This document discusses an initiative called the Agency of the Future Project aimed at developing a new business model for immigrant service agencies. It seeks to adapt agencies to emerging opportunities and constraints by identifying and replicating innovative processes from settlement agencies. The project will analyze promising practices like a consortium of agencies assisting internationally-trained individuals and a welcome center system of immigrant service hubs. The goal is to establish new service lines that can be commercialized as social enterprises to give agencies a more business-oriented approach.

1. AGENCY OF THE FUTURE
PROJECT
OCASI PROVINCIAL SUMMIT
OCTOBER 30, 2014

2. PROJECT RATIONALE AND SCOPE
Initiated by Pathways to Prosperity and OCASI:
• Develop a new business model.
• Adapt to emerging opportunities and constraints.
• Identify, analyze and systematically replicate
innovative processes, many of them already in
existence or under development by settlement
agencies.

3. CORE IDEAS
1. Immigrant service agencies enjoy a strategic
advantage over other organizations that deliver
settlement programs.
2. The span of the immigrant service sector offers a
deep pool of ‘experimental’ approaches that offer
solutions to many of the challenges facing the
sector.
3. An ‘innovation cycle’ can be implemented based on
a knowledge partnership between settlement
umbrella associations and an academic think tank.

4. THE EMERGING SETTLEMENT
ECOSYSTEM
Strategy based on a common understanding of the
major factors affecting settlement organizations:
1. Fiscal changes.
2. Changes in the structure and location of economic
activity.
3. New destination communities.
4. New admission and selection policies.

5. THE EMERGING SETTLEMENT
ECOSYSTEM
5. Shifting migrant composition.
6. Altered federal‐provincial landscape.
7. New stakeholders.
8. New competitors.
9. Changes in firm size and organization.
10.New information and education technologies

6. ESTABLISHING NEW SERVICE LINES
• The driver will be the establishment of service lines
that can be commercialized (social enterprises).
• Agency of the Future project will use a business
orientation in analyzing and developing the potential of
settlement organizations.

7. PROMISING PRACTICES
1. Consortium of Agencies Serving Internationally-trained
Persons (CASIP)
• ACCES Employment, Collège Boréal, COSTI
Immigrant Services, Humber College, Job Skills,
JobStart, JVS Toronto, Community Microskills
Development Centre, Seneca College, Skills for
Change, WoodGreen Community Services.
2. Welcome Centre system as immigrant service hubs.
• CCSYR, CICS, COSTI, Job Skills, Social Enterprise
for Canada.

8. PROMISING PRACTICES
CASIP:
• Five workgroups to explore/develop Express Entry
(EE) service response, including:
• Review of Australian and New Zealand experience
• Employer needs survey
• Community of Practice collaborative training
• Development of service packages for
employers/EE newcomers
• Managing to performance targets

9. PROMISING PRACTICES
WELCOME CENTRES:
• Immigrant service hubs in York Reg. and Durham
• Operated by five diverse SPOs
• Additional 36 associate partner agreements
• 31,000 service hours delivered last year by associate
partners
• Examples:, Iranian Canadian Youth, Legal Aid Clinic,
Service Canada, Compass Russian Social Club, YR
Police Service, etc.
• LIP Study: 64% of immigrants in YR used WC.