General FAQ
The WE Value Partnership is an ecosystem that fosters improved service delivery and experiences for newcomers through digital innovation and cross-sectoral collaboration. A host organization in each WE Value community offers newcomers a holistic and capacity-focused assessment that connects them to services, opportunities, and people. Clients are provided with a robust settlement plan, a summary of their capacities, and a unique profile that, together, help to streamline access to programming across the community. The WE Value Partnership offers service provider organizations the opportunity to share their program and service information through the Partner Portal, where users also receive relevant referral details. All of this is made possible by a custom-designed Client Management System called the K2 Pathway to Settlement System — and by a common belief that working together as a community will produce better outcomes for newcomers’ settlement journeys.
There are three “host” organizations that offer the WE Value Settlement Assessment for their communities: YMCA of Southwestern Ontario in Windsor, Sarnia, and London; South Essex Community Council in Leamington, and YMCA of National Capital Region in Ottawa.
The K2 Pathway to Settlement System is a custom-designed web-based digital Client Management System that is built on the Salesforce platform. K2 allows host organization staff to schedule, conduct, and evaluate assessments, develop comprehensive referral plans, generate and export iCare reports, and more. Within K2 are housed several different components: the WE Value Settlement Assessment questionnaire, the settlement plan and referral builder, the Partner Portal, the Client Portal, and data dashboards.
The WE Value Settlement Assessment is a custom-designed holistic, capacity-focused Needs and Assets Assessment offered to newcomer clients by WE Value host organizations. Our assessment is informed by a literature review, validated by 7 settlement service providers and 16 mainstream agencies, and has undergone and ethics review. It covers 75 indicators of settlement across 14 categories and is compatible with the 5 Social Determinants of Health. Although there are over 180 questions in our library, our system utilizes data mapping and skip-logic, giving each client a tailored assessment (i.e., responses to certain questions may branch out to reveal related questions – and hide others that are not applicable). The Assessment includes a questionnaire and referral builder. Results from the questionnaire are turned into a list of driving statements and actions to complete. A list of referrals is then created whereby clients can complete these actions. Together, the list of referrals, actions, and driving statements form the client’s Settlement Plan.
Affiliated Partners are each given their own Partner Portal accounts, through which they can input information about their Organization, Locations, Programs, and Services/Activities, including eligibility criteria, dates/times available, languages offered, and much more. The information input into the Partner Portal is then used by assessors at the host agency to build a list of referrals that go into a client’s Settlement Plan. The Partner Portal allows users to see referral details when a client is referred to them. IRCC-funded agencies have the additional opportunity to use the “Elevated View” feature, which allows clients’ Primary Service Providers to see much more information related to the client’s profile.
The Client Portal is a mobile-friendly browser-based application that will give newcomer clients who have received their WE Value Settlement Assessment access to their own profile within the K2 system. They can view an interactive digital version of their settlement plan, browse through other services, and access a multitude of resources. The Client Portal is part of an exciting IRCC-funded Service Delivery Improvement pilot project that is currently in the testing stage in Windsor, Leamington, and Ottawa, so is not available to all clients.
The WE Value Partnership was established from a Service Delivery Improvement project funded by IRCC. The 2017 call for proposals resulted in the project launching in summer 2018, with the very first assessment taking place October 14, 2019, delivered by YMCA of Southwestern Ontario in Windsor. We received SDI funding for a further two projects, the Client Portal and Artificial Intelligence projects in 2021.
There are three “host” organizations that offer the WE Value Settlement Assessment for their communities: YMCA of Southwestern Ontario in Windsor, Sarnia, and London; South Essex Community Council in Leamington, and YMCA of National Capital Region in Ottawa. Workforce WindsorEssex is a core partner that supports with community engagement including training, evaluation, and consultation. The University of Windsor is a core partner that has been involved since the beginning of the project and has supported with literature reviews, ethics reviews, assessment development, and data analysis. More recently, the University of Windsor’s department of Computer Sciences has been leading the Artificial Intelligence project to integrate AI into the K2 system. Although these five organizations form the core team, the WE Value Partnership is the name of the ecosystem that encompasses all partners – that includes around 50 affiliated partners and over 200 overall referrable organizations (“non-affiliated partners”).
The We Value Partnership is supported by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s Service Delivery Improvement (SDI) fund. A portion of SDI funding is allocated towards activities that are experimental in nature and test new ways of improving settlement services in Canada.
The wevalue.ca website includes more information about the WE Value Partnership and its ongoing initiatives. The site also includes a variety of resources like archived presentations and reports.
For Partner Portal Users: Partner Portal users can refer clients directly to a WE Value host organization for assessment through the “Send Referral” tab in the Partner Portal, or by contacting their local host organization directly for an appointment.
For Newcomers: Clients can self-refer using the referral form linked on the wevalue.ca website or by contacting their local host organization directly.
All questions related to the WE Value Partnership can be directed to Matthew Dunlop, WE Value Program Manager at the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario by phone or text at (519) 982-5625 or by email at matthew.dunlop@ymca.swo.ca
Our dream is to see “the WE Value Way” implemented in communities across Canada. All questions related to the becoming a WE Value host organization should be directed to Matthew Dunlop, WE Value Program Manager at the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario by phone or text at (519) 982-5625 or by email at matthew.dunlop@ymca.swo.ca.
WE Value is more than just the technology that makes our work possible—it is an ecosystem that follows a set of standard processes and is guided by a set of values. We encourage any community interested in using the K2 Pathway to Settlement System to adopt the “WE Value Way”. That being said, the K2 system has been utilized by other communities to support their regional model. Questions about licensing K2 can be directed to Matthew Dunlop, WE Value Program Manager at the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario by phone or text at (519)982-5625 or by email at matthew.dunlop@ymca.swo.ca.
The K2 Pathway to Settlement System is built on the Salesforce Platform. There are various ways to use K2 in your organization such as a Managed Package Application, Multi-Tenant Database, or other approaches to meet an organization’s needs. This is a tool built by and for the sector, we will work with any agency to support your use of K2.
Assessment & Referrals
The WE Value Settlement Assessment is guided by a settlement assessor who shares their screen with the newcomer as they work through a series of questions about the client’s needs, assets, and goals. From there, the assessor identifies the client’s immediate settlement needs that may be met by referrals to IRCC-funded services and community organizations alike. The client walks away with a profile, a list of their capacities, and their Settlement Plan with referrals and next steps. The organizations receiving referrals are notified that a referral was provided and can view basic client details to foster a warm handoff.
The Assessment is only available through a WE Value host organization and is guided by a settlement assessor. There is no option for newcomers to do the assessment independently, but host organizations may offer the services either in-person or virtually (i.e., via zoom). Contact your local host organization to find out if they offer the service virtually.
The client is referred to services and opportunities at local organizations and institutions, and a follow-up is conducted at 3- and 9-months post-assessment to track progress and appropriateness of the service provided. This information is then analyzed, along with initial assessment responses and prepared for community data dissemination with the goal of improving overall service delivery and coordination for newcomers.
The ultimate decision always rests with the client. However, the WE Value Settlement Assessment and K2 Pathway to Settlement System have been specially designed to elicit client demographics, expressed needs, assets and goals to determine their eligibility and suitability for programs and services offered by local providers.
The system helps to capture these criteria and applies data mapping, which allows the assessor to present options to the client for their ultimate consideration. This system will be enhanced further as a group of WE Value clients will receive settlement plans supported by Artificial Intelligence, beginning in the Fall of 2023.
WE Value host organizations are committed to data sharing and reflecting their referral details to partners to ensure adequate and appropriate referrals are made to local and partner organizations. When a client is referred to the WE Value Partnership by another service provider, the Partnership is committed to referring the client BACK to that organization as the Primary Service Provider for ongoing services.
The client walks away with a profile, a list of their capacities, and their Settlement Plan with referrals and next steps. Beginning in the Summer of 2023 the WE Value Partnership will be testing an innovative Client Portal application, which will give some clients access to a unique tool that includes an interactive digital settlement plan, a resource library of knowledge articles, the ability to browse through other services offered in the area, and the ability to request a referral.
The host organization can conduct the Assessment in any language that the settlement staff’s capacity will allow, but the printed settlement plan is only available in English at the current time. Translation work has already been done to create a French version of the settlement plan, with an expected launch in the K2 Pathway to Settlement system by Fall 2023.
Artificial Intelligence
In 2021, the University of Windsor received funding for a Service Delivery Improvement project that would support the development and testing of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the WE Value Partnership’s K2 Pathway to Settlement System. The project aims to appraise the effectiveness of AI in the settlement process, assess the benefit of sector-informed and tailored AI tools, and assess how the use of AI for data analysis can improve local understanding of standardized, real-time data to support data-driven decision-making. There are two principal features being created for integration into our system:
1) A Recommender System to assist settlement assessors in the development of settlement plans. The AI will learn which settlement actions are typically associated with driving statements produced during the assessment and make recommendations to facilitate settlement plan development.
2) A Virtual Assistant “Chat Bot” which will be integrated into the Client Portal app. The chat bot will be available to answer questions and help clients find information articles and services included in the application.
For settlement staff: While building the technology, we have maintained a human-first approach, meaning that decisions will always be made by clients and staff. The AI recommender system is meant to help analyze data to recommend relevant settlement actions to attach to driving statements but is not capable of deciding what to include in the settlement plan. It is our hope that this AI will save time for assessors when building settlement plans and make the process more efficient. An AI virtual assistant, the chatbot, will be included in the Client Portal application, which will answer clients with an appropriate resource or response. It is our hope that this will reduce the number of rote, easy-to-answer questions that settlement staff need to answer for clients, thus saving time. However, clients will always be encouraged and enabled to communicate directly with a settlement worker for their more detailed questions.
For newcomer clients: The Client Portal application will have a virtual assistant where users can ask questions to a “chat bot” which will serve as an AI-augmented search function that we hope will help resolve easy-to-solve problems. Think of it as a “smart” search engine. This will be especially useful for after-hours needs when no settlement staff are available.
Partners and Partner Portal
Affiliated partners have access to their own K2 Partner Portal where they can provide information on their organization, programs, services, and activities, as well as receive referrals. Affiliated partners are trained to manage and update their Partner Portal accounts.
Non-Affiliated Partners do not have access to the Partner Portal. Although they are included in our system as referral points for inclusion in clients’ settlement plans, they do not contribute by providing information about their organization, programs, and services, nor can they see referral details. Thus, the information included in settlement plans tends to be very general. Non-affiliated partners may or not be aware of the WE Value Partnership and our referral process.
Affiliated Partners are each given their own Partner Portal accounts, through which they can input information about their Organization, Locations, Programs, and Services/Activities, including eligibility criteria, dates/times available, languages offered, and much more. The information input into the Partner Portal is then used by assessors at the host agency to build a list of referrals that go into a client’s Settlement Plan. The Partner Portal allows users to see referral details when a client is referred to them. IRCC-funded agencies have the additional opportunity to use the “Elevated View” feature, which allows clients’ Primary Service Providers to see much more information related to the client’s profile.
The host organization performing the WE Value Settlement Assessment claims the service under NAARS with IRCC. We understand that some organizations receiving referrals for ongoing service may also have to claim for NAARS and will proceed with their assessments service as well. Since WE Value is funded under IRCC’s Service Delivery Improvement stream, it is a different pot of funding from other services, so there is no risk of “double claiming” for organizations funded to do NAARs. The information provided through the WE Value Settlement Assessment is standardized, holistic and designed to lessen the burden on the client to retell their story, and it can be used to facilitate the intake process, including when a referred organization performs their own NAARs.
The K2 Pathway to Settlement system and WE Value Partner Portal do have the ability to share various levels of information with organizations. Affiliated Partners will see basic client information like name, age, and contact information as well as referral details like driving statements and actions. However, IRCC-funded affiliated partners who have been identified as a client’s Primary Service Provider will have the opportunity to benefit from the “Elevated View” experience, which allows for a higher level of detail with clients’ consent. Client consent is required to share any of the following components: assessment responses, summary of capacities, overall client profile and complete referrals list.
Each organization has their own Partner Portal account, which can be accessed by multiple “users”. While some organizations prefer to have only one staff member managing their Partner Portal account, other organizations want all their staff members trained so they can each access the shared account. Occasionally, a large organization may have multiple accounts for different departments—for example, a municipal government like the City of Windsor may have separate accounts for the separate departments of Recreation & Culture and Employment & Training. However, in most cases, these departments would be differentiated as separate “programs” under a single organization’s account.
The WE Value ecosystem is most effective when all organizations participate by regularly checking their referrals. However, it is possible to have a Partner Portal account and simply ignore the referrals if your organization does not have the capacity to manage or follow-up on them. By default, organizations in the Partner Portal will have access to any referrals made to them, but referral notifications can be turned off and, upon special request, referral visibility can be removed entirely by a K2 administrator.
Elevated View is a new experience available to IRCC-funded organizations using the Partner Portal. It is established between a consenting client and a participating IRCC-funded organization after the Settlement Plan/NAARs is completed, if that organization is identified as the client’s Primary Service Provider for ongoing services. It grants the Primary Service Provider organization access to comprehensive client information through the Partner Portal. In addition to the basic client information and referral details Affiliated Partners can already see in the Partner Portal, clients can select one or more of any of the following types of information to share with a Primary Service Provider: assessment responses, summary of capacities, overall client profile and complete referrals list.
This new collaborative method of service delivery will help us to assess effective approaches to client file sharing to facilitate service coordination. We hope that it encourages transparency, enhances staff decision-making and processes, reduces complexity for clients and communication between agencies, and produce better outcomes for all.
Elevated View will provide opportunities for deeper collaboration and coordination among IRCC-funded organizations by enabling secure digital sharing of essential client details. For clients, and front-line staff, we hope that this streamlines intake processes, enhances overall service coordination, and that it reduces the need for clients to re-tell their stories to their primary service providers post WE Value initial assessment.
Unfortunately, we don’t currently have the ability for Partner Portal users to refer to other organizations. We recommend using the User Comment section to explain that it may not be an accurate referral or request more information on what the client is looking for.
If you feel that the referral is not appropriate because of the action(s) and/or driving statement(s) included, it’s important to remember that often more than one referral is made based on a single action, so it is possible that another, more appropriate referral was made. Additionally, there may also be cases where an assessor wants to make a referral to an organization but the actions available to choose from in our system don’t necessarily reflect the specific goals a client has.
Host Organization Staff
A WE Value host organization is a settlement service provider that offers the WE Value Settlement Assessment service. Host organization staff are trained to use the K2 Pathway to Settlement System to offer these services. Unless they partner with a third-party agency to steward community engagement, a host organization also recruits and maintains a network of affiliated partners to contribute to the Partner Portal through K2.
The K2 Pathway to Settlement System is a custom-designed web-based digital Client Management System that is built on the Salesforce platform. K2 allows host organization staff to schedule, conduct, and evaluate assessments, develop comprehensive referral plans, generate and export iCare reports, and more. Within K2 are housed several different components: the WE Value Settlement Assessment Questionnaire and Referral Builder; the Partner Portal; the Client Portal.
The WE Value Settlement Assessment is the name of the direct service provided to clients which includes a holistic, capacity-focused Needs and Assets Assessment that is tailored to each individual client, as well as the creation of a Settlement Plan with referrals.
HOLISTIC – The settlement assessment draws from a library of 180+ questions covering 75 indicators of settlement across 14 categories and 5 social determinants of health. The assessment was validated by 7 settlement service providers and 16 mainstream agencies and has undergone and ethics review. This means that host organizations can capture a full picture of a client’s assets, capacities, and needs and ensure they are getting all the referrals they need.
CAPACITY-FOCUSED – While some assessments only cover a client’s immediate needs, our assessment also captures a client’s assets and capacities. We recognize that newcomers arrive with skills, capacities, and assets beyond just their employment education history: we want to break of away from traditional definitions and perceptions and look at a broader understanding of Capacities and Assets. Of the 14 categories and 74 indicators of settlement we capture through the assessment, we code responses under key capacities: motivation, knowledge, skills, resilience, values, support structures, safety and access (to services and resources), and more. For example, a client who has limited traditional skills may demonstrate high levels of motivation and resilience – and our assessment ensures that those assets are captured and included in a client’s profile.
After the assessment, an “assets and capacities list” is produced that can both be empowering for the client and support us in making referrals and developing settlement plans with their long-term goals in mind.
TAILORED ASSESSMENTS – While our questionnaire library includes 180+ possible questions, clients are typically only asked about 90 questions. The K2 Pathway to Settlement System, the digital client management system which houses the assessment, gives us the ability to use skip logic and data mapping to customize the assessment to each client. This means clients will only be asked questions appropriate to their situation. For example, if a client responds that they have no dependents, the system will skip questions related to their childcare needs. However, if they respond that they have not found permanent housing, it may branch out to reveal questions related to their housing needs. This customized approach means that clients are getting the best experience possible when addressing their unique situation.
The assessment questionnaire and referral builder are hosted on the K2 Pathway to Settlement System which uses real-time information about programs and services offered regionally and connects clients to service provider organizations, who receive referral details through a Partner Portal. This collective impact approach means less confusion, more confidence and increased self-worth through streamlined experiences, fruitful community connections and a customized settlement plan. It will also lead to more opportunities to use assets, skills, talents and gifts while adjusting to a happy, safe, confident life as community members.
This depends on which WE Value host organization is offering the Assessment. Since the assessment is offered as part of a Service Delivery Improvement project funded by Immigration Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, it is available to all IRCC-eligible clients. That means, anyone who is a permanent resident; protected person, convention refugee. However, different organizations may choose to offer the service to other clients as well. It is best to verify this with your project coordinator or manager directly to find out how your organization will handle eligibility.
Depending on the client’s answers, an assessment will typically take about 1-2 hours. Overall, there are 180 questions in our library but on average a client answers 90 questions. Technically speaking, the assessment could take a little as thirty minutes, but assessments often involve a lot of conversation, with questions serving as discussion topics.
No. However, we do believe that the most suitable clients for the post-arrival WE Value Settlement Assessment are newcomers that have little to no previous access to settlement services and who are brand new to the community (3-5 months).
Clients may be referred to a WE Value Settlement Assessment through multiple channels: IRCC-funded partners, community organizations, word of mouth or self-referral. In all cases, the client is assessed and then referred to the primary settlement agency that will best support their needs. This is true in all cases including those where the host organization may not be the centralized service provider.
Yes. While the system cannot automatically upload to iCare, the Host Organization will claim the services (including client’s needs and referrals) they provide using the intuitive iCARE Bulk Uploader feature built directly in K2. This will create a file which can then be uploaded into iCARE.
Client Portal
The Client Portal is a mobile-friendly browser-based application that will give newcomer clients who have received their WE Value Settlement Assessment access to their own profile within the K2 system. They can view an interactive digital version of their settlement plan, browse through other services, and access a multitude of resources. The Client Portal is part of an exciting IRCC-funded Service Delivery Improvement pilot project that is currently in the testing stage in Windsor, Leamington, and Ottawa, so is not available to all clients.
At the time of the initial launch of the application (Summer 2023), the project will be in a testing phase, meaning some clients will have access to The Client Portal, and some will not. This will allow us to track and measure the effectiveness of the app by comparing both groups. Apart from some pre-arrival clients recruited to test the application through the YMCA of the National Capital Region, only clients who have had a WE Value Settlement Assessment will be eligible to use The Client Portal. These clients will be selected by the settlement staff on a volunteer basis, after assessing their basic digital literacy skills.
No, not through the app. The Client Portal app can be used to message a settlement advisor at the host organization or an Artificial Intelligence “virtual assistant” to help answer any questions a user may have about their settlement journey. However, the app will include contact information for all organizations including email and phone where available.
Newcomer clients who use The Client Portal app are not given priority by service providers. However, the Client Portal app is designed to give newcomer clients all the information they need at their fingertips. This includes a “Request a Referral” feature which will notify their settlement advisor to send a referral for a service or activity, making it easier to connect with services they would like to use. It is our hope that the Client Portal app will make it faster and easier to access services.
Each individual person who is eligible for IRCC funded services can receive their own Assessment and The Client Portal.
At the current time, the minimum age to use The Client Portal is 18, as this is a research project and requires consent to participate. We recommend contacting your local WE Value host organization directly for more information on Client Portal eligibility.
Clients
Not all referrals are made to organizations who can see client referrals in our system. If an organization has not contacted you directly, try to connect with them using the contact information in your settlement plan or Client Portal, as applicable. You may also consider contacting your settlement assessor for support or an alternative referral.
All client’s personal information is collected and protected under government standards in accordance with Canada’s Privacy Act. We collect clients’ information to understand and meet their needs and improve available programs.
Clients can choose whether or not to share their personal information at any time by contacting the host organization where they received their assessment.
This depends on which WE Value host organization is offering the Assessment. Since the assessment is offered as part of a Service Delivery Improvement project funded by Immigration Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, it is available to all IRCC-eligible clients. That means, anyone who is a permanent resident; protected person, convention refugee. However, different organizations may choose to offer the service to other clients as well. It is best to verify this with your project coordinator or manager directly to find out how your organization will handle eligibility.
14 years is the minimum age to have a WE Value Assessment.
Depending on the client’s answers, an assessment will typically take about 1-2 hours. Overall, there are 180 questions in our library but on average a client answers 90 questions. Technically speaking, the assessment could take a little as thirty minutes, but assessments often involve a lot of conversation, with questions serving as discussion topics.
While the WE Value Settlement Assessment is available to newcomers 14 years or older, the Assessment asks participants a series of questions about themselves and their family members, including dependents, to better understand the priorities and desire goals, resources, information and support required. The questions cover various topics, such as accessing community and government services, learning about life in Canada, parenting, and family support, digital skills, finding education and access to children and youth related services and programs, access to health care and more.
Yes, during the assessment, you can discuss your preferences and specific needs with the assessor. They will work with you to find the most suitable services and organizations that align with your settlement goals.
The WE Value Partnership values client feedback. You can share your experience or provide feedback directly with the host organization where you received your assessment. They will use your feedback to improve their services and the overall WE Value Partnership experience.
Yes, the WE Value Assessment aims to provide assessments in multiple languages to accommodate clients’ needs and preferences. Host organizations strive to offer assessments in various languages to ensure effective communication and understanding.
The wevalue.ca website is the primary source for information about the WE Value Partnership and its ongoing initiatives. The site may include updates, resources, and archived presentations and reports.
Data & Privacy
The K2 System uses the Salesforce Platform with physical servers in Canada. All organizations use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Single Sign On.
Additionally, the system is protected by Salesforce’s various security measures which are among the most advanced in internet security technology today. These include Secure Socket Layer technology (SSL), using server authentication and data encryption, firewalls, and more. To learn more about the features provided by Salesforce, view their Privacy Statement, Data Privacy overview, Security Guide.
IRCC sets the minimum requirement for how long a client file must be kept by a service provider. Currently, that minimum is seven years. As an existing service provider, the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario adheres to all privacy, confidentiality, and security standards set out by IRCC. With the implementation of the WE Value project; we are deepening those commitments by adding new measures in each of those areas.
With individual client consent, referral-specific data can be shared with service providers to support service delivery. The WE Value Partnership is able to aggregate, anonymize, and analyze data to support program and service development to align with emerging and ongoing client assets and needs. Trends and observations on this aggregated data are included in reports and data dissemination presentations to support decision-making in the community.
