in the fall of 1997.

Linkages with Task Forces, Committees of Council and City Departments:

City Council has already identified priority areas and established task force initiatives to respond to these issues. The task forces and committees most particularly relevant to the Social Development Strategy include: The Children and Youth Action Committee, the Homelessness Action Task Force and the Council Strategy Committee for People without Homes, the Municipal Grants Review Committee, the Senior's Task Force, the Access and Equity Task Force and the Community Safety Task Force. Linkages between these initiatives and the Social Development Strategy will be critical. Linkages will also be made to all relevant city departments such as Economic Development, Parks and Recreation and Urban Planning and Development Services and the Chief Administrator's Office.

Proposed Process:

The Strategy will be developed in two phases. The first phase will involve three key activities: developing a draft vision and principles document; developing a Social Development Atlas, and engaging in a consultation process. The second phase will involve developing strategic direction, establishing outcome indicators for social monitoring and reporting, and producing a social plan. Appendix 1 outlines the elements in each of the phases.

Draft Vision and Principles Document:

A draft vision and principles document will be developed through the fall of 1998 by the Department. This draft will be informed by previous relevant work done by the former local municipalities and former Metro, recent consultations with communities, including the "More than Bricks and Mortar" consultations from 1997 related to amalgamation, and the current work of the task forces, committees of council and the Olympic Bid.

A staff working group will be struck to undertake this work. This group will include representatives from Children's Services, Homes for the Aged, Shelter Housing and Support, Social Services, Public Health, Libraries, Parks and Recreation and Healthy City Office of Corporate Planning. Leadership for this initiative will come from the Social Development and Administration Division.

As well, representatives from community and business will be invited to provide input to and comments on the draft as it is being developed.

Social Development Atlas:

Developing and implementing a social plan which is action-oriented and focusses on outcomes requires an in-depth understanding of existing population characteristics and trends in the City. As a first step toward a monitoring and reporting system, the Department has begun work on a Social Development Atlas.

The atlas will bring together a broad range of demographic, socio-economic and administrative/program service data in a GIS (Geographic Information System) application. This approach will facilitate complex spatial analysis of community needs and resources and enhance presentation of population information through maps at a variety of geographical levels - from neighbourhoods to wards to the city as whole.

The atlas will not only identify key trends and demographic highlights, but also provide a dynamic planning tool for examining where these trends are occurring spatially across the city and over time. The atlas will enable the consideration of population needs in relation to the existing services, programs and other amenities that impact on the quality of community life.

The atlas will inform and support the Social Development Strategy process by:

(1)presenting a clearer understanding of the socio-economic profile of the City;

(2)identifying key highlights and population trends; and

(3)establish a framework for social reporting and monitoring, including developing relevant social indicators.

More concretely, the atlas will bring together maps, tables , illustrations and text regarding key population groups that face a variety of social barriers including poverty and have historically benefitted from social policy and the City's social, health and community services. Among these are children, youths, seniors, low income families and ethno-cultural populations.

The development of the Social Development Atlas will also be coordinated with other departments such as Urban Planning and Development Services, and with community-based planning organizations such as the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto. The process is also being informed by the directions being taken by the various committees and task forces of Council. For example, the Children and Youth Action Committee's development of a Children's Report Card and Youth Profile can give some direction to the Social Development Atlas process.

Through the maps, it will be possible to see what changes are occurring and where. Ultimately, the atlas will be an integral piece for establishing a base line to develop appropriate indicators, necessary to monitor the social development of the city.

Consultation Process:

Once the draft vision and principles document and the Social Development Atlas are complete, it is proposed that the City consult with the community and stakeholders. The purpose of the consultation is twofold:

(1)to receive comments and input on the draft vision and principles document; and

(2)to provide input in developing strategic directions, and identifying outcome indicators .

It is proposed that this consultation occur in early Spring of 1999.

Since there will be no formal public consultation while developing the draft vision and principles paper, it will be important that it be well circulated in the community and that adequate public consultation forums be made available. It is recommended that these public consultations take place from February 15, 1999 to April 30 1999 through the Community Councils.

Developing the Social Plan:

Following the consultation, the Department will oversee developing a social plan, which will include a social vision and principles and will identify strategic directions for the City. Throughout this process, the Department will also provide opportunities for representatives from the community-based sector and business to provide input and comment on the document.

Social Monitoring and Reporting:

As the Strategic Directions become clear, and all the inputs from committees, the task forces, the community, funders and agencies have been collected and evaluated, decisions can be made on what indicators will be established and how the monitoring and reporting functions will be carried out. This will be developed through the late spring of 1999.

Political Accountability:

Recognizing the already heavy commitments by Councillors to the existing task forces and committees, it is proposed that the Community and Neighbourhood Services Committee have responsibility for providing political direction to the Social Development Strategy. Since the Social Development Strategy will form the social planning component of the City's Strategic Plan, its progress will also be monitored through Strategic Policy and Priorities Committee, as part of the reporting on the Strategic Plan process.

Preliminary Budget Considerations:

The Department will absorb the costs of developing the draft vision and principles document and the Social Development Atlas within the 1998 operating budget. However, funds of approximately $90,000.00 will be sought through the budget process in 1999 for costs related to the consultation process, developing a social monitoring and reporting tool, and the production and distribution of the final Social Development Strategy report. A preliminary breakdown of this budget is identified in Appendix 2.

Conclusions:

The Social Development Strategy will be a critical strategic framework for the planning and managing of community social and health services in the City of Toronto, and will be one expression of a new civic partnership between the City and community-based sector for social development. It will also be the basis for the social well-being component of the Strategic Plan.

The implementation process proposed in this report builds on the existing work underway through City task forces and committees related to social development issues. It provides opportunities for community input throughout the process, including public consultation through the community councils. Finally, this initiative is closely coordinated with the Strategic Plan process. Upon Council approval, the Department will begin the first phase of developing this strategy.

Contact Name:

Nancy Matthews

392-8614 (phone) 392-8492 (fax)

Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services

Appendix 1

Proposed Social Development Strategy Time line /Process

February 1999

February-April 1999

July 1999SOCIAL PLANSOCIAL MONITORING

AND REPORTING

- Vision- Atlas

- Principles- Indicators

- Strategic Directions

Appendix 2

Social Development Strategy Preliminary Total Budget for 1999*

Community Consultations, Spring 1999$20,000.00

Social Monitoring and Reporting$35,000.00

Production and Distribution

of Final Report$35,000.00

Total:$90,000.00

*Please note: Community and Neighbourhood Services Department will accommodate $20,000.00 of the $90,000.00 total.