Family Violence Initiative Evaluation, Final Report

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE JUSTICE FAMILY VIOLENCE INITIATIVE

This chapter provides an overview of the design and implementation of the Justice FVI.

2.1. Activities, Outputs and Outcomes

The Justice FVI logic model shown in Figure 1 below illustrates how the Initiative reaches its expected outcomes, given the specific focus of activities and their expected contribution to the ultimate, federal government-wide expected outcome: the reduction of family violence in Canada. The logic model describes the key activities and outputs and expected direct, intermediate and ultimate outcomes. It forms the foundation for the performance measurement and evaluation strategy and ultimately, the accountabilities for the results of this Initiative.

2.1.1. Activities and Outputs

The Justice FVI is designed to take an integrated approach, involving both criminal and family law, which is supported by research, public outreach, public awareness, professional education and collaboration with provincial governments, territorial governments and other partners to ensure appropriate interpretation and application of the law and policies. The Initiative involves three inter-related components, including:

Legal Policy Development and Law Reform:

Outputs include policy and legal advice, policy-relevant research, reports, and draft family violence-related legislation or regulations as well as contributions to periodic international reports, resolutions and instruments that relate to family violence;

Strategic Coordination and Partnership Development:

Outputs include stakeholder meetings and conferences related to family violence as well as partnerships; and,

Investments and Information and Educational Supports:

Outputs include funded projects as well as family violence-related PLEI materials and professional educational materials.

Under the Legal Policy Development and Law Reform component, the Initiative facilitates strengthening legal policy frameworks and legislation to address family violence in national and international contexts. At the national level, the Justice FVI undertakes a range of activities that contributes to legal policy development and law reform, including advising on legal and policy-related family violence-related issues (intra- and inter-departmentally); monitoring case law and emerging family violence issues; researching policy-relevant issues; and as required, recommending and advising on legislative and regulatory reforms. At the international level, the Justice FVI monitors and reports internationally with respect to Canada’s criminal and civil laws and responses to family violence, and contributes to the preparation of Canada’s position in regards to questionnaires, reports, resolutions and treaties vis-à-vis various international fora. In some instances, the Justice FVI contributes to development of the federal position on family violence issues and, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, collaborates with other players at the international level.

Through the Strategic Coordination and Partnership Development component, the Justice FVI works with stakeholders to advance coordination and collaboration on the justice system response to family violence. This includes a leadership role in creating opportunities for information sharing and dialogue within and across the justice sector, as well as working together with stakeholders on issues of shared concern.

The Investments and Information and Educational Supports component involves the provision of federal contribution funding for family violence projects, in accordance with the Department’s contribution funding priorities and criteria. Two categories of projects are eligible for funding: 1) innovative pilot projects that yield models, strategies and tools to address family violence; and 2) PLEI projects that yield resources to inform and assist those affected by family violence. The Justice FVI also directly produces legal information and educational materials on family violence. It maintains a website dedicated to providing information on selected family violence topics, including information of particular relevance to justice system.

2.1.2. Intended Outcomes

As demonstrated in the logic model, in the immediate term, the Justice FVI efforts are expected to strengthen capacity of the justice system to address family violence, and to improve availability of, and public and professional accessibility to, legal educational material and information on family violence. The activities are expected to increase engagement and ability of stakeholders to address the needs of those affected by family violence, improve public awareness and understanding of family violence and the justice system, and enhance professional awareness, understanding and skills to address family violence. These outcomes should lead to the improved responsiveness of the justice system to family violence. The ultimate outcome of all efforts contributes to a fair, relevant and accessible justice system that reflects Canadian values, and reduction of family violence in Canada.

2.2. Governance

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) coordinates the federal FVI on behalf of the federal government and manages the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Justice has been a long-term member of the federal Family Violence Interdepartmental Working Group and an active participant in planning discussions related to the Group’s membership, proposed activities and mandate.

Within the Department, the FVI is managed and coordinated by the Family, Children and Youth (FCY) Section, which is part of the Policy Sector. The Policy Sector is responsible for the broad policy-related issues, including legislative or regulatory reforms of relevance to family violence, as well as for coordinating work with interdepartmental, federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) governments, NGOs and academic partners on issues related to family violence and the justice system. The Children’s Law and Family Violence Policy Unit, within the FCY Section, coordinates the work of the departmental Family Violence Working Group. This involves facilitating information sharing, promoting the development and implementation of tracking and reporting mechanisms, developing and promoting relationship-building among players, coordinating departmental research and programming activities, and promoting best practices. Overall management and administration of the Justice FVI is the responsibility, in addition to other tasks, of a Senior Counsel in the FCY Section.

The funding component of the Initiative is managed under the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program within the Programs Branch under advisement of FCY employees who review funding applications and PLEI products.

Figure 1: The Department of Justice Canada Family Violence Initiative Logic Model

Figure 1: The Department of Justice Canada Family Violence Initiative Logic Model

Description

The research component of the Justice FVI is either carried out by the Research and Statistics Division in conjunction with the FCY Section or through contracts with external researchers or academics. The FCY Section is responsible for developing training and PLEI materials as well as hosting conferences on family violence.

2.3. Stakeholders and Beneficiaries

Intra- and inter-sectoral cooperation, coordination and collaboration are essential in addressing family violence. Provinces and territories are responsible for the administration of justice and, along with municipal governments, for making provisions for the delivery of many key services (such as policing, social services, health and housing) that are integral to addressing family violence. The Justice FVI interacts with these stakeholders and with a range of others, notably Aboriginal associations, non-governmental associations, academic institutions and research networks.

Justice participates in two FPT government working groups related to family violence:

In addition, further information sharing and coordination is facilitated through other related fora such as the FPT Working Group on Victims of Crime, the FPT Working Group on Aboriginal Justice, the Interdepartmental Working Group on Children’s Rights, and the Interdepartmental Working Group on Honour-Based Violence in the Family. Justice FVI also engages with other national governments and international bodies (e.g., United Nations, Council of Europe, etc.) on family violence issues. In addition, it provides information to representatives from other countries interested in learning about Canada’s legal responses to family violence.

The Justice FVI enters into activity- or project-specific partnerships to advance Justice FVI objectives and encourages partnership-building through its project funding stream. This includes working with PLEI organizations through funded projects. The Initiative also produces legal information for the public and training information for justice system professionals in collaboration with experts in the field. Finally, the research component of the Initiative involves working with researchers and academics on research issues related to family violence and the justice system.

Other orders of government, justice sector professionals and service providers, allied professionals, as well as community organizations and PLEI organizations are the key beneficiaries of the Justice’s FVI. The ultimate beneficiaries of the Initiative are the victims and potential victims of family violence and their families.

2.4. Resources

The Department of Justice is one of eight federal departments that receive funding through the federal government’s FVI. In 1998, the Department was allocated annual funding of $1.45 million through the FVI. According to this allocation, the Justice FVI had 4.64 FTEs, $527,228 in operating and management funds (O&M) and $597,725 in contributions annually as of 2002-03. However, due to successive budgetary restraint exercises, there are currently 3.64 FTEs and $258,656 in O&M.

2.5. Performance Measurement Strategy

In 2004, a Performance Measurement Strategy (PMS) was developed that provides indicators, identifies data sources and data collection methods, specifies the body responsible for data collection, and presents timing and frequency of measurement.[1] Performance indicators outlined in the PMS include those that are unique to the Department as well as those required by the federal government-wide FVI. The Department maintains a grants and contributions database that collects and tracks data on funded pilot and PLEI projects in terms of types of projects, their location, target groups, and amounts of funds allocated. In addition, all funded projects are required to submit a final report describing the outcomes of the projects. Performance data on policy research activities include mostly the number and types of research initiatives supported and research and statistical reports generated. The quality of the research reports is assessed through peer review. In addition, some information is collected regarding how the Justice FVI research work is utilized through the Department of Justice FVI website and National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.

[1] Department of Justice Canada FVI, 2004. Project Managers’ Guide to Performance Measurement and Evaluation