5. Conclusions and recommendations

5.1 Conclusions

5.1.1 Relevance

The SHW Initiative is well aligned with federal government priorities, and federal roles and responsibilities. Target populations identified in Initiative documentation are broad and include people who have experienced SHW, employers and employees. Through data collection for the evaluation, individuals working in the legal community were identified as an additional target population with specific needs given their work with those who have experienced SHW. Needs for those who have experienced this harassment include both PLEI and legal advice. Employees’ needs focus on legal information on their rights, obligations and responsibilities, as well as how to access legal advice, if necessary. Needs for employers focus largely on PLEI, including high quality co-constructed training. Individuals in the legal community need specialized training in SHW, sensitivity, trauma-informed responses and serving diverse communities.

The evaluation found that funded projects are aligned with the needs of these populations, particularly those who have experienced SHW. A mix of Legal Advice, PLEI and joint Legal Advice/PLEI projects have been funded with organizations across Canada. The evaluation was able to determine that most project designs are comprehensive and responsive to target population needs (both those known at the outset and those that emerged as the projects were implemented).

Some important gaps remain, including increased supports for psychosocial needs, increased connections with the settlement sector, and additional bilingual or multilingual resources. Access to legal representation was commonly mentioned as a gap for those who have experienced SHW, although it is outside the scope of the SHW Initiative.

5.1.2 Effectiveness

The evaluation found that projects are contributing to increasing access to legal advice and PLEI. Making services and information available online, in multiple languages and available through intermediary organizations already known to those accessing the information, are key enablers to accessibility. However, fears of being identified (particularly in rural/small communities), lack of confidentiality and feeling pressured to take legal action are considered to limit their access to advice and information for those who have experienced workplace sexual harassment.

Multi-sectoral and multi-agency collaborations were successful and featured in more than half of funded projects. The evaluation found that these collaborations helped increase project outreach and facilitated the achievement of project outcomes (for example through knowledge-exchange and sharing of resources). Collaborations and partnerships allowed funded projects to connect with more difficult to reach target groups, refer clients, and cross-promote services.

5.1.3 Design and Delivery

The evaluation found that the COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge at both the SHW Initiative and project levels. Timelines, project design, delivery approaches and reach were all affected by the pandemic. However, the SHW Initiative’s flexibility in the face of the challenges posed by the pandemic was recognized by funded organizations.

The evaluation also found that several best practices were built into the SHW Initiative at the design stage, such as requiring project designs to adopt a number of beneficial features. These features included adopting trauma-informed approaches, GBA Plus, and encouraging the involvement and collaboration with organizations already trusted by targeted populations.

As noted, funding applicants were expected to consider GBA Plus in the planning phase of their projects. However, the evaluation found a mixed understanding among funded organizations regarding how to implement GBA Plus during project delivery. In instances where projects had a strong understanding of GBA Plus, its use extended from project design to implementation. However, for many other projects there was limited evidence regarding the utilization of GBA Plus in the project delivery phase. Future programming could benefit from increased guidance and information on GBA Plus in the project planning phase.

5.1.4 Efficiency

While there is limited information on the efficiency of the SHW Initiative, the program design features of funding organizations with expertise in providing PLEI, and encouraging collaborations between organizations to expand reach and services, was seen as efficient.

5.2 Recommendations

No recommendations are included as the SHW Initiative has been implemented as expected, and there are no identified barriers to the achievement of expected results. The main challenge facing the SHW Initiative was COVID-19, which affected project timelines and design. While legal representation for those who have experienced SHW was identified as a need, it is beyond the scope of the SHW Initiative. That being said, to help address this need, some funded organizations adapted by expanding their networks to develop pro-bono rosters and providing referrals to organizations who could potentially provide legal representation.