 |
||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Performance Reporting — Continued Goal 2: BC Employment and Assistance Services Support Self-reliance
Measure 2.1: Number of people who contact MHR offices and are diverted to employmentResults
Description Many people who contact the ministry are able to find employment quickly before applying for income assistance. This measure offers insight into the proportion of potential applicants who can be diverted to employment. The ministry offers services to assist people to find employment before they become BCEA clients. Services provided include web-based orientation sessions, work search guidelines, and an independent work search toolkit. The intent of this measure is to monitor the effectiveness of these services in assisting people to find employment before applying for income assistance. For the purposes of this measure, the ministry defines a contact as someone who has completed a pre-application form. The number of contacts with the ministry declined from an average of approximately 9,800 per month to 7,200 per month between 2001 and 2003. The ministry interprets this decline as a positive trend indicating a strengthened economy and the availability of web-based information and other resources that partially replace the need for office visits. Some potential clients appear to be finding work or other alternatives to income assistance before completing a pre-application form, thus reducing this number. A baseline of 7,217 persons contacing ministry was established. Why This Measure is Important Diverting people to employment encourages self-reliance and reduces reliance on income assistance. It breaks the cycle of dependency that can begin the first time a client receives assistance. Research shows that long-term dependence on income assistance has a negative impact on individuals and families. For example, children from income assistance families are approximately six times more likely than children from working families to need assistance as adults. Improvements To Measure This measure was not fully implemented during 2002/03 because of concerns about data collection when following up to determine whether people contacting the ministry had moved into employment. Changes in ministry procedures make it clearer to people contacting the ministry that the ministry may follow-up with them to determine whether they have moved into employment. Information on employment will be collected through the ministry' Exit Survey, which captures both former clients and others who completed a pre-application but did not become a client. New Measure (2003/04): Per cent of inquirers contacting BCEA offices who are diverted to employment
Data Reliability and Assumptions Source: Ministry database. Data reliability for the new measure is high, as the ministry tracks inquirers as they complete pre-application forms. The number of inquirers who do not become clients represents the number of inquirers diverted. During 2002/03 the ministry did not follow up with inquirers to see if they found employment. The ministry is enhancing its exit survey to capture this information in the future. Other Comments Every person who contacts an MHR office can be assessed for emergency needs, such as an urgent need for food, shelter, or medical attention. Inquirers who have an emergency need will receive an expedited application for income assistance.
Measure 2.2: Number of persons meeting the legislative criteria who receive Temporary AssistanceResults
Description This measure indicates the overall level of short-term dependence on income assistance. The number of clients receiving temporary assistance declined steadily from March 2001 through March 2003. A lower number implies sound policy, a stronger economy and more people working. The baseline established in 2002/03 was 63,892 persons receiving income assistance. This is the year end (March 2003) figure. Why This Measure is Important Clients who leave income assistance tend to have higher incomes, their children are less likely to receive income assistance as adults, and they attain higher levels of training and education. Children whose parents work are also more likely to complete high school and be actively involved in the labour market as adults. Improvements To Measure The number of persons receiving assistance is a key measure for the ministry, but it is more meaningful if expressed as a percentage of the provincial population. In 2003/04, the ministry will report on the percentage of B.C.'s population receiving income assistance in general and the percentage receiving temporary assistance. This measure is being reported in government's strategic plan. The ministry will also report on the percentages of the caseload receiving temporary and continuous assistance. In combination, these measures describe the effectiveness of BC Employment and Assistance in moving people toward sustainable employment and assisting individuals and families in need.
New Measure (2003/04): Per cent of B.C. Population Receiving Income Assistance, and Per cent of B.C. Population Receiving Temporary Assistance
The targets established for the new measures are 5.4 per cent of British Columbians receiving income assistance and 3.5 per cent of British Columbians receiving temporary assistance. The 2002/03 results were better than both targets, with just 4.5 per cent of the population receiving income assistance, and 3.0 per cent receiving temporary assistance.
Data Reliability and Assumptions Source: Information on population is obtained from BC Stats. Ministry data is obtained from ministry databases. Data reliability for the new measure is high, as it is drawn from existing caseload and population data. Comments Cross-jurisdictional comparisons of the percentage of the population on income assistance are difficult because eligibility is defined provincially and it is not consistent across provinces.
Measure 2.3: Percentage of Continuous Assistance clients who work or participate in volunteer activities
Description This measure points to the level of self-reliance and community involvement attained by clients who are not expected to achieve independence through employment. Continuous Assistance clients include persons with disabilities and others who face persistent multiple barriers to employment. Employment activity is easily identified because clients earning income are required to report their earnings. Volunteer activity is identified through the client's application for a Community Volunteer Program allowance, which is provided by the ministry to assist some clients with related costs, such as transportation. In 2002/03 baselines were established with 5,351 continuous assistance clients reporting earned income and 1,359 receiving a Community Volunteer Program Allowance. Why this Measure is Important In April 2002, the ministry introduced the Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities (ESPD). The strategy includes the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities (EPPD), the Minister's Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities and a strategic partnership with Human Resources Development Canada. All of these initiatives support persons with disabilities to engage in employment to the greatest degree possible. This may include part-time work or volunteering. Successful programs should lead to increased earnings and volunteer activities for continuous assistance clients. Improvements To Measure Clients who work are required to report their income, but clients do not report participation in volunteer activities unless they receive remuneration through the ministry's Community Volunteer Program is involved. This will change in 2003/04 when the ministry implements voluntary participation plans, which will report on work and volunteer activities for people receiving continuous assistance. This change will support improved data collection for this measure, which remained unchanged in the 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan. Data Reliability and Assumptions Source: Ministry database. Data reliability for the new measures is high, as figures are based on caseload data.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002/03 Target | Results |
|---|---|
| Establish baseline number of persons receiving Continuous Assistance | Baseline established:
64,277 |
Description
This measure illustrates trends in the number of clients who are not expected to achieve independence through employment. The increase from January 2003 to March 2003 is a result of a review of existing cases that began in October 2002. Additional cases were added to the continuous assistance caseload because some clients previously considered to be on temporary assistance became classified as Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers. The baseline that was established in 2002/03 was 64,277 persons receiving continuous assistance, equal to the year-end (March 2003) figure.
Why This Measure is Important
The ministry's mandate is to provide services that move people toward sustainable employment and assist individuals and families in need. Clients receiving continuous assistance may have disabilities or face persistent multiple barriers to employment. These clients are expected to account for an increasing proportion of the caseload as the number of employable clients move into employment. This measure will track that change over time.
Improvements To Measure
The ministry has refined this measure to capture the proportion of the caseload comprised of people receiving continuous assistance (as opposed to simply the total number of clients), as well as the proportion receiving temporary assistance. This new measure links to the ministry's and government's priorities of providing assistance to those in need.
New Measure: Per cent of total caseload receiving temporary assistance, and per cent of total caseload receiving continuous assistance
Results
| New Measures | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cent of total caseload receiving temporary assistance | Targets | 70% | 64% | 58% | 52% |
| Results | 56.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Per cent of total caseload receiving continuous assistance | Targets | 28% | 29% | 34% | 46% |
| Results | 43.7% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
The targets established for these new measures are 70 per cent of the caseload receiving temporary assistance and 28 per cent of the caseload receiving continuous assistance. In 2002/03, 56.3 per cent of the caseload was receiving temporary assistance and 43.7 per cent were receiving continuous assistance. The higher proportion of the caseload receiving continuous assistance is largely due to the reduced number of clients receiving temporary assistance.
Data Reliability and Assumptions
Source: Ministry database.
Data reliability for the new measure is high, as they are based on caseload data.
Other Comments
The numbers captured by these measures are expected to fluctuate during 2003/04 as reviews are completed on existing cases. Over time, as more employable people are linked to employment, continuous assistance clients are expected to make up an increasing majority of the income assistance caseload.
|
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
