1. FACILITATING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND NGOS
OCASI Executive Directors Forum
November 2010

2. Purpose
The purpose of this session is to explore LIPs as a strategic
vehicle to foster effective relationships between government
and the NGO sector.
This session will examine the implementation of LIPs in
communities across the province, focusing on the
development of effective relationships between government
and the NGO sector.
Through a review of the learnings from LIPs and a discussion
of strategies, this session will provide participants with a
deeper understanding of the LIPs process to date, and
provide tools and resources to ensure that successful
outcomes can be replicated across the province.

3. Your Panelists
 Tracey Vaughan, Community Development Council Durham
 Audrey Andrews, Regional Municipality of Durham
 Bill Sinclair, St. Stephens Community House
 Sonali Chakraborti, City of Toronto

4. Overview
 Introductions
 Context
 Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs)
 History, Objectives and Deliverables
 Types of LIPs across Ontario
 City of Toronto
 Toronto Newcomer Initiative
 Lessons from the LIP experience for NGOs

5. LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIPS
History, Objectives and Background

6. HISTORY OF LIPS
 RFP for Local Immigration Partnerships were
issued across province in 2008
 Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) began in
2009
 Currently there are LIPs in small and medium
sized cities across the province, and several
neighbourhood based ones and one City-Wide
table, in Toronto

7. OBJECTIVES OF LIPS
 Improve access to, and coordination of, effective
services that facilitate immigrant settlement and
integration.
 Improve access to the labour market for immigrants.
 Strengthen local capacity to integrate immigrants.
 Establish or enhance partnerships and participation of
multiple stakeholders in planning, and coordinating
the delivery of integration services (including
settlement, language training, labour-market
integration.

8. DELIVERABLES FOR LIPS
 To establish a Partnership Council.
 To create a Terms of Reference for the partnership
council.
 To conduct research and establish a settlement
strategy to be implemented over three years
 To develop an annual action plan that addresses
the priorities for a that fiscal year.

9. TYPES OF LIPS
 Population Growth
 Service Coordination
 Capacity Building
 A municipal government
 A regional government
or
 Established community
organizations with
extensive experience
serving immigrants in the
community.
3 Types of LIPs LIPs are led by:

10. 34 LIP COUNCILS ACROSS ONTARIO
(INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO)
 Regional Municipality of Peel
 Regional Municipality of York
 Regional Municipality of Durham
 City of London
 City of Greater Sudbury,
 County of Essex - City of
Windsor,
 City of Ottawa
 City of Toronto (18 Councils)
 Regional Municipality of
Waterloo,
 City of Sault Ste. Marie,
 County of Lambton,
 Municipality of Chatham Kent,
 Regional Municipality of Niagara
 City of Brantford

11. TORONTO: MULTIPLE LIPS

12. CITY OF TORONTO
In Toronto, there are 17 Neighbourhood based LIP
Councils, each facilitated by a lead nonprofit organization
• Members include local settlement service providers, grassroots
organizations, community health centers, institutions such as
school boards, hospitals, City of Toronto and others
The City of Toronto (municipal government) leads the
City-Wide LIP as part of its Toronto Newcomer Initiative
which will
• Implement pilot service projects to improve the City’s service
system to better serve newcomers
• Conduct research, coordination to enhance the broader service
system to better service newcomers

13. Toronto Newcomer Initiative
Encourage participation of newcomers in the life of the city and community
Enhance City Service Systems
Enhance the Broader Service
System
Newcomer Programming in
Recreation Centers
Supporting Families During
Reunification
City-Wide
Local Immigration Partnership
Newcomer Health ResearchSettlement Workers in City
Services
City-Community Delivery
City Direct Delivery


14. TORONTO NEWCOMER INITIATIVE
 A key aspect of this initiative is partnership with
community based organizations
 Pilot service projects involve collaboration with several
community based organizations
 Health research project is guided by advisory and
consultation committees from academic, community-based
research and settlement service organizations
 City-Wide Local Immigration Partnership table includes
representation from
 17 Local LIP Councils
 Several federal and provincial ministries
 Institutions such as TRIEC, Council of Educators, Francophone
serving organizations
 For-profit sector
 Goal: develop a City of Toronto Newcomer strategy

15. LESSONS FROM LIPS FOR NGOS

16. LESSONS FROM LIPS
Join your LIP and take up a leadership role.
Recognize the value and unique roles that NGOs bring to the
LIP
• Expertise
• History working with CIC
• Social capital
• Community relationships
• Freedom to advocate for immigrants

17. LESSONS FROM LIPS
Understand that municipalities are on a big learning curve.
• But, also that immigration is a priority among municipalities
Understand your municipal culture of partnership
• Learn the rhythm of the municipal year and cycles.
• Determine if your municipality partners with NGOs on other issues.
• Examples could be Poverty roundtables, Accessibility Committee, other
Advisory Committees

18. LESSONS FROM LIPS
Gain a greater understanding of jurisdictional issues between
regional and local governments.
• The LIP in the Region of Durham includes several cities such as Ajax,
Pickering and more, each with its own Mayor
Expand your relationship to your municipality beyond the City
Councillors.
• Broaden partnership to include libraries, public health, housing and other
City Divisions

19. MORE INFORMATION
Seeking advice?
• Feel free to contact panellists or OCASI.
• CIC has created a resource guide that may be helpful; contact CIC
for more information.
In Toronto, get to know your Toronto Newcomer Initiative
(TNI) Team.
• Contact TNI Community Development Officer, Nisha Nagaratnam at
nnagara@toronto.ca

20. DISCUSSION

21. Discussion Notes
 Small organizations are concerned about being swallowed up larger
ones
 Concern about smaller agencies dropping out of the council table
 Concerned about the effects of modernization of LIPs on smaller
organizations
 Stipends are important for small organizations
 Big players well represented at councils
 More work needed on how to make organizations more comfortable
and "join the train”
 Some LIPs used the collaborative table to coordinate information
during a CFP process – issued supporting letters for each other
 NGOs often lead or co-lead/co-chair councils
 Active Role in beginning, but role/balance is shifting over time
 Council may use nomination process – challenges to engagement

22. DISCUSSION NOTES
 What does sitting at the table mean?
 Need more consistent governance structures for LIPs.
 Continue to discuss how all members benefit from councils
 Council role is facilitation of competing agendas – a challenge
 Importance of facilitation skills for a successful LIP council
 Municipal regions can lack local voices due to size
 LIPs work in conjunction with WCI projects and municipal portals
 CIC is now clarifying what LIPs will and will not do
 Shared leadership must be continued/monitored
 Still trying to determine best practices
 Community development process, need protocols that are shared
 Recognise LIPs are brand new and still early for significant learnings
Discussion Notes

23. DISCUSSION NOTES
 Next steps/Future steps:
 Support stipends for small organizations and engage small
organizations
 Create guidelines/value statements for LIP process
 More info-sharing, best practices for LIP
 Do community development, planning and training
 Develop LIP coordination/community of practice
 Analysis of 17 reports of Toronto LIP Councils
Discussion Notes