ARCHIVED – Evaluation of the Immigration to Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) Initiative

Research and Evaluation Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

July 2017

Technical Appendices are available upon request to Research-Recherche@cic.gc.ca.

Ci4-170/2017E-PDF
978-0-660-09308-6

Reference Number: E3-2015

Acronyms

APPR

Annual Project Performance Report

APRCP

Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships

CA

Contribution Agreement

ELN

Employer Liaison Network

ESCQ

English-Speaking Communities in Quebec

FCFA

Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne

FMC

Francophone Minority Community

GCMS

Global Case Management System

iCARE

Immigration Contribution Agreement Reporting Environment

GCS

Grants and Contributions System

GoC

Government of Canada

IMDB

Longitudinal Immigration Database

IRCC

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

IRPA

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

LIP

Local Immigration Partnership

NHQ

National Headquarters

OGD

Other Government Department

OLA

Official Languages Act

OLMC

Official Language Minority Community

OLS

Official Languages Secretariat

PCH

Department of Canadian Heritage

PA

Principal Applicant

PR

Permanent Resident

RDÉE

Réseaux de développement économique et d’employabilité

RIF

Réseaux en immigration francophone

SA

Social Assistance

SCOS

Settlement Client Outcomes Survey

SPO

Service Provider Organization

TR

Temporary Resident

Executive summary

Purpose of the Evaluation:

This report presents the findings of the evaluation of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Immigration to Official Language Minority Communities Initiative (hereafter the OLMC Initiative). The evaluation examined relevance and performance, and was conducted in fulfillment of requirements under the Treasury Board Policy on Evaluation and section 42.1 of the Financial Administration Act. Findings also contributed to the Department of Canadian Heritage’s (PCH) horizontal evaluation of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013-2018: Education, Immigration, Communities (hereafter the Roadmap 2013-2018).

Overview of the OLMC Initiative:

The OLMC Initiative derives its mandate to support and enhance the development and vitality of OLMCs from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Official Languages Act (OLA), and includes various activities within IRCC to foster the promotion, recruitment and integration of French-speaking immigrants to FMCs outside of Quebec, as well as to further knowledge development and sharing in relation to both FMCs and ESCQ. Allocated $29.4M in funding over five years (and $4.5M ongoing), the Initiative is a key commitment under the Immigration pillar of the Roadmap 2013-2018, and is broadly organized into four components:

• Promotion and recruitment activities in Canada and abroad, including Destination Canada;
• Settlement services to French-speaking clients;
• Coordination and consultation with key stakeholders; and
• Strategic data development, research, and knowledge sharing projects for immigration to both FMCs outside of Quebec and English Speaking Communities in Quebec (ESCQ).

Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations:

Management and Governance: Overall, the evaluation found that the OLMC Initiative involves numerous activities, embedded in IRCC’s immigration and settlement programming, which are not always well aligned and can be overlapping. Management, delivery and accountabilities for these activities are spread across different responsibility areas within the department, with no clear policy lead for the Initiative as a whole. While mechanisms to govern and coordinate the OLMC Initiative are in place, and have improved since the 2012 evaluation, the Initiative still lacks a unified strategy, with focused leadership and overall accountability.

Recommendation 1: IRCC should review and revise the governance and accountability framework supporting the OLMC Initiative. The review should consider roles and responsibilities within IRCC, as well as leadership, and identify a clear policy lead within the department with overall management responsibility and accountability for the Initiative as a whole.

Promotion and Recruitment of French-speaking Immigrants in FMCs: The OLMC Initiative has had some success in raising awareness among French-speaking foreign nationals about the opportunities to live and work in Canada, as well as among employers in Canada about the opportunities and mechanisms to recruit and hire French-speaking immigrants. However, in spite of these efforts, which have been ongoing since 2003, the relative weight of French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs remains well below departmental targets. Evidence indicates that the current approach, which has relied mainly on promotional activities as well as options for temporary residence, may not be sufficient to achieve the established targets, and more efforts may be needed if current targets are to be realized.

Settlement and Integration of French-Speaking Newcomers in FMCs: French-speaking newcomers are generally integrating economically at rates that are comparable to other immigrants. They are using both of Canada’s official languages in their daily lives, and English language ability is associated with their economic and social integration. There is also an indication that French-speaking newcomers have knowledge about life in Canada and are participating in Canadian society. IRCC supports the integration of French-speaking newcomers in FMCs through its Settlement Program. The goal is for French-speaking newcomers to adopt a “Francophone integration pathway”, and IRCC is committed to supporting a “for and by Francophones” approach. However, this approach is not yet well-defined, and the role of non-Francophone organizations to support this work is unclear. Moreover, the lack of supports for temporary residents targeted by the OLMC Initiative, to help them form meaningful links to the Francophone community, is also a challenge.

Partner and Stakeholder Engagement: Considerable effort has gone into engaging partners and stakeholders in Canada and abroad in the activities of the OLMC Initiative. However, the level of engagement of certain partners, such as provincial/territorial governments, who have responsibility for the infrastructure and services required to maintain the vitality of FMCs to attract and retain French-speaking immigrants, has been a challenge.

Recommendation 2: IRCC should develop and implement a unified and horizontal strategy for the OLMC Initiative which should:

1. Review and revise activities in relation to Francophone immigration to more effectively support the achievement of established targets. Activities should include promotion, as well as tools and mechanisms to facilitate permanent residence and retention.
2. Advance the “for and by Francophones” approach for the department.
3. Develop an approach to support the temporary residents targeted by the Initiative in developing links with the FMCs.
4. Better leverage governmental, non-governmental and employment-related partners in support of FMCs’ capacity for attraction, integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers.

Strategic Research, Data Development and Knowledge-Sharing: The OLMC Initiative has facilitated the development of knowledge and the creation of awareness of topics related to immigration to OLMCs, particularly within IRCC. However, ensuring the use of research results to inform policy development and addressing the knowledge needs and priorities of the diverse stakeholders has been a challenge. Progress has been made in terms of performance measurement since the 2012 evaluation. However, as the Initiative continues to evolve, the performance measurement strategy needs to be updated to effectively monitor the activities, outputs and expected outcomes of the Initiative.

Recommendation 3: IRCC should update the performance measurement strategy for the OLMC Initiative to be aligned with the horizontal strategy, as per Recommendation 2, and to address results monitoring and reporting challenges.

Evaluation of the Immigration to OLMC Initiative - Management Response Action Plan

Recommendation #1

IRCC should review and revise the governance and accountability framework supporting the OLMC Initiative. The review should address roles and responsibilities within IRCC, as well as leadership, and identify a clear policy lead within the department, with overall management responsibility and accountability for the Initiative as a whole.

Response #1

IRCC agrees with this recommendation.

The Department acknowledges that having one central policy lead responsible for all francophone immigration issues would ensure a more systemic inclusion of a Francophone lens in immigration programs and policies as well as consistency in policy, engagement with stakeholders and accountability.

IRCC is reviewing its internal OLMC governance mechanisms.

The mandate of IRCC’s Official Languages Steering Committee is being reviewed and updated in order to:

• increase program accountability particularly with respect to IRCC obligations under Part VII of the OLA and under 3(1) b.1 of IRPA;
• foster awareness and commitment of senior management on emerging issues related to francophone immigration; and
• formally include the committee’s role and mandate with the Department’s governance structure.

Action #1.1

Identify a clear policy led accountable for the OLMC Initiative.

Accountability: ADM Strategic Program and Policy (SPP). Completion Date: June 2017.

Action #1.2

Develop an Accountability Framework that clearly identifies roles and responsibilities within the Department for the OLMC Initiative.

Accountability: ADM SPP. Completion Date: September 2017.

Action #1.3

Update the terms of reference for the Official Languages Steering Committee.

Accountability: Official Languages Secretariat (OLS). Support: ADM SPP, International Network (IN), Settlement Network (SN), Human Resources Branch (HRB). Completion Date: September 2017.

Recommendation #2

IRCC should develop and implement a unified and horizontal OLMC Initiative Strategy which should:

1. Review and revise activities in relation to Francophone immigration to more effectively support the achievement of established targets. Activities should include promotion, as well as tools and mechanisms to facilitate permanent residence and retention.
2. Advance the “for and by Francophones” approach for the department.
3. Develop an approach to support the temporary residents targeted by the Initiative in developing links with the FMCs.
4. Better leverage governmental, non-governmental and employment-related partners in support of FMCs' capacity for attraction, integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers.

Response #2

IRCC agrees with this recommendation.

IRCC is committed to working on policies and strategies to increase the number of francophone immigrants successfully settling in official language minority communities and is closely collaborating with Canadian Heritage in the development of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023 (to take effect April 1, 2018). IRCC’s contribution to the Action Plan will form part of IRCC OLMC Strategy.

New initiatives will also take into consideration recent reforms (e.g. new measure/definition of French-speaking immigrant, introduction of Mobilité francophone, changes to Express Entry, increased promotional efforts), and will continuously be reassessed, to further inform innovation and improvements throughout the entire immigration continuum.

IRCC is making use of technology as an important means of reaching French-speaking immigrants in Canada and abroad. Examples of projects funded by IRCC include online language training (Cours de langue pour immigrants au Canada, CLIC en ligne) and online pre-arrival services.

The Department is discussing with the Provinces, territories, communities and other government departments issues regarding Francophone immigration and its role in maintaining and enhancing the vitality of Francophone minority communities.

IRCC is also working with provinces/territories, service providers, stakeholder organizations and other government departments to improve settlement services for French-speaking immigrants and refugees and their connection to Francophone Minority Communities.

Action #2.1

The Department will develop and implement an OLMC Strategy to address the recommendation.

Accountability: Settlement and Integration Policy Branch (SIP). Support: IB, IIR, IN, SPP, OLS, SN, R&E, Communications, Finance.

1. Presentation of a proposed Strategy to the OL Steering Committee. Completion Date: December 2017.
2. Implement the Strategy. Completion Date: April 1, 2018.

Action #2.2

Implement a new service (Arrimages francophone) to facilitate the creation of ties between Francophone immigrants and the local and regional Francophone community and report on results.

Accountability: SN. Support: SIP.

1. 1st year Implementation. Completion Date: 2017-2018.
2. 2nd year Stocktake. Completion Date: September 2018.

Action #2.3

Report on results of completed IRCC-funded projects.

Accountability: SIP. Support: SN.

1. 1st year Implementation. Completion Date: 2017-2018.
2. 2nd year Stocktake. Completion Date: September 2018.

Action #2.4

Review of projects and engagement with stakeholders; review results to inform future Calls for Proposals.

Accountability: SIP.

1. Pre-arrival. Completion Date: March 31, 2018.
2. For National CFP. Completion Date: March 31, 2020.

Action #2.5

Revise and update the terms of reference of the IRCC/FMC committee.

Accountability: OLS. Support: SN. Completion Date: December 2017.

Action #2.6

Work with provinces and territories, as well as Francophone Minority Communities, to organize a federal-provincial-territorial and community symposium to lay the foundation for new collaboration.

Accountability: SIP. Support: IIR, IB, SPP, IN, OLS, SN, R&E, Communications. Completion Date: March 31, 2018.

Recommendation #3

IRCC should update the performance measurement strategy for the OLMC Initiative to be aligned with the horizontal strategy, as per Recommendation 2, and to address results monitoring and reporting needs of the Department.

Response #3

IRCC agrees with this recommendation.

In the context of the development of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023, a new Performance Information Profile will be developed to allow more robust monitoring and reporting. It will also include relevant departmental activities that extend beyond OL action plans commitments.

Action #3.1

Develop an annual “Accomplishments” report relating to the Department’s official languages.

Accountability: OLS. Completion Date: December 2017.

Action #3.2

Develop a new Performance Information Profile (PIP).

Accountability: OLS. Support: Research & Evaluation, SIP. Completion Date: April 2018.

Action #3.3

Complete a Stocktake report based on the PIP.

Accountability: OLS. Support: Research & Evaluation, SIP. Completion Date: September 2018.

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the Evaluation

This report presents the findings of the evaluation of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Immigration to Official Language Minority Communities Initiative (hereafter the OLMC Initiative). The evaluation examined relevance and performance, and was conducted in fulfillment of requirements under the Treasury Board Policy on Evaluation^{Footnote 1} and section 42.1 of the Financial Administration Act.

Findings from the evaluation of the OLMC Initiative also contributed to the Department of Canadian Heritage’s (PCH) horizontal evaluation of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013-2018: Education, Immigration, Communities (hereafter the Roadmap 2013-2018), through which IRCC received funding for the OLMC Initiative, and will inform the work moving forward with the new Multi-year action plan for official languages.

1.2 Overview of the OLMC Initiative

1.2.1 Policy Context

The OLMC Initiative derives its mandate to support and enhance the development and vitality of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Official Languages Act (OLA).^{Footnote 2} It is also part of IRCC’s commitment as a federal partner in the Government of Canada’s (GoC) various strategies to foster the development and vitality of OLMCs. This commitment was first reflected in the Action Plan for Official Languages (2003), and subsequently renewed in the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future (2008), and now the Roadmap 2013-2018 (2013).

The GoC is committed to supporting both Francophone Minority Communities (FMCs) outside of Quebec and English-Speaking Communities in Quebec (ESCQ). However, the federal government has a limited role in Quebec in the context of immigration due to the Canada-Québec Accord relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens (hereafter the Canada-Québec Accord) which gives responsibility to the province of Quebec for the selection and integration of immigrants in this province.^{Footnote 3}

Given this limited role, IRCC has focused its activities to support OLMCs throughout the years on Francophone immigration and integration in FMCs outside of Quebec, and has set out specific objectives and priorities for this work. These objectives and priorities were first articulated in IRCC’s Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities (2003), and later in its Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities (2006) (hereafter the Strategic Framework and the Strategic Plan).^{Footnote 4}

1.2.2 Description of the OLMC Initiative and the Roadmap 2013-2018

IRCC’s OLMC Initiative is a key commitment under the Immigration pillar of the Roadmap 2013-2018.^{Footnote 5} Led by the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH), the Roadmap 2013-2018 is a continuation of efforts from the preceding Roadmap 2008-2013, reflecting commitments that stem from Part VII of the OLA, and representing a renewed investment of $1.1 billion over five years. It includes 28 initiatives, implemented by 14 federal partners, grouped according to three broad priority areas for action (or pillars): education, immigration and community support. The strategic outcome for the Roadmap 2013-2018 is to create conditions in which Canadians can live and thrive in both official languages, and recognize the importance of English and French to Canada’s national identity, development and prosperity.

IRCC’s OLMC Initiative was allocated $29.4M^{Footnote 6} in funding over five years, as well as $4.5M in ongoing funding, under the Roadmap 2013-2018 to foster the promotion, recruitment and integration of French-speaking immigrants to FMCs outside of Quebec, as well as to further knowledge development and sharing in relation to both FMCs and ESCQ.^{Footnote 7} It is broadly organized into four components:

1. Promotion and recruitment activities in Canada and abroad, including the Destination Canada Job Fair;
2. Settlement services to French-speaking clients;
3. Coordination and consultation with key stakeholders; and
4. Strategic data development, research, and knowledge sharing projects for immigration to both FMCs outside of Quebec and ESCQ.

The OLMC Initiative also includes activities to support Francophone immigration to the Acadian communities in New Brunswick.^{Footnote 8Footnote 9}

1.2.3 Management and Governance

The OLMC Initiative combines strategies for immigration and integration, and involves efforts in Canada and abroad. Management and governance rely on many players within IRCC and external to IRCC. Various branches within IRCC’s National Headquarters (NHQ)^{Footnote 10}, as well as Regional Offices in Canada and Canadian Missions Abroad^{Footnote 11}, are responsible for the management and delivery of activities under the OLMC Initiative.^{Footnote 12} In January 2014, IRCC also created an Official Languages Secretariat (OLS) which ensures the coordination and monitoring of the department’ official language responsibilities in relation to Part VII of the OLA.

Key partners and stakeholders involved in the OLMC Initiative include the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) and the Réseaux en immigration francophone (RIFs) representing FMCs, as well as other government departments, such as PCH and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), provincial/territorial governments, and Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) providing IRCC-funded settlement services to French-speaking newcomers outside of Quebec. Employers in Canada and public employment agencies in countries abroad, as well as researchers, academics, and other non-government organizations, such as the Réseaux de développement économique et d’employabilité (RDÉEs), are also important.

The IRCC-FMC Committee, consisting of 15 members (seven from IRCC and seven from FMCs, as well as one provincial/territorial government representative), meets in person at least twice a year, and is co-chaired by IRCC’s Official Languages Champion and the FCFA (representing FMCs). In addition to this committee structure, the Department uses existing IRCC fora to advance francophone immigration outside of Quebec, such as the Official Languages Steering Committee and the National Settlement Council.^{Footnote 13} It also participates in the broader interdepartmental governance and accountability structure supporting the Roadmap 2013-2018. Three main committees make up this formal governance structure: the Committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers on Official Languages (CADMOL), the CADMOL Executive Sub-Committee (EX-CADMOL), and the Official Languages Directors General Forum.^{Footnote 14}

1.2.4 Expected Outcomes of the OLMC Initiative

Immediate Outcomes

• Partners and stakeholders are engaged in promotion, recruitment and settlement and implement strategies to address newcomer needs in FMCs
• Employers are aware of opportunities (mechanisms and tools) to hire qualified French-speaking immigrants
• Prospective French-speaking immigrants are aware of opportunities (mechanisms and tools) to immigrate to FMCs
• French-speaking clients receive settlement services that address their settlement needs
• Increased awareness and understanding among policy makers and stakeholders on topics related to immigration to OLMCs

Intermediate Outcomes

• French-speaking clients use official languages to function and participate in Canadian society
• French-speaking clients in FMCs participate in local labour markets, broader communities and social networks
• French-speaking clients make informed decisions about life in Canada, enjoy rights and act on their responsibilities in Canadian society
• Increased number of French speaking economic immigrants settling in FMCs

The OLMC Initiative contributes to two of IRCC’s Strategic Outcomes (SO) under the Program Alignment Architecture (2016): SO: 1 – Migration of permanent and temporary residents that strengthens Canada’s economy and SO: 3 – Newcomers and citizens participate in fostering an integrated society.^{Footnote 15}

1.3 Purpose of the Evaluation

The main characteristics of French-speaking immigrants admitted to Canada as permanent residents and settling in FMCs are summarized below and compared to the overall population of immigrants settling in these communities. For the purposes of this evaluation:

• French-speaking immigrants have been identified using the measure currently employed by the department to count “French-speaking” immigrants, which includes those with a mother tongue of French, and those whose only official language spoken is French when their mother tongue is a language other than French.^{Footnote 16}
• All French-speaking immigrants residing outside of Quebec are considered to be living in a FMC. Province/territory of residence is inferred from admission data on province/territory of intended destination.

1.3.1 All French-Speaking Immigrants

Generally, French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs between 2003 and 2016 were similar to the overall population of immigrants settling outside of Quebec in relation to gender and age distribution. However, a greater percentage of French-speaking immigrants became permanent residents under the refugee programs (25% compared to 11% for the overall immigrant population outside of Quebec).

While percentages varied, most French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs during the 2003 to 2016 period were destined to the same provinces as the overall population of immigrants outside of Quebec: Ontario (61% compared to 54% of the overall population), Alberta (13% compared to 14% of the overall population), British Columbia (10% compared to 19% of the overall population), and Manitoba (6% for both groups). However, a greater percentage of French-speaking immigrants were destined to New Brunswick (5% compared to 1% for the overall population outside of Quebec).

Like the overall immigrant population outside of Quebec during this period, the greatest percentage of French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs were destined to Toronto (31% compared to 42% for the overall population). However, second most frequent destination for French-speaking immigrants was Ottawa (21% compared to 3% for the overall population), whereas Vancouver was the second most frequent destination for the overall population outside of Quebec (16% compared to 8% for French-speaking immigrants).

In terms of country of citizenship, 21% of French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs during the 2003 to 2016 period originated from France, 13% from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 9% from Haiti, 6% from the Federal Republic of Cameroon and 4% from Morocco. A little over half (53%) indicated a mother tongue of French, 9% indicated a mother tongue of Arabic and 7% indicated a mother tongue of Creole.

The source country and language profiles of French-speaking immigrants varied significantly from those of the overall population of immigrants settling outside of Quebec during this period. The most common countries of citizenship for the overall immigrant population outside of Quebec included: India (15%), the Philippines (14%), the People’s Republic of China (13%), Pakistan (5%) and the United States of America (4%). In terms of mother tongue, the most common languages were: Tagalog (12%), English (11%), Mandarin (10%), Punjabi (7%) and Arabic (6%).

1.3.2 French-Speaking Adult Immigrants (18 years of age and older)

About three-quarters of immigrants (both French-speaking and the overall immigrant population) settling outside of Quebec between 2003 and 2016 were adults (18 years of age or older) at the time of admission (74% and 76% respectively). Compared to the overall population outside of Quebec, a greater percentage of these French-speaking adult immigrants were single at the time of admission to Canada (34% compared to 25% for the overall population). In terms of education and skill level, while a smaller percentage of these French-speaking adult immigrants settling outside of Quebec during this period had a university-level education compared to the overall population (37% compared to 45%), a similar proportion were high skilled at the National Occupational Code (NOC) 0, A or B levels (27% of French-speaking immigrants compared to 28% for the overall population).^{Footnote 17}

2. Methodology

2.1 Evaluation Approach

The evaluation scope and approach were determined during a planning phase, in consultation with IRCC branches involved in the design, management and delivery of the OLMC Initiative. The terms of reference for the evaluation were approved by IRCC’s Departmental Evaluation Committee in November 2015, and data collection was undertaken primarily by the IRCC Evaluation Division between November 2015 and November 2016, with some support from an external consultant for the interviews.

The evaluation assessed the relevance and performance of the OLMC Initiative for the period of 2012 to 2016, and was guided by the program logic model, and an evaluation framework, outlining the evaluation questions, performance indicators and planned methods for the study.^{Footnote 18} The evaluation questions are presented below.

Evaluation Questions

Relevance

1. To what extent does the OLMC initiative continue to address a demonstrable need, as well as align with IRCC and GoC priorities and federal roles and responsibilities?

Performance - Immediate Outcomes

2. To what extent has the OLMC Initiative increased knowledge and awareness among takeholders and policy-makers of topics related to immigration to OLMCs?
3. To what extent has the OLMC Initiative engaged partners and stakeholders and/or expanded existing networks to foster immigration and integration in FMCs?
4. Are employment stakeholders in FMCs informed about opportunities to hire French-speaking immigrants?
5. Are French-speaking foreign nationals informed about opportunities to immigrate to FMCs?
6. To what extent do French-speaking settlement clients in FMCs receive settlement services in French that meet their settlement needs?

Performance - Intermediate Outcomes

7. To what extent are French-speaking economic immigrants settling in FMCs?
8. Are French-speaking settlement clients in FMCs using Canada’s official languages to function and participate in Canadian society?
9. Are French-speaking settlement clients in FMCs participating in local labour markets and social/community activities?
10. Do French-speaking settlement clients in FMCs have sufficient knowledge to make informed decisions about their life in Canada?
11. To what extent are the Réseaux en immigration francophone (RIFs) contributing to the attraction, integration and retention of French-speaking immigrants in FMCs?

Performance - Design and Delivery

12. To what extent are the management and governance of the OLMC initiative effective?
13. To what extent are performance measurement, monitoring and reporting for the OLMC initiative effective?

Performance - Resource Utilization

14. To what extent have OLMC Initiative resources been efficiently utilized to support the production of outputs and achievement of expected outcomes?

2.2 Evaluation Scope

The scope of the evaluation of the OLMC Initiative encompassed IRCC’s activities and intended results for the OLMC Initiative under the Roadmap 2013-2018, concentrating on French-speaking immigrants in FMCs outside of Quebec. Results related to English-speaking immigrants in ESCQ were only considered in relation to research and knowledge sharing activities, given the limited role of the federal government with respect to selection and integration of immigrants in Quebec.

The reporting period for the evaluation primarily covered the timeframe of 2012 to 2016, assessing progress made towards the achievement of expected outcomes since the 2012 evaluation,^{Footnote 19} with some consideration of results since 2003 to better assess trends over time.^{Footnote 20} Key areas of focus included promotion and recruitment activities and results for Francophone immigration to FMCs, as well as settlement activities and integration outcomes for French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs.^{Footnote 21}

2.3 Data Collection Methods

Multiple lines of evidence were used to gather qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of perspectives, including IRCC program representatives, external stakeholders, and French-speaking foreign nationals and newcomers to Canada.^{Footnote 22} Briefly, they included:

• Document review and key informant interviews;
• Surveys:
  • Online survey of French-speaking newcomers;
  • Settlement Client Outcomes Survey (SCOS) (results for French-speaking newcomers); and
  • Online survey on Francophone immigration with French-speaking foreign nationals;
• Analysis of data from:
  • Global Case Management System (GCMS) on admissions to Canada;
  • Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) on economic indicators and mobility;
  • Immigration Contribution Agreement Reporting Environment (iCARE) on the use of IRCC-funded settlement services; and
  • IRCC’s financial system and the Grants and Contributions System (GCS).
• Case studies on:
  • Destination Canada and other activities to promote francophone immigration; and
  • The Réseaux en immigration francophone (RIF).

2.4 Limitations and Considerations

The main limitation of the study was the incomplete information to precisely identify the population of French-speaking immigrants residing outside of Quebec. As previously noted, the measure used to estimate the number of “French-speaking” immigrants does not fully capture this population. As a mitigation strategy, additional information, obtained through iCARE and the surveys, was used in various lines of evidence (e.g. the survey of French-speaking newcomers) to more reliably identify French-speaking immigrants included in these analyses. The different lines of evidence were complementary and reduced information gaps, as well as enabled the triangulation of findings. The mitigation strategies, along with the triangulation of findings, were considered to be sufficient to ensure that the findings are reliable and can be used with confidence.^{Footnote 23}

3. Key Findings: Relevance

3.1 Federal Roles and Responsibilities

The OLMC Initiative supports the Government of Canada’s statutory obligations, articulated in both the OLA and IRPA, to support and enhance the vitality of OLMCs.

• Part VII of the OLA delineates the federal responsibility for “enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development; and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society”. It further emphasizes that “every federal institution has the duty to ensure that positive measures are taken for the implementation of the[se] commitments…while respecting the jurisdiction and powers of the provinces”.^{Footnote 24}
• This commitment is also recognized in IRPA in its objective “to support and assist the development of minority official languages communities in Canada”.^{Footnote 25}

While immigration is a joint federal/provincial responsibility,^{Footnote 26} the federal government has a limited role with respect to immigration and integration in Quebec due to the Canada-Québec Accord, which states that “Québec has sole responsibility for the selection of immigrants destined to that province”^{Footnote 27}, and that “Canada undertakes to withdraw from the services…for the reception and the linguistic and cultural integration of permanent residents in Québec”, as well as “from specialized economic integration services…to permanent residents in Québec”.^{Footnote 28}

Thus, while IRCC has an obligation to support OLMCs, both FMCs and ESCQ, this commitment is addressed differently in Quebec compared to the rest of Canada given the limited federal role. IRCC plays a supporting role in relation to ESCQ, focusing on knowledge development and sharing, whereas it plays a leading role in relation to the rest of Canada, focusing on the promotion of Francophone immigration to FMCs and the provision of settlement services to French-speaking immigrants in these communities to assist with their integration.

3.2 IRCC and GoC Objectives and Priorities

The OLMC Initiative supports departmental obligations with respect to the OLA and IRPA (as described above), as well as its objectives for Francophone immigration, which are aligned with FMC and provincial/territorial government priorities. Since 2003, the department has had as one of its objectives to ensure that 4.4% of immigrants settling outside Quebec were French-speaking, aiming to do this by 2023. This target was established by the CIC-FMC Steering Committee, in collaboration with FMC stakeholders, and first articulated in its Strategic Framework.^{Footnote 29} In 2013, the GoC also publicly committed to increasing the annual proportion of economic Francophone immigration outside of Quebec to 4% by 2018.^{Footnote 30}

In addition, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers for immigration have made Francophone immigration one of their priorities^{Footnote 31}, and some provincial governments have set their own targets (e.g. Ontario (5%), New Brunswick (33%), and Manitoba (7%)).^{Footnote 32} In July 2016, in recognition of the Francophonie as a “fundamental element of the Canadian federation”, Provincial-Territorial Premiers called on the federal government to increase the level of francophone immigration outside of Quebec to 5%.^{Footnote 33} Furthermore, in March 2017, federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for immigration and the Canadian Francophonie met and “agreed to work together to enhance promotion efforts aimed at French-speaking immigrants and to foster their recruitment, selection and integration”.^{Footnote 34}

The OLMC Initiative is also aligned with Canada’s objectives and priorities for immigration. As previously noted, the Initiative is a key commitment under the Immigration pillar of the Roadmap 2013-2018. The Roadmap 2013-2018 recognized that attracting immigrants and fostering their integration into Canadian society is important to Canada’s long-term prosperity and growth, and considered speaking one or more of Canada’s official languages as a crucial step in the social, cultural and economic integration of newcomers^{Footnote 35}. The Roadmap 2013-2018 was renewed under Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2013^{Footnote 36}, which focused on economic immigration and attracting talented newcomers with the skills and experience required by Canada’s economy.^{Footnote 37} The Initiative continues to be aligned with the objectives for immigration outlined in Budget 2017, which focus on supporting immigration programs that help to attract top talent to Canada, as well as its humanitarian interests related to refugee protection.^{Footnote 38}

3.3 Continued Need

Efforts to promote Francophone immigration and facilitate the integration of French-speaking newcomers in FMCs have been ongoing since 2003. At that time, the Strategic Framework recognized immigration as “an important factor in the growth of Canada’s population”.^{Footnote 39} It was noted that FMCs had not benefited as much from immigration as the Anglophone population, and that they had received limited benefits from Francophone immigration, as many French-speaking immigrants were settling in Quebec. Moreover, it was observed that immigrants, like most Canadians, were attracted to the major cities for economic and social reasons. As a result, the Strategic Framework set a target of 4.4% for Francophone immigration to FMCs, and contended that “[m]easures should be developed to help the Francophone and Acadian communities profit more from immigration to mitigate their demographic decline”.^{Footnote 40}

Years later, there is still a need to foster the demographic and economic growth, as well as the vitality, of FMCs, and immigration is viewed as a means to do this.^{Footnote 41} The targets set for Francophone immigration, as well as Francophone economic immigration, to FMCs are still ongoing and have not been met.^{Footnote 42} In June 2015, the Standing Committee on Official Languages reported that demographic growth in FMCs is crucial to community vitality “in order to build a growing economy and maintain certain rights, such as access to government services in both official languages.” It also observed that FMCs are facing similar challenges as other communities related to rural out-migration and low birth rates, and that they need immigrants to address labour needs and to contribute to their vitality.^{Footnote 43} Focusing on the 4% target for Francophone economic immigration to FMCs, the Standing Committee on Official Languages concluded that it was important for the federal government and all of its agencies to take positive measures to achieve this target.^{Footnote 44}

4. Key Findings: Performance – Promotion and Recruitment of French-speaking Immigrants in FMCs

4.1 Immigration of French-Speaking Immigrants

While estimates are conservative,^{Footnote 45} a total of 42,831 French-speaking permanent residents were destined to FMCs outside of Quebec^{Footnote 46} between 2003 and 2016. Forty-four percent were admitted to Canada under the economic classes, representing 1.13% of economic immigration outside of Quebec during this period. In comparison, the relative proportion of French-speaking immigrants within the overall immigrant population averaged 1.47% (see Table 1).

Table 1: Number and Relative Percentage of French-Speaking Immigrants Destined to Provinces or Territories outside of Quebec (2003 to 2016) – Overall and Economic Immigrants Only

Source: RDM, Permanent Residents, December 31, 2016

The demographic weight of French-speaking immigrants in the overall immigrant population outside of Quebec increased between 2003 and 2012 and then decreased until 2016, at which time it returned to the 2012 level. During the timeframe for the 4% target, the demographic weight of French-speaking economic immigrants within the economic immigrant population outside of Quebec decreased between 2013 and 2015, but experienced a considerable increase in 2016.

4.2 Interprovincial Mobility among French-Speaking Immigrants

Overall, 84% of French-speaking immigrants admitted to Canada between 2003 and 2016 were destined to Quebec, while the rest were destined to FMCs.^{Footnote 47} The evaluation examined patterns of interprovincial mobility among French-speaking immigrants using IMDB data to better understand the extent to which FMCs retain French-speaking immigrants and benefit from secondary migration within Canada, contributing to the size of their communities.

Table 2: Interprovincial Mobility among French-Speaking Principal Applicants (PAs) Admitted to Canada between 2003 and 2014 – Net Change (%) between Province/Territory of Intended Destination and Province/Territory of Residence in 2014

Source: IMDB 2014

When looking at the 2003 to 2014 admissions^{Footnote 48}, Quebec experienced a decrease in its number of French-speaking PAs of about 4% due to interprovincial mobility. For provinces/regions associated with FMCs, only New Brunswick and the remaining Atlantic region, as well as Manitoba lost French-speaking PAs as a result of interprovincial mobility (see Table 2).

Overall, more French-speaking PAs left Quebec to settle in provinces/regions associated with FMCs than the reverse, producing a net gain of 4 225, and increasing the overall share of the French-speaking immigrant population in FMCs to about 18%.

4.3 Targets for Francophone Immigration

Evaluation findings suggest that the targets set for Francophone immigration, though still ongoing, are ambitious and will be difficult to achieve, and that more significant efforts on the part of the department are needed if progress is to be made towards achieving these targets.

4.3.1 Consideration of IRCC’s Targets

The 2003 target of 4.4% for Francophone immigration was based on the Census estimate of the overall proportion (i.e. demographic weight) of Francophones in the Canadian population outside of Quebec in 2001. The objective, set out in the Strategic Framework, was for FMCs to attract and retain at least 4.4% of French-speaking immigrants in the immigrant population outside of Quebec in order to benefit from immigration and maintain their long-term demographic weight. This was understood to mean that FMCs would have to gradually receive more French-speaking newcomers in the coming years.^{Footnote 49}

At the time of the Strategic Framework, it was estimated that 3.1% of immigrants to Canada outside Quebec were French-speaking.^{Footnote 50} However, this estimate included individuals reporting the ability to speak both English and French, regardless of which official language they most commonly used, and as a result, likely overestimated the demographic weight of French-speaking immigrants.^{Footnote 51} Originally, “it was expected that the target would be reached by 2008”, but “following certain challenges, including questions about the actual definition of a “French-speaking immigrant” and about data collection, [the] target was pushed back over the years to 2023.”^{Footnote 52} In spite of these difficulties in achieving the overall 4.4% target, a 4% target was set for Francophone economic immigration in 2013 to be achieved by 2018.

Statistics Canada (2017) projections based on “first official language spoken” (FOLS)^{Footnote 53} suggest that while many regions in Canada (except the Atlantic) could see the numbers of their French-speaking populations increase or stabilize by 2036, their demographic weight could decrease. This decrease is attributed mainly to the fact that the relative share of immigrants with a mother tongue other than English or French who adopt English as the home language or who, of the two official languages, only know English, should continue to grow at a faster rate than the share of those who transition to French. Statistics Canada further estimates that for immigration to maintain the demographic weight of the French-speaking population outside of Quebec at the 2016 level (estimated at 3.7%)^{Footnote 54}, about 275,000 French-speaking immigrants would need to settle in Canada outside of Quebec between 2017 and 2036 (estimated at 5.1% of immigration outside of Quebec).^{Footnote 55} This roughly represents 13,750 French-speaking immigrants per year for the next 20 years settling in FMCs, which is well above current trends.^{Footnote 56}

4.3.2 Promotional Efforts and Immigration Strategies

Findings from the interviews and document^{Footnote 57} review identified a need for more efforts to increase Francophone immigration to FMCs. Of note, it was highlighted in the interviews that the current approach is not well supported by the appropriate tools to have the necessary impact.

To date, IRCC’s efforts to facilitate francophone immigration to FMCs have relied primarily on promotion and recruitment activities, as well as mechanisms to facilitate temporary residence through the work permit programs. In terms of promotion and recruitment, IRCC has undertaken a variety of activities, many of which have focused on European pools of French-speaking candidates in countries, such as France and Belgium. However, efforts targeting Africa and other regions abroad have been growing over the years.^{Footnote 58Footnote 59}

In terms of mechanisms to facilitate temporary residence, the Francophone Significant Benefit (FSB) program^{Footnote 60} was created in June 2012 with the expectation that Canadian work experience acquired by applicants through this program could eventually help them to qualify for the permanent residence programs.^{Footnote 61} It provided a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) exemption for employers hiring temporary foreign workers in skilled positions (National Occupation Classification Levels 0, A and B) outside of Quebec. While not explicitly designed as a pathway to permanent residence, the FSB program provided a mechanism to better position French-speaking temporary residents to make this transition. However, it was cancelled in September 2014 due to concerns about the displacement of French-speaking Canadians in FMCs by temporary foreign workers.^{Footnote 62} In June 2016, a new Mobilité Francophone program was launched, comparable to the preceding FSB program, under the International Mobility Program (IMP).^{Footnote 63} IRCC administrative data show that there were 1,778 entries under the FSB program between 2012 and 2016.^{Footnote 64} As of March 31, 2017, a total of 675 individuals with a prior FSB work permit had transitioned to permanent residence (90% through the economic immigration programs),^{Footnote 65} and there were 405 entries under the new Mobilité Francophone program.^{Footnote 66}

There are limits, however, to what can be achieved through promotional activities and mechanisms for temporary residence. Eventually, there needs to be a way to facilitate the permanent residence of French-speaking candidates interested in immigrating to FMCs. The 2012 evaluation recognized both the importance and the limitations of IRCC’s promotional efforts under the Initiative, and noted that “If more Francophone newcomers can be convinced to settle in FMCs, they must be allowed to immigrate to Canada permanently.”^{Footnote 67}

IRCC does not have a specific program to facilitate the permanent residence of French-speaking individuals in FMCs. IRCC administrative data (2003 to 2016) show that, while promotional activities focus on the economic immigration programs, French-speaking immigrants have taken advantage of a range of programs over the years to become permanent residents of Canada. In fact, during the 2003 to 2016 period, 52% obtained their permanent residence under the sponsored family and refugee programs, compared to 44% who did so under the economic immigration programs. Moreover, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)^{Footnote 68}, which has as one of its objectives to support the development of OLMCs, brought in only 9%, and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program,^{Footnote 69} which facilitates the transition to permanent residence for individuals with qualified Canadian work experience, only brought in 4% of French-speaking immigrants during this timeframe.

Although not a program, the Express Entry system offers a means to support Francophone immigration objectives under the OLMC Initiative. Introduced in January 2015, Express Entry manages applications for the Federal Skilled Workers program, the Federal Skilled Trade program, the CEC and a portion of the PNP. Candidates are assigned points based on their competencies and qualifications, and then ranked against each other. Top-ranking candidates are invited to apply. Express Entry candidates who speak both of Canada’s official languages can receive points for their proficiency in their second official language, thus increasing the chances of being invited to apply for bilingual French-speaking candidates.

In November 2016, IRCC introduced changes to the Express Entry system, including a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption for candidates already in Canada as temporary workers under Mobilité Francophone to permit them to receive job offer points in Express Entry. In addition, the department announced further changes to be introduced in June 2017 to award additional points to candidates who have strong French language skills. IRCC is also developing a new functionality to send targeted messages to French-speaking candidates in the Express Entry pool to inform them about opportunities to settle in FMCs. This new functionality is anticipated for the Fall 2017.

Although too early to assess the impacts of Express Entry and its recent changes in support of Francophone immigration, early results indicate that 2.9% of the 33,406 immigrants admitted through this system in 2016 were French-speaking.^{Footnote 70}

4.4 Awareness of Employment-Related Stakeholders

IRCC has undertaken various activities to promote awareness of opportunities and mechanisms to recruit and hire French-speaking immigrants to employment stakeholders, such as liaison trips to meet with employers in Canada conducted by the Paris, Rabat, Tunis and Dakar missions, initiatives undertaken by the RIFs and activities in relation to Express Entry led by IRCC’s Employer Liaison Network (ELN).^{Footnote 71}

While difficulties in tracking outcomes were noted in the interviews, it was mentioned that some progress is being made in terms of employer awareness, with more employers starting to see immigration as a viable option to fulfill their operational needs. Some RIFs pointed to improved employer awareness, but there was also a recognition that employer engagement is a challenge.

Findings from the interviews and document review^{Footnote 72} highlighted that specific incentives or mechanisms, such as LMIA work permit exemptions, Express Entry, or credential recognition, can help facilitate the hiring of French-speaking immigrants by employers. However, the primary interest of employers is to find qualified candidates with the skills they need to meet their operational requirements. The 2014-2015 Consultations on Francophone immigration noted that employers primarily want a competent employee who integrates quickly and do not necessarily see the added value of bilingualism^{Footnote 73}, and that most employment outside of Quebec, particularly in the West, requires an advanced level of English.^{Footnote 74}

4.5 Awareness of French-speaking Foreign Nationals and Importance of Employment

IRCC has undertaken various activities to promote awareness of opportunities to live and work in FMCs in Canada to French-speaking foreign nationals. Paris is the lead mission abroad with respect to the promotion of Francophone immigration. Other missions, particularly Rabat, Dakar, Tunis and Mexico, work in coordination, and with the support of Paris, to conduct promotional activities as well.^{Footnote 75}

In order to better understand the contribution of IRCC’s promotional activities to the awareness of French-speaking candidates about the possibilities to live and work in Canada outside of Quebec, the evaluation examined some of the activities conducted by the Paris mission, the largest purveyor of these activities, focusing on its information sessions and the Destination Canada job fair.

Information sessions are provided in-person and by webconference, and include information on FMCs and immigration tools. In 2015, the Paris mission conducted 58 in-person information sessions, which attracted a total of 3,884 registered participants,^{Footnote 76} as well as 37 information sessions by webconference, which attracted a total of 6,183 registered participants.^{Footnote 77} Destination Canada is IRCC’s flagship promotional event; it provides information, as well as access to various job postings and opportunities to meet with Canadian employers and provincial/territorial government and FMC representatives. The Destination Canada event has been ongoing since 2003, and the level of interest generated by this event in recent years (2012 to 2016) is summarized in Table 3.

Table 3: Application and Attendance Results for Destination Canada – 2012 to 2016

Source: Paris mission

A Survey on Francophone Immigration was conducted, as part of the evaluation, to examine the experiences of French-speaking foreign nationals in relation to their participation in promotional activities led by the Paris mission (Destination Canada as well as in-person and webconference information sessions).^{Footnote 78} A total of 2,568 candidates participated in the survey, including 2,224 participants in IRCC promotional activities and 344 non-participants.

When the factors affecting candidates’ plans and decision-making for living and working in Canada were explored in this survey, findings showed that employment is an important factor, with 91% of candidates surveyed reporting more/better professional opportunities as important or very important. Similarly, the importance of employment to the attraction and retention of French-speaking immigrants was noted in the interviews and document review.^{Footnote 79}

Opportunities related to employment are provided by IRCC through its Destination Canada job fair; however, survey findings indicated areas for improvement. Many Destination Canada participants surveyed were dissatisfied with the range of job offers posted (24% somewhat dissatisfied and 19% dissatisfied), as well as with opportunities to network and make contacts at the event with employers (23% somewhat dissatisfied and 20% dissatisfied). Some suggestions for improvement proposed by participants surveyed called for more employers to be present and a larger variety of employment sectors be represented at Destination Canada.

4.6 Dissemination of Information and Contribution to Decision-Making

4.6.1 Usefulness of Information and Opportunities for Questions

The effectiveness of disseminating information through IRCC’s promotional activities (Destination Canada as well as in-person and webconference information sessions) was also examined using the Survey on Francophone Immigration.

Most participants surveyed were at least somewhat satisfied^{Footnote 80} with the usefulness of the information provided and opportunities to ask and receive answers to questions during these activities. Survey findings also suggested that Destination Canada and webconference platforms can make it more difficult for participants to ask questions to better address their specific information needs, as well as highlighted the potential benefits of participating in more than one type of activity for disseminating information to French-speaking candidates.

Information sessions (in-person and/or by webconference):

• 69% of participants were satisfied, and 24% somewhat satisfied, with the usefulness of the information provided.
• 52% were satisfied, and 32% somewhat satisfied, with opportunities to ask and receive answers to questions.
• When the satisfaction levels with opportunities for questions were compared for those who had participated in an in-person session, a webconference session or both:
  • 59% indicated being satisfied and 27% somewhat satisfied when they had participated in an in-person session, and 52% indicated being satisfied and 33% somewhat satisfied when they had participated in both types of sessions; whereas
  • 39% indicated being satisfied and 38% somewhat satisfied when they had participated in a webconference session.

Destination Canada:

• 57% of participants were satisfied, and 31% somewhat satisfied, with the usefulness of the information provided.
• 46% were satisfied, and 37% somewhat satisfied, with opportunities to ask and receive answers to questions.
• When satisfaction levels with the usefulness of information provided were compared for those who had participated in Destination Canada and another activity^{Footnote 81} to those who had participated in Destination Canada only:
  • 61% indicated being satisfied and 30% somewhat satisfied when they had participated in Destination Canada and another type of promotional activity; whereas
  • 52% indicated being satisfied and 32% somewhat satisfied when they had participated in Destination Canada only.

4.6.2 Contribution to Decision-Making

When the contribution to decision-making was examined through the Survey on Francophone immigration, many of those surveyed indicated that their participation in IRCC’s promotional activities had helped them at least somewhat^{Footnote 82} in their decision-making to live and work in Canada. In addition, survey findings suggested that there are potential benefits of participating in more than one type of activity for decision-making among French-speaking candidates.

Information sessions (in-person and/or by webconference):

• 84% of participants surveyed indicated that their participation in these sessions had helped them at least somewhat with their decision-making.^{Footnote 83}
  • When perceptions of the helpfulness of the information sessions were compared for those who had participated in an in-person session, a webconference session or both:
    • 75% indicated that the information session had helped them quite a bit or a great deal with their decision-making when they had participated in both types of sessions; whereas
    • 67% and 65% indicated that the information session had helped them quite a bit or a great deal with their decision-making when they had participated in an in-person or webconference session respectively.

Destination Canada:

• 70% of participants surveyed indicated that their participation in the job fair had helped them at least somewhat.^{Footnote 84}
  • When perceptions of the helpfulness of Destination Canada were compared for those who had participated in Destination Canada and another activity to those who had participated in Destination Canada only:
    • 59% indicated that Destination Canada had helped them quite a bit or a great deal with their decision-making when they had participated in the job fair as well as another type of promotional activity; whereas
    • 43% indicated that Destination Canada had helped them quite a bit or a great deal with their decision-making when they had participated in the job fair only.

4.7 Considering the Possibility of Living and Working Outside of Quebec

Quebec was the destination of choice for 84% of French-speaking immigrants during the 2003 to 2016 timeframe. It was noted in the interviews that Quebec is a considerable competitor with the rest of Canada in terms of promotion of francophone immigration. With this in mind, the evaluation explored the extent to which French-speaking foreign nationals participating in IRCC’s promotional activities had chosen, or were planning, to live and work in FMCs (in addition to or other than Quebec).^{Footnote 85}

The experiences and plans of participants in relation to “going to Canada" were examined using the Survey on Francophone Immigration. Survey findings showed that:

• 23% of participants in IRCC promotional activities were living in Canada at the time of the survey, and 30% had been to Canada since 2013.
  • Of those currently living in Canada^{Footnote 86}, 36% were living in provinces/territories other than Quebec.
  • Of those who had been to Canada since 2013^{Footnote 87}, 60% had gone to provinces/territories in addition to or other than Quebec.
• 43% of participants were not living in Canada at the time of the survey, and had not been to Canada since 2013, but were planning to go to Canada in the future.^{Footnote 88}
  • Of these, 75% indicated other provinces/territories of interest in addition to or other than Quebec.

When the plans of candidates surveyed in relation to “going to Canada” were examined relative to the different types of promotional activities in which they had participated^{Footnote 89}, survey findings showed that:

• 88% of participants in Destination Canada and another activity and 84% of participants in Destination Canada only were interested in going to provinces/territories in addition to or other than Quebec; whereas
• 75% of participants in other activities only and 73% of non-participants were interested in doing so.

Although a causal relationship cannot be shown^{Footnote 90}, evidence suggests that participating in Destination Canada, in combination with other promotional activities, can contribute to increasing awareness of the opportunities in FMCs and to considering the possibilities in Canada outside of Quebec.

When the reasons for choosing Quebec were compared to the reasons for choosing other parts of Canada (in addition to or other than Quebec), survey findings showed that the top two reasons for choosing Quebec were the presence of Francophones and French services and employment opportunities, while the top two reasons for choosing other parts of Canada were the presence of natural environments and employment opportunities.^{Footnote 91}

5. Key Findings: Performance – Settlement and Integration of French-Speaking Newcomers in FMCs

5.1 Using Canada’s Official Languages

The use of Canada’s official languages, as well as the importance of French, were examined for French-speaking newcomers settling in FMCs using a Survey of French-speaking Newcomers, conducted as part of the evaluation. A total of 603 survey respondents completed the survey.^{Footnote 92} Key findings are highlighted below.

5.1.1 Using Canada’s Official Languages in Various Contexts

French-speaking newcomers surveyed reported using English and French in a variety of settings. For example, 83% of those surveyed indicated using English most of the time when going to stores/restaurants and using public transportation, while 40% indicated using French most of the time when talking to their friends. The use of English was frequently reported in the context of work (58% reported using English most of the time and 24% English and French equally often), while the use of French was most commonly reported in the context of family (44% reported using French most often with their spouse^{Footnote 93} and 46% French most often with their child/children^{Footnote 94}).^{Footnote 95}

These findings are consistent with research using the National Household Survey (2011), which has found that English largely dominates as the language of work in all provinces outside Quebec, with 98% of the population reporting using it in 2011.^{Footnote 96} They are also aligned with findings from the analysis of results for French-speaking newcomers responding to the Settlement Client Outcomes Survey^{Footnote 97}, which found that a greater percentage of French-speaking respondents reported using English more often than French outside of the home.

Generally, survey findings showed that English was used most often in public domains, while French was used more notably in private domains, or equally often with English. Not using French was often attributed to the people involved not speaking French or the activity not being available in French.

5.1.2 Importance of French to French-Speaking Newcomers

In spite of frequently using English in their activities, being able to use French and having access to services and resources in French was important^{Footnote 98} to the French-speaking newcomers surveyed. Many reported that it was important to be able to use French in their daily life, to connect with French-speaking people in the Francophone community, and to have access to services, resources and education in French. This was consistent with document review findings which noted the commitment of members of OLMCs to their language and to receiving services in that language.^{Footnote 99Footnote 100}

In addition, most French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated that it was important for their children (or future children) to speak French as well as English, and a number of those surveyed indicated that some of their children had done their school studies in French in a minority French language school in Canada.^{Footnote 101}

When asked about the presence of French in their municipality, many French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated no presence or a weak presence^{Footnote 102} of French in a number of the services and resources in their municipalities, notably in local businesses, stores and restaurants (25% no presence and 59% weak presence), in publications (18% no presence and 62% weak presence) and in health care services (19% no presence and 57% weak presence). Conversely, when asked about the presence of English in their municipality, 88% (on average) of those surveyed indicated a strong presence^{Footnote 103} of English in all services and resources.

With this in mind, survey findings highlighted a desire among the French-speaking newcomers surveyed for the presence of French to be augmented in their municipalities, with 86% indicating that the presence of French should increase. There was also an indication of support for the development of the Francophone community, with 81% reporting that it was important for individuals and organizations to work for the development of the Francophone community in their municipality.

In sum, these findings suggest that French-speaking newcomers want to use French, but must use English, as they are in a minority context, where English largely dominates the public domain.

5.2 Economic Integration

5.2.1 Incidence of Employment

The IMDB analysis showed that the incidence of employment for French-speaking immigrants (principal applicants, spouses and dependants) admitted to Canada between 2003 and 2014 was fairly stable and similar to other immigrants one to ten years after admission, averaging 68% (compared to 66% for other immigrants). The incidence of employment was found to vary by gender, with men having a higher incidence, on average, compared to women for both French-speaking and other immigrants. The incidence of employment was also higher for French-speaking immigrants with a knowledge of both English and French at admission (compared to those with a knowledge of French only).

When the incidence of employment was compared for economic and non-economic principal applicants (PAs) during this period, it was higher for economic PAs, averaging 81% for French-speaking economic PAs and 79% for other economic PAs, compared to 65% for French-speaking non-economic PAs and 61% for other non-economic PAs (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Incidence of Employment for French-speaking Principal Applicants (2003 to 2014) Compared to Other Principal Applicants by Number of Years since Admission to Canada and Immigration Category (Economic versus Non-Economic)

Findings related to employment from the Settlement Client Outcomes Survey^{Footnote 104} were consistent with the IMDB analysis, indicating that 62% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed were working at the time of the survey. Further analysis of survey results showed that a greater percentage of French-speaking men were working compared to women, and that higher English language ability^{Footnote 105} and previous temporary resident experience^{Footnote 106} were associated with working and having a job related to one’s education and/or experience for French-speaking newcomers.^{Footnote 107} Commonly reported challenges in finding a job or to working in a job matching one’s education, experience and/or level of responsibility, among French-speaking newcomers surveyed, were needing to improve one’s English or French language skills, and not having or not being able to get enough Canadian work experience.

5.2.2 Employment Earnings

The IMDB analysis showed that average employment earnings for French-speaking immigrants (PAs, spouses and dependants) admitted to Canada between 2003 and 2014 increased over time, and were comparable to other immigrants, ranging from $32,000 one year after admission to $51,000 ten years after admission (compared to $29,000 to $49,000 for other immigrants). Average employment earnings were found to vary by gender, with men having higher earnings, on average, compared to women for both French-speaking and other immigrants. Average employment earnings were also higher for French-speaking immigrants with knowledge of both English and French at admission (compared to knowledge of French only), and for those born in France compared to other source countries for French-speaking immigrants (e.g. Congo, Haiti, Morocco and Cameroon).^{Footnote 108}

When average employment earnings were compared for economic and non-economic PAs during this period, they were generally higher for economic PAs, particularly French-speaking economic PAs, and increased over time (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Average Employment Earnings for French-speaking Principal Applicants (2003 to 2014) Compared to Other Principal Applicants by Number of Years since Admission to Canada and Immigration Category (Economic versus Non-Economic)

Findings related to household income^{Footnote 109} from the Settlement Client Outcomes Survey, though not based on employment earnings alone, were consistent with the IMDB analysis, indicating a greater percentage of French-speaking newcomers from the economic classes, as well as those with a higher English language ability, having a higher household income at the time of the survey ($70 000 or more). Previous temporary resident experience was also associated with having a higher household income, but no significant gender differences were found.

5.2.3 Use of Social Assistance

Overall, the IMDB analysis found that the rate of social assistance (SA) use by French-speaking immigrants (PAs, spouses and dependants) admitted to Canada between 2003 and 2014 was about 16% one year after admission, but decreased to about 9% within ten years. The rate of SA use was slightly higher for women, as well as for those with a knowledge of French only (compared to a knowledge of English and French) at admission.

However, when the rate of SA use was compared for economic and non-economic PAs during this period, the IMDB analysis found that SA use was much lower among economic PAs (see Figure 3). On average, the rate of SA use among French-speaking economic PAs was about 5% one to ten years after admission to Canada, and was comparable to the rate among other economic PAs (about 2%).

Figure 3: Rate of Social Assistance Use for French-speaking Principal Applicants (2003 to 2014) Compared to Other Principal Applicants by Number of Years since Admission to Canada and Immigration Category (Economic versus Non-Economic)

For non-economic PAs, the rate of SA use was higher for French-speaking non-economic PAs compared to the rate among other non-economic PAs. The rate of SA use among French-speaking non-economic PAs was 21% one year after admission, but decreased to 11% ten years after admission, while the rate of SA use among other non-economic PAs was relatively stable, averaging about 8%. The higher rate of SA use among French-speaking non-economic PAs was not surprising, given that resettled refugees and protected persons made up a relatively high proportion of the French-speaking immigrant population settling in FMCs between 2003 and 2014^{Footnote 110}, and a higher rate of SA use is common among refugees.^{Footnote 111}

5.3 Social Integration

Findings from the Settlement Client Outcomes Survey were used to provide information on the social integration of French-speaking newcomers. A total of 646 respondents to this survey were identified as French-speaking.^{Footnote 112} Key findings are presented below.

5.3.1 Volunteering, Group Membership and Friendships outside One’s Community

Survey findings indicated levels of volunteering, group membership, and friendships outside one’s community among French-speaking newcomers surveyed which were higher than the results for all newcomers surveyed.

• 50% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed reported having volunteered in the past 12 months (compared to 36% of all newcomers surveyed).
• 74% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed reported membership in at least one type of group (compared to 61% of all newcomers surveyed). Immigrant or ethnic associations or clubs and religious affiliated groups were the most frequently reported types of groups (for French-speaking newcomers surveyed and overall).
• 64% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated that about half or more^{Footnote 113} of their close friends were outside their ethnic, cultural or religious community (compared to 47% of all newcomers surveyed).

Further analysis showed that higher English ability among French-speaking newcomers surveyed was associated with higher rates of volunteering, group membership and having more friends outside one’s ethnic, cultural or religious community.

5.3.2 Sense of Belonging and Attachment

In terms of sense of belonging, findings for French-speaking newcomers surveyed were comparable to results for all newcomers surveyed.

• 82% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated a strong^{Footnote 114} sense of belonging to their local community (which was the same for all newcomers surveyed).
• 85% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated a strong sense of belonging to their province or territory (compared to 86% of all newcomers surveyed).
• 95% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated a strong sense of belonging to Canada (compared to 92% of all newcomers surveyed).

While strong overall, sense of belonging to Canada was found to be associated with length of time since admission to Canada for French-speaking newcomers surveyed. All of those who had been permanent residents of Canada for five years of more at the time of the survey reported a strong sense of belonging to Canada.

In terms of feelings of attachment to the Francophone and Anglophone communities, findings from the Survey of French-speaking newcomers showed that 41% of those surveyed felt an attachment to the Francophone group in their municipality, 34% felt an attachment to both equally, 17% felt an attachment to the Anglophone group, and 8% to neither group.

5.4 Overall Integration, Knowledge and Decision-Making

Findings from the Settlement Client Outcomes Survey were also used provide information on the knowledge and decision-making related to life in Canada for French-speaking newcomers.^{Footnote 115} Key findings are presented below.

5.4.1 Knowledge about Life in Canada

Survey findings showed that many French-speaking newcomers surveyed had at least some knowledge of topics related to life in Canada, and that these findings were generally comparable to results for all newcomers surveyed (see Table 4).

Table 4: Percentage of French-speaking Newcomers Surveyed Compared to All Newcomers Surveyed with at Least Some Knowledge of Life in Canada by Topic

Source: Settlement Client Outcome Survey

In addition, many French-speaking newcomers surveyed indicated having at least some knowledge of topics related to employment, such as looking for a job (92% compared to 87% of all newcomers surveyed); establishing contacts, connections, networks with others who may be able to help them find a job (84% compared to 81% of all newcomers surveyed); and getting their educational (81% compared to 74% of all newcomers surveyed) or professional (71% compared to 69% of all newcomers surveyed) qualifications assessed.

An analysis of iCARE data showed that some French-speaking newcomers are accessing IRCC-funded settlement services to increase their knowledge about life in Canada.^{Footnote 116} Information and orientation services were the most frequently accessed type of services by French-speaking newcomers using IRCC-funded settlement services, and sources of information, community connections, education, important documents and employment and income were the most common topics covered.

5.4.2 Comfort with Decision-making Related to Life in Canada

In terms of decision-making, most French-speaking newcomers surveyed reported being at least somewhat comfortable^{Footnote 117} making decisions about their life in Canada, with a slightly greater percentage of French-speaking newcomers (compared to all newcomers surveyed) indicating being at least somewhat comfortable making decisions about health care (93% compared to 85% of all newcomers surveyed), money and finance (83% compared to 77% of all newcomers surveyed), education (92% compared to 87% of all newcomers surveyed) and housing (89% compared to 84% of all newcomers surveyed).

5.4.3 Overall Integration Experience

When asked about challenges experienced in different aspects of their life in Canada, finding employment and finding a house were most frequently reported as very or extremely challenging by newcomers surveyed (French-speaking and overall). However, many indicated that their overall experience in Canada was about what they had expected or better^{Footnote 118}, with a slightly smaller percentage of French-speaking newcomers feeling this way (74% of French-speaking newcomers compared to 80% of all newcomers surveyed).

5.5 Use of IRCC-Funded Settlement Services by French-speaking Clients

The OLMC Initiative leverages IRCC’s Settlement Program to deliver settlement services to French-speaking newcomers settling in FMCs by funding service provider organizations (SPOs) to deliver various settlement services, which include: needs assessments and referrals, information and orientation, community connections and employment-related services, and language assessments and training. The aim of IRCC’s Settlement Program is to support newcomers’ successful settlement and integration so that they may participate and contribute in various aspects of Canadian life.

The use of IRCC-funded settlement services by French-speaking clients was examined using iCARE data and compared to patterns of service use by other clients during the same timeframe.^{Footnote 119} The analysis showed that the use of needs assessment and referral services, as well as information and orientation, by French-speaking clients was comparable to that of other clients.

However, a greater percentage of French-speaking clients, compared to other clients, accessed services related to community connections, short-term employment, language assessment and language training (see Table 5). For those who received language assessment and training services, the vast majority (both French-speaking and other clients) accessed these services for English only, although the percentage was slightly higher for other clients.^{Footnote 120}

Table 5: Use of IRCC-Funded Settlement Services by French-speaking Clients Compared to Other Clients Admitted to Canada as Permanent Residents (2014 to 2015)

Source: iCARE (January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2016)

When service use was examined in relation to gender^{Footnote 121}, a greater percentage of women, both French-speaking and other clients, accessed language assessment and language training services. It also found that a slightly higher percentage of men accessed short-term employment services.

When service use was examined in relation to immigration category^{Footnote 122}, the analysis indicated that a greater percentage of refugees, both French-speaking and other clients, accessed information and orientation and community connections services, whereas a greater percentage of clients under the sponsored family classes accessed language assessment and training services. However, for economic immigrants, a greater percentage of French-speaking economic clients accessed language assessment and training services, as well as short-term employment services, compared to other economic clients.

5.6 Meeting the Settlement Needs of French-speaking Clients

IRCC supports the settlement needs of French-speaking immigrants by funding SPOs to provide settlement services in French, including settlement services for those in Canada as well as pre-arrival services for French-speaking individuals pre-approved for permanent residence prior to their admission to Canada. The department also funds the RIFs to strengthen the capacity of FMCs to attract, integrate and retain French-speaking newcomers through partnership and collaboration with various stakeholders, including SPOs providing settlement services.

The evaluation found that many French-speaking clients of IRCC-funded services are obtaining the settlement services that they need, and that those with an official language preference of French are receiving their settlement services in French, or another non-official language if desired, meeting their overall language needs for these services. Of note, findings from the Settlement Client Outcomes Survey showed that 84% of French-speaking newcomers surveyed reported not having any problems or difficulties getting the settlement services they needed.^{Footnote 123} Furthermore, the iCARE data^{Footnote 124} showed that 72% of French-speaking clients, for whom an official language preference of French had been identified^{Footnote 125}, had had their language needs met on all services, and another 7% had had their language needs met on more than three-quarters of their services, but not all.^{Footnote 126}

Notwithstanding these findings, ensuring awareness among French-speaking newcomers of the French-language services available to them is still a challenge. For example, when problems or difficulties in getting the settlement services needed were indicated, French-speaking newcomers surveyed commonly reported not knowing about how or where to get services (reported by 45% of those reporting difficulties).^{Footnote 127} IRCC’s 2014-2015 Consultations also found that there is a need to improve access and visibility of French-language settlement services, and highlighted service gaps in the areas of employment-related services in French, language services offered by Francophone SPOs, and settlement workers in French-language schools.^{Footnote 128}

5.6.1 Francophone Integration Pathway

In order to contribute to the vitality of FMCs, French-speaking newcomers need to not only settle in these communities, but also to adopt a Francophone integration pathway to enable the development of connections with the Francophone community. According to FMC stakeholders, this is more than just the provision of services in French; it is also important for services and support to be provided in an integrated way by Francophone institutions and communities, “for and by Francophones”, to facilitate the creation of meaningful ties between French-speaking newcomers and FMCs^{Footnote 129}, and ultimately strengthen their attachment and sense of belonging to these communities.^{Footnote 130} However, funding based on service delivery (which depends on the number of eligible clients using the services) has been a challenge for some Francophone organizations in FMCs, making it difficult for them to compete with non-Francophone organizations to provide French-language services to French-speaking newcomers.^{Footnote 131}

The evaluation identified a total of 39 Francophone or bilingual organizations^{Footnote 132} delivering IRCC-funded settlement services to French-speaking newcomers in FMCs, but observed that their geographic distribution did not always align with the numbers of French-speaking immigrants destined to these communities. Moreover, the extent to which these organizations were situated in communities with the infrastructure, and other indicators of vitality, to support a Francophone integration pathway was also unclear. An analysis of iCARE data found that only some French-speaking clients had received services from these organizations: 18% had received all of their settlement services from these organizations, 32% had received a portion of their services, and 50% none of their services. Moreover, only 32% received services from a Francophone or bilingual SPO on their first service date recorded in iCARE, suggesting that these organizations are not frequently the first (or at least an early) point of contact for many French-speaking clients in their integration process.

Findings from the interviews and document review noted that the Francophone integration pathway is “fragmented”,^{Footnote 133} and that some French-speaking newcomers are welcomed by non-Francophone SPOs, not knowing that French-language services exist. As a result, they enter the system of English-language services, and ultimately follow an integration pathway outside the Francophone community. In 2015, IRCC launched its National Call for Proposals for the Settlement Program, with a commitment to support the “for and by Francophones” approach,^{Footnote 134} and solicited projects for settlement services, called “Arrimages francophones”, to help facilitate the Francophone integration pathway.^{Footnote 135} Though too early to see the impacts of this approach at the time of the evaluation, it will be important to monitor these efforts to assess their progress moving forward.

5.6.2 Supports for Temporary Residents

Another challenge for the OLMC Initiative is the lack of supports for temporary residents, notably temporary workers and international students, who are not eligible for services under the IRCC Settlement Program Terms and Conditions. In addition to permanent residents, the Initiative targets temporary residents, and relies on temporary work programs, such as the Mobilité Francophone Program, in its efforts to promote francophone immigration to FMCs. As previously noted, while temporary resident options do not provide an explicit pathway to permanent residence, they can better position French-speaking applicants for a possible transition in the future. However, without access to supports during their temporary residence, which can help them to form links to the Francophone community where they reside, it is unclear to what extent French-speaking temporary residents would be able to adopt a Francophone integration pathway if they were to stay and obtain permanent residence.^{Footnote 136} The need for settlement services and supports, including language training, for French-speaking temporary residents to facilitate their integration in FMCs was highlighted in the document review.^{Footnote 137}

5.7 Contribution of the Réseaux en immigration francophone

IRCC provides funding to 14 RIFs, covering all provinces (including three RIFs in Ontario) and territories (except Nunavut) outside of Quebec and an umbrella RIF for the Atlantic region.^{Footnote 138} These networks are an important part of the national strategy to strengthen FMCs, with the aim to enhance community capacity to recruit, welcome, integrate and retain French-speaking immigrants. Key activities of the RIFs include:

• Promoting partnerships and cooperation among stakeholders from various sectors (community, private, para-public and government);
• Identifying the needs, gaps and assets of communities and newcomers;
• Developing action plans on francophone immigration to address the needs, gaps and assets identified and help guide national francophone immigration priorities; and
• Raising awareness, mobilizing and supporting communities and partners in the implementation of the action plans.

The evaluation found that the RIFs bring together a wide range of partners, working in different sectors, including provincial/territorial government representatives, schools and school boards, settlement service providers, francophone organizations, universities and researchers, hospital and other health services, and ethnocultural and religious organizations. While the majority of RIFs have been successful in mobilizing some non-financial contributions, as well as funding from sources other than IRCC, IRCC remains the primary source of funding for most RIFs. A review of their annual reports^{Footnote 139} showed that while only a few new partners have joined the RIFs or have increased their participation in recent years, all RIFs have developed new collaborations both within and outside their existing network of members. Some RIFs highlighted the development of new collaborations or an increased level of participation in the areas of health, education and housing. It was noted in the interviews that the RIFs bring together some stakeholders who might not otherwise meet regarding francophone immigration issues.

While difficult to demonstrate, the evaluation found indications that the RIFs have contributed to increasing knowledge and awareness of OLMC issues, as well as to the coordination and provision of appropriate services to French-speaking clients. Most RIFs reported in their annual reports that they had undertaken activities to identify the needs of immigrants, as well as various outreach activities, and that their partnerships had contributed to the provision of appropriate services to clients at the appropriate time and in the official language of their choice. Issues were raised in the interviews concerning access to specialized services in French (e.g. health care) in some regions and the provision of services in French versus Francophone services. It was also noted in the interviews that there is a need for more research to increase knowledge, particularly at the local level. The lack of financial and human resources, performance measurement, competition/tensions among partners, and the need for further clarification of roles and responsibilities were also noted as challenges in the document review and interviews.

6. Key Findings: Performance – Coordination and Consultation with Key Stakeholders

6.1 Governance and Coordination

The OLMC Initiative involves various activities which bridge IRCC’s immigration and integration programming domains. Management, delivery and accountabilities are spread across various responsibility areas within the department, and the OLMC Initiative is supported by a governance structure. IRCC took steps during the reporting period for the evaluation to improve governance and coordination for the Initiative by creating a more streamlined IRCC-FMC Committee to replace the former IRCC-FMC Steering Committee, and by establishing the OL Secretariat. Correspondingly, improvements were noted in the interviews, notably the creation of the OL Secretariat. However, ongoing challenges were also highlighted in relation to the need for more leadership, resourcing concerns, the need for a strategic or common vision, and the role and involvement of communities and other external stakeholders.

The evaluation observed that while governance still poses some issues for the OLMC Initiative, the main challenge lies in its management and design. The Initiative is managed in a fragmented way. Responsible program areas direct their own activities, without a broader policy perspective to generate synergies and ensure policy coherence along the immigration-integration continuum. In terms of leadership, there is a clear policy lead for francophone integration, located in IRCC’s Integration-Foreign Credentials Referral Office (I-FCRO) Branch, but there is not a clear policy lead for francophone immigration, and no overall program-policy accountability for the OLMC Initiative as a whole. The OL Secretariat, which was created in part to support the horizontal governance and coordination of the Initiative, acts as a centre of expertise on OL issues for the department. It is well-positioned to do this work within IRCC’s Corporate Services sector, but it does not have a policy mandate.

In reviewing its design, the evaluation noted that, rather than a unified strategy, the OLMC Initiative is a collection of activities, which are not always well aligned. For example, activities to support francophone immigration have focused on promotion and recruitment, without specific mechanisms to facilitate permanent residence. These activities have instead relied on options for temporary residence, which are not aligned with integration strategies, as they depend on services for which temporary residents are not typically eligible. There is also some overlap in the Initiative’s activities, noted in the interviews, particularly in relation to employer engagement. The OLMC Initiative also exists within a broader immigration programming context, in which Express Entry has introduced a new landscape for economic immigration with new partners and new ways of working in the promotion of immigration to Canada.

The Standing Committee on Official Languages, in 2016, recognized the fragmented approach adopted by IRCC’s OLMC Initiative, focusing primarily on its implications for francophone immigration. It described IRCC’s approach as “program-by-program”, and as “merely carv[ing] up the issue of francophone immigration”, and concluded that the federal government should “develop an official policy on francophone immigration and establish a central agency within IRCC that would be responsible for implementing it”.^{Footnote 140}

6.2 Partner and Stakeholder Engagement

The OLMC Initiative involves partners and stakeholders both in Canada and abroad, and IRCC routinely engages with them in its work. For example, the Paris and other missions partner with public services employment organizations abroad, and liaise in Canada with employers, as well as FMC and provincial/territorial representatives, in their efforts to promote francophone immigration to FMCs. IRCC also engages employers through the ELN in support of Express Entry, and through the RIFs. The interdepartmental working group on labour needs in FMCs and employer awareness was established to support employer engagement efforts.

IRCC works closely with the FCFA, a key partner, to coordinate activities and oversee the implementation of the department’s FMC activities through the IRCC-FMC Committee. The department provides funding to the FCFA to support consultations with and the mobilization of a broad range of stakeholders in implementing national priorities, as well as to coordinate and support the RIFs, and to support mobilization efforts with employers. IRCC also provides funding to the RIFs to bring together various institutions and organizations, such as settlement organizations, schools, post-secondary institutions and municipalities, to ensure better coordination and planning of Francophone immigration activities at the regional and provincial/territorial levels.

The department collaborates and engages with other government departments, such as PCH, through various committees which promote the use of Official Languages and the development of OLMCs, and takes advantage of Federal-Provincial-Territorial tables for information-sharing related to the Initiative. IRCC also regularly consults with OLMC representatives to ensure that the department is aware of their needs and priorities through meetings and other fora. For example, IRCC works with the FCFA to organize the annual Journée de réflexion sur l’immigration francophone, and led national consultations on Francophone immigration between September 2014 and April 2015. IRCC also consults with stakeholders representing the ESCQ, such as the Quebec Community Groups Network, the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network and TCRI, and engages researchers through various events and projects to identify research priorities and develop knowledge and awareness of issues related to immigration and integration in OLMCs.

Thus, the evaluation found that IRCC has been very active in engaging partners and stakeholders in the OLMC Initiative, and has the mechanisms in place to support this work. The issue, however, lies in the level of engagement required to advance its efforts. A need for increased engagement of partners, such as other government departments, provinces and municipalities, was highlighted in the interviews. It was noted that while IRCC can provide settlement services for French-speaking immigrants in FMCs, one of the biggest challenges is whether or not the community has the opportunities and infrastructure to support them (e.g. jobs, French schools, etc.). Federal departments, such as PCH and ESDC, as well as provincial/territorial governments and municipalities, have a key role in providing access to services (other than settlement services), and helping to establish the economic conditions and other determinants related to the vitality of FMCs. It was also mentioned that there is a need for a better understanding of the role of external partners, including community stakeholders, in the Initiative, and that emerging partners, such as the RDÉEs, Chambers of Commerce and employer associations need to be more involved.

6.3 Resource Utilization

The OLMC Initiative first received funding in 2003 under the Action Plan for Official Languages (APOL), with additional funding starting in 2009 under the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008-2013.^{Footnote 141} As previously discussed, the Initiative involves numerous activities, which are expanding, and relies on several branches within IRCC’s NHQ, as well as the department’s International and Settlement Networks^{Footnote 142}, to ensure their implementation. According to program documentation, the OLMC Initiative was allocated a total of $22.5M in new funding over the five-year period of the Roadmap 2013-2018, and had a total of $6.9M in existing funding, to support this work (see Table 6).

Table 6: Resource Distribution and Funding Allocations for the OLMC Initiative under the Roadmap 2013-2018: Fiscal Years 2013-2014 to 2017-2018

Source: Internal program documentation

About 46% of the new funding allocated under the Roadmap 2013-2018 was for promotion and recruitment activities, while only 8% was allocated in Grants and Contributions (G&C) for the provision of settlement services. In fact, Grants and Contributions (both new and existing funding) only accounted for about 18% of the overall budget for the OLMC Initiative (or about $5.25M over the five-year period).

While the OLMC Initiative takes advantage of this funding under the Roadmap 2013-2018 to deliver on its objectives, it also leverages other resources within IRCC, such as those under the Settlement Program and Express Entry. In terms of settlement, the G&C resources budgeted under the Roadmap 2013-2018 represent a fraction of IRCC’s investment related to the OLMC Initiative. It is estimated that about $95.8M was spent under the Settlement Program from 2013-2014 to 2016-2017 to support efforts led by Francophone and bilingual organizations related to FMCs, including settlement service delivery in Canada^{Footnote 143} and overseas, the work of the RIFs and FCFA, and other projects building capacity in these communities (see Table 7).^{Footnote 144}

Table 7: Funding related to the OLMC Initiative under the Settlement Program: Fiscal Years 2013-2014 to 2016-2017

Source: IRCC Financial Data in SAP

The OLMC Initiative also benefits from settlement services delivered in French by non-Francophone SPOs. The evaluation found that a little over 200 non-Francophone SPOs had served at least one client in French. While not possible to determine the level of resources dedicated by these organizations to service delivery in French, the evaluation did note that the number of clients served in French varied greatly among these organizations.^{Footnote 145}

In terms of promotion and recruitment, the OLMC Initiative leverages resources allocated to Express Entry to support the ELN. ELN officers incorporate Francophone immigration promotion as an element in their presentations and outreach to employers, wherever appropriate, and occasionally make presentations to audiences where Francophone immigration is the primary focus. Again, it was not possible to reflect the level of resources dedicated to this work in a more precise way.

Thus, while it is clear that IRCC has committed resources to the OLMC Initiative beyond its investments under the Roadmap 2013-2018, it is difficult to fully ascertain the scope of this commitment.

7. Key Findings: Performance – Strategic Data Development, Research and Knowledge-Sharing

7.1 Knowledge Development and Awareness

An OL research team was created in 2013 and mechanisms were put in place to solicit and fund research projects related to immigration to OLMCs, including a request for proposals process. Since its establishment, the OL research team has provided research-related advice and support to IRCC program and policy branches, and has undertaken various research projects.^{Footnote 146} It has also led a number of activities to present on research, identify research priorities, and engage researchers, community and government stakeholders, at meetings, workshops, symposia, consultations, conferences and IRCC Research Network events. Funding is also provided through a Memorandum of Understanding, in partnership with PCH, Justice Canada and Health Canada, to maintain language statistics expertise at Statistics Canada.

The research activities undertaken by the OL research team have examined issues for FMCs and ESCQ, and included themes related to the reception, integration and retention of immigrants within an official language minority context, economic integration, research issues and priorities, potential immigration pools, and international students. While more resources have been provided for research related to francophone immigration to FMCs (compared to research related to immigration in ESCQ), this is consistent with the policy mandate of the department. Progress has also been made in supporting research related to immigration to ESCQ; however, the possibility of using this information within IRCC to inform policy and program development is limited, due to provisions under the Canada-Quebec Accord.

Interview findings noted that while there is some level of awareness of the research undertaken, particularly within IRCC, it is unclear to what extent it is being used to inform policy and programs. Challenges in addressing the knowledge needs of the various users (e.g. IRCC, communities), and the need for more practical research and research at the regional level were highlighted.

The evaluation observed that a major achievement of IRCC’s OL research function has been the development of a new definition and measure to identify French-speaking immigrants (described in the Technical Appendices). These changes were implemented by the department in January 2017. While it will take some time for data from the new measure to be compiled, such that it can be used to track francophone immigration trends, it is expected to improve the department’s capacity to report more accurately on results of the OLMC Initiative.

A key knowledge gap, as highlighted in the interviews, is the absence of a common definition of an OLMC. Currently, the department reports on all provinces/territories outside of Quebec, where French is the minority language, to represent FMCs, and reports on all of Quebec, where English is the minority language, to represent ESCQ. While inclusive, such a broad view of these communities limits the department’s ability to focus its policy and program development for the OLMC Initiative in a strategic way. IRCC is not responsible for developing consensus around a definition of OLMCs; however, it has a vested interest in its undertaking. In an effort to respond to this need, IRCC collaborated with PCH in 2015 to explore key concepts and considerations to inform a definition of OLMCs, producing a working document. PCH has also undertaken work to better understand indicators of vitality. However, at the time of the evaluation, a common approach had yet to be realized.

7.2 Performance Measurement

The 2012 evaluation highlighted various challenges related to performance measurement for the OLMC Initiative, including the absence of an agreed upon formula to accurately measure the number of French-speaking immigrants settling in Canada and incomplete data on the Initiative’s activities.^{Footnote 147}

The current evaluation found that while some issues remain, progress was made in addressing these challenges during the reporting period. For example, a Performance Measurement Strategy was developed in 2013, and new systems and tools became available through the Settlement Program to support reporting on results for the OLMC Initiative, including iCARE, the Annual Project Performance Report (APPR), the Annual Performance Report for Community Partnerships (APRCP), and the Grants and Contributions System (GCS). However, the evaluation noted some issues with the way information is collected through these systems and tools, which made the analysis related to the Initiative challenging. The iCARE system and the APPR collect information at the level of the contribution agreement and not the organization, which made it difficult to analyze results at the organizational level. Also, given the narrative nature of the APRCP format, it was difficult to analyze results for the RIFs in a meaningful way.^{Footnote 148} It was also difficult to identify Francophone SPOs, as well as the settlement activities related to the OLMC Initiative, and additional efforts were required to identify them.^{Footnote 149}

The evaluation found that there continue to be challenges in identifying the resources and costs associated with the OLMC Initiative (particularly in relation to Vote 1), given that many of the activities are embedded in other programs and initiatives within the department. It was also noted that information on employer engagement and other new promotional activities related to recruitment is limited. While the Paris mission has been collecting information on its activities for several years (e.g. Destination Canada), OLMC-related promotional activities have expanded (e.g. webconferences, activities of other missions, ELN activities), requiring additional measures to monitor progress.

In terms of the formula to count the number of French-speaking immigrants, IRCC established an “interim” measure following the 2012 evaluation, which was used in the current evaluation (described in section 1.3). This measure is believed to underestimate the actual number of French-speaking immigrants, as it does not take into account immigrants with a mother tongue other than French who speak both French and English.^{Footnote 150} It also assumes that those with a mother tongue of French actually speak the language.^{Footnote 151} The issue of defining a francophone was raised in the interviews. As previously discussed, implementation of a new definition and measure of a French-speaking immigrant began in 2017, which will address this challenge in the future.^{Footnote 152}

8. Conclusions and Recommendations

In sum, IRCC is committed under IRPA and the OLA to support the development and vitality of OLMCs, and does so through its OLMC Initiative. The OLMC Initiative has been ongoing for a number of years, and continues to be relevant, focusing primarily on FMCs outside of Quebec, given the department’s limited role with respect to immigration and integration in Quebec. The evaluation examined performance in relation to the various activities under this Initiative. Conclusions and recommendations based on this assessment are presented below.

Management and Governance

The evaluation found that the OLMC Initiative involves various activities, embedded in IRCC’s immigration and settlement programming, which are not always well aligned and can be overlapping. Management, delivery and accountabilities for these activities are spread across different responsibility areas within the department, with no clear policy lead for the Initiative as a whole. While mechanisms to govern and coordinate the OLMC Initiative are in place, and have improved since the 2012 evaluation, it still lacks a unified strategy, with focused leadership and overall accountability. There is a need to ensure that policy and programming supporting the OLMC Initiative are strategic and coherent along the immigration-integration continuum.

Promotion and Recruitment of French-speaking Immigrants in FMCs

The evaluation found that the OLMC Initiative has had some success in raising awareness among French-speaking foreign nationals about the opportunities to live and work in Canada, as well as among employers in Canada about the opportunities and mechanisms to recruit and hire French-speaking immigrants. Employment is a key factor in attracting French-speaking foreign nationals, and the Destination Canada job fair can provide a forum for them to pursue opportunities with Canadian employers and learn about FMCs. However, hiring the best qualified candidates is the priority for employers, and knowledge of English is a requirement for most employment outside of Quebec. While Quebec remains an attractive destination, some French-speaking candidates participating in IRCC’s promotional activities are exploring opportunities and choosing to live and work in regions outside of Quebec.

In spite of IRCC’s promotional efforts, which have been ongoing since 2003, the relative weight of French-speaking immigrants settling in FMCs remains well below departmental targets. Consideration of these targets suggests that they will be very difficult to achieve, particularly given IRCC’s current strategies, which have relied on promotional activities as well as options for temporary residence, rather than mechanisms to facilitate permanent residence. Evidence indicates that the current approach may not be sufficient to achieve the established targets, and more efforts may be needed if current targets are to be realized. The targets, strategies and timelines need to be better aligned, such that the objectives for Francophone immigration under the OLMC Initiative are reasonable and achievable.

Settlement and Integration of French-Speaking Newcomers in FMCs

While there are challenges, the evaluation found that French-speaking newcomers are generally integrating economically at rates that are comparable to other immigrants settling outside of Quebec. There is also an indication that they have knowledge about life in Canada, are comfortable making decisions, and are participating in Canadian society. While French-speaking newcomers value the ability to use French and having access to French-language services and resources, the reality is that English dominates the services and resources in municipalities outside of Quebec. Correspondingly, the evaluation found that French-speaking newcomers settling in FMCs are using both of Canada’s official languages in their daily lives, and that English language ability is associated with their economic and social integration outcomes.

IRCC has developed considerable capacity to support the integration of French-speaking newcomers in FMCs through its Settlement Program. The department funds Francophone and non-Francophone SPOs providing settlement services in French, as well as the RIFs to help strengthen the capacity of FMCs to integrate and retain French-speaking newcomers. The goal is for French-speaking newcomers to adopt a Francophone integration pathway in order to develop connections with Francophone communities and contribute to their vitality. This has emerged as an issue for the OLMC Initiative, and IRCC has committed to supporting a “for and by Francophones” approach to help facilitate this work. However, this approach is not yet well-defined, and the role of non-Francophone organizations to support these efforts, as well as the capacity and vitality of FMCs to benefit from this approach, are unclear. Moreover, the lack of supports for temporary residents targeted by the OLMC Initiative, to help them form meaningful links to Francophone communities, is also a challenge.

Engagement of Partners and Stakeholders

The evaluation found that considerable effort has gone into engaging partners and stakeholders in Canada and abroad in the activities of the OLMC Initiative. However, there is a need for better understanding of the role of external partners, including community partners, in the Initiative. Moreover, the level of engagement of certain partners remains a challenge, particularly for partners, such as other federal departments, provincial/territorial governments and municipalities, who have responsibility for the infrastructure and French-language community-based services (other than settlement services) required to maintain the vitality and capacity of FMCs to attract and retain French-speaking immigrants.

Strategic Data Development, Research and Knowledge-Sharing

The evaluation found that the OLMC Initiative has facilitated the development of knowledge and the creation of awareness of topics related to immigration to OLMCs, particularly within IRCC. However, there have been challenges in addressing the knowledge needs and priorities of the diverse stakeholders involved, and it is unclear to what extent the knowledge developed is informing policies and programming in relation to the Initiative. While more resources have been provided for research related to francophone immigration to FMCs, consistent with the policy mandate of the department, progress has also been made in supporting research on immigration to ESCQ.

The evaluation also found that progress has been made in terms of performance measurement since the 2012 evaluation. Of note, new systems and tools became available through the Settlement Program, and a new measure to count the number of French-speaking immigrants was developed to support reporting on results for the OLMC Initiative. However, there are still some challenges with the systems and tools in place, and the Initiative has continued to evolve requiring new measures to report on performance. The performance measurement strategy needs to be updated to clearly articulate the activities, outputs and expected outcomes of the OLMC Initiative, as well as the key indicators and data collection strategies to be used to measure performance with respect to the expected outcomes.

Appendix A: List of Supporting Appendices in the Technical Appendices

A set of Technical Appendices have been prepared to support the report on the Evaluation of the OLMC Initiative, which are available upon request. The list of appendices are listed below.

• Appendix A: Overview of Key Milestones and Activities Related to the OLMC Initiative
• Appendix B: Socio-Demographic Profile of French-speaking Immigrants admitted to Canada as Permanent Residents in FMCs Compared to All Immigrants Outside of Quebec (2003 to 2016)
• Appendix C: Logic Model for the Immigration to OLMC Initiative
• Appendix D: Evaluation of the OLMC Initiative – Evaluation Matrix
• Appendix E: Evaluation of the OLMC Initiative – Data Collection Methods
• Appendix F: Evaluation of the OLMC Initiative – Limitations and Considerations
• Appendix G: Awareness Activities with Employers and French-speaking Candidates Related to the OLMC Initiative
• Appendix H: Selected Results for the Survey of French-Speaking Newcomers conducted as part of the Evaluation of the OLMC Initiative
• Appendix I: IRCC’s Immigration in Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) Research Program – List of projects
• Appendix J: IRCC’s New Definition and Measure of a French-speaking Immigrant.