Strategic Plan 2007 - 2012

Environmental Scan

Introduction

With the successful completion of CWLC five – year Strategic Plan in 2006, the Board of Directors started the renewal process in the fall of 2005 to ensure that the organization had a consistent framework for focusing its priorities. Developed and adopted in 2006, this new Strategic Plan articulates CWLC’s direction and supporting activities from 2007 until 2012; categorizes our central responsibilities; helps guide the various committees in setting goals and outcomes; and most importantly, identifies which commitments will help CWLC achieve its vision.

An essential aspect of the renewal process was the assessment of the Child Welfare League of Canada’s current situation by its members. They were asked to identify our strengths, weaknesses and what important trends will have an impact over the next five years. As significant stakeholders, their input was crucial in determining the future direction of the organization.

Key Strengths

Some of the feedback solicited throughout 2006 included the strengths of the organization. This is helpful for CWLC to focus on priorities and ensure that CWLC is having a positive impact on, and for, its members. A short summary of these identified strengths included:

• National focus, leadership and coordination around children / youth issues.
• Source of information about current and emerging children / youth issues.
• Providing access to and disseminates unique research material and clinical literature on children’s issues.
• Facilitating connections and relationships between organizations, communities and government.
• High profile, public advocate for children / families that influences public policy.
• Umbrella group with broad membership and regional representation.
• Brand name recognition, particularly with the federal government.
• Committed membership with strong regional representation.

Impact of Provincial / Territorial Trends

CWLC members identified key trends they felt would have a significant impact on the future direction of the organization. As a result of these trends, members identified action priorities for CWLC to build into the Strategic Plan over the course of the next five years.

Political and Economic

• CWLC will need to take on a stronger role in influencing the federal government to strengthen the  child, youth and family support systems.
• CWLC’s national advocacy role must also consider provincial, territorial and municipal issues and ensure all levels of government are focused on achieving positive outcomes for children, youth and families.
• The value of investments in child, youth and family support systems relative to other public investment demands will need to be clearly communicated.
• Opportunities to bridge progressive ideas about a supportive social infrastructure with the business community will need to be pursued.

Service Related

• Promote the development of holistic approaches across health, education and social services.
• Take a lead role in promoting the shift to community-based and integrated approaches to child, youth and family services.
• Facilitate the identification and adoption of best practices, standards and continuous quality assurance.
• Support Aboriginal communities in achieving their goals for authority and responsibility for child, youth and family services.
• Expedite research and the search for outcome measures to support effective models of intervention and accountability.
• Challenge current organizational practices in achieving desired outcomes.
• Help different jurisdictions understand and adopt meaningful approaches to accountability.
• Actively promote research activities and dissemination of findings into effective models of intervention.
• Promote strategies to assist agencies in communicating existing services to minority communities; in understanding other cultures; and tailoring services to meet their diverse needs.

Demographic and Societal

• Strong advocacy for child welfare with a clear, compelling value case will be required.
• Informing the public about the effectiveness of services and intervention programs could influence government support reinvestment.

Youth

• Opportunities exist to increase the engagement of young people, helping them establish a legitimate and respected role within society and helping them manage their transition to adulthood.
• Support the development of programs that assist Aboriginals to build hopes, realistic aspirations and acquire the skills and resources to be self-sustaining.
• Maintain a consistent public awareness campaign focussed on the factual status of youth, their points of vulnerability and their developmental needs.

Technology

• Child, youth and family service organizations will need to develop proficiency to support technological development in the delivery of services.
• An increasing reliance upon technology to enable the delivery of services through a wide variety of applications, such as: computer aided assessments and interventions, pharmacology, genetics and remote sensors.
• Management of new information, ideas and knowledge to ensure that organizations are relevant and ethical.
• Ensuring that sound principles and practices of human development are utilized in evaluating implications of new technology and science.
• Increasing investments in technology, research and knowledge management to ensure the development of child, youth and family services.
• Ensuring that all young persons have access to knowledge and support in using new technology and fully participating in a knowledge society.
• Supporting the development of appropriate safeguards to ensure that young people are not victimized or exploited through new information technologies.

Non-Member Feedback

Soliciting information and ideas about vulnerable young people more broadly is important to us. Non-members were also consulted at different stages of the process. The knowledge and understanding of CWLC by non-members were on various levels:

• Many respondents identified reasons why they weren’t members, including the costs versus the benefits of a CWLC membership.
• The alignment of CWLC priorities and non-member organization priorities is highly important factor for soliciting new members.

An important highlight was how the perceived benefits of a CWLC membership were numerous:

• National forum for education and training.
• National voice for policy and advocacy issues.
• Opportunity to expand beyond provincial / territorial issues.
• Pan-Canadian networking opportunities.
• Access to information on current issues, service delivery trends, best practices, outcome measures and research.

The non-member feedback will assist in developing our action priorities and relationships with organizations outside of our membership and how CWLC can make itself more relevant to other groups in the sectors we work in.

Conclusion

The environmental scan of members and non-members gathered vital and essential information on past CWLC successes and highlighted areas for future direction. Members identified many strengths and the role CWLC plays in navigating through the multiple social issues that are of importance to this sector. The challenges encountered by child and family service organizations in Canada are complex and members will continue looking to CWLC for assistance and leadership at the national level.

Subsequent to the year-long renewal process, in November 2006 the Board of Directors for the Child Welfare League of Canada adopted their new Strategic Plan for 2007 – 2012. The new guiding beliefs, goals and action priorities will guide CWLC over the next five as years as we strive to improve the quality of life for vulnerable Canadian children, youth and families. The full Strategic Plan is available to download, as well as a one-page summary that provides a snapshot of the five-year plan.

Child Welfare League of Canada Strategic Plan 2007 - 2012

One-page Strategic Plan Summary