Social Framework Evaluation Report reflects lessons learned and impactful community change

The Social Framework Evaluation Report, released yesterday, shares impacts and learnings from the Social Framework’s first four years of implementation.

Community inspired and adopted, the Social Framework guides organizations towards four shared priority outcomes and includes shifts in how organizations can think and work together. The framework was created in 2017, following an extensive Community Talk engagement to find out what mattered most to residents. 

In 2021, an evaluation report was completed that assessed the impact of the Social Framework. Conversations were held with over 40 community and County stakeholders, including members of the Social Framework Leadership Table (SFLT). Overall, the framework has provided a unified direction for social action and a platform for community organizations to address shared priorities. It has encouraged a shift in how organizations think and work together to address complex community needs. It has also enabled organizations to respond quickly, in a coordinated way to unexpected events.

Many positive comments were shared in the evaluation: “The more we talk, the more we understand how we all serve the same people, the same community.” “There’s a willingness to work together and lean on each other in unprecedented times and in unprecedented ways.”

“The Social Framework has become a living catalyst for impactful community change, and I applaud all those involved in thinking and working together,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “The shared direction has mobilized a network of community organizations and engaged citizens. It’s built trust and collective ownership, and supported nimble and effective community-wide responses, as we’ve seen most recently during the pandemic.”

Tangible actions and innovative solutions have also resulted through the framework’s collaborative approach, including: 

• Shared efforts in COVID-19 Emergency Social Services Response:
  • A series of relatable video vignettes to encourage people of all ages and life stages to reach out for help
  • Promotion of the Family and Community Services call line to connect residents to appropriate community supports
  • Volunteer Strathcona coordination of food and medication delivery to vulnerable residents including isolated seniors
  • A Domestic Violence Toolkit, distributed to 28 local pharmacies
• A joint meeting of the SFLT and County Council COVID-19 Citizen and Community Support Task Force to discuss emerging resident needs
• The Strathcona County Community Drug Strategy and its national award-winning Opioids Don’t Discriminate Exhibit
• Co-locating community services and navigation supports in a variety of community facilities

Other examples are listed in the evaluation report.

Moving forward, community leaders have highlighted that social isolation, employment interruptions and financial pressures associated with the pandemic have the potential to increase risk factors for mental health challenges, substance abuse, violence and criminal behaviour.

To support understanding of these issues in Strathcona County, a Community Trends report has also been produced. It includes Strathcona County demographic data, and information on particular social needs such as mental health, housing and food instability, as well as information about experiences and needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As our community recovers from the pandemic, community leaders, the RCMP and the County are in the early stages of working together to develop a Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan. Drawing on current and projected trends, and aligning to the Social Framework, this plan aims to increase crime prevention efforts, enhance well-being and support COVID-19 recovery.

The Social Framework Evaluation Report and information on the Social Framework and its Leadership Table can be found at strathcona.ca/socialframework. Also featured is a video that shares the impacts of the Social Framework as expressed by SFLT members in their own words. The Community Trends Report and infographic can be found at strathcona.ca/communityplans.

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Contact:

Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595