NSN4SC Evaluation Report
Prepared for Nova Scotia GovLab and Inspiring Communities February 2022
Prepared by Horizons Community Development Associates Inc.
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Table Of Contents Nova Scotia Network for Social Change...........................................................................................1 Project Changes Over Time ........................................................................................................3 About This Evaluation..........................................................................................................................5 Report Structure..........................................................................................................................6 Findings: Partnership and Relationship Development....................................................................7 Findings: Inclusion of Diverse Voices and Perspectives in the Network......................................9 Findings: Understanding the Intersections between Aging and Racism, Colonialism and Oppression..................................................................................................................................11 Findings: Understanding Population Aging and Social Innovation.............................................13 Findings: Understanding the Gaps in Services/Supports and Opportunities for Policy Influence............................................................................................................................15 Findings: Understanding the Conditions for Transformative Systems Change.........................16 Findings: For Partners Engaged in Prototyping.............................................................................17 Progress Towards Outcomes............................................................................................................18 Considerations as the Project Ends................................................................................................20 Appendix A: Outputs and Activity....................................................................................................21
NSN4SC Evaluation Report
Nova Scotia Network for Social Change The Nova Scotia Network for Social Change (NSN4SC) is a partnership of NS GovLab and Inspiring Communities, funded for three years by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The NSN4SC’s purpose has been to broaden the collective reach of the partnership and create opportunities and value for Nova Scotians by integrating their community networks and public sector social innovation foci. The NSN4SC has focused on learning about and identifying the challenges faced by the province’s aging population and on deepening capacity in social innovation skills and approaches within the social innovation lab process and in community. Specifically, over the life of the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) funded project, the NSN4SC was intended to: •
Use experimentation to develop a deeper understanding of population aging in Nova Scotia;
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Identify gaps in current services and approaches;
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Build a diverse network of engaged and connected social innovators by working with partners in new ways to improve services, programs, and policies directed at Nova Scotia's aging population; and
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Create new multi-sectoral partnerships to build and test potential solutions to improving aging in place while staying connected to community and creating connections across generations and cultures to build resilient communities.
The NSN4SC’s theory of change identified that connecting social innovators across Nova Scotia to learn and apply social innovation lab tools, methods and approaches with their work would ideally yield a more sustainable, adaptive, and resilient ecosystem of social innovators, as well as potential solutions for an aging population. In addition, it identified that working with the people directly impacted by the issues, as well as those working directly with communities and older adults, and using human-centred design approaches could provide timely and relevant input and feedback to inform this work.
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The NSN4SC’s theory of change also indicates that social innovation networks comprised of members from diverse communities and government stakeholders will broaden the organizations’ reach and create value for Nova Scotians. By integrating knowledge of social innovation with the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors, the Network’s collective purpose has been to focus on seizing the opportunities that an aging population presents. As Nova Scotia grapples with issues including housing insecurity, food insecurity, transportation, and systemic racism and discrimination, in the context of an aging population, the NSN4SC has worked to provide a collaborative and supportive ‘space’ to learn, experiment, and partner to test and find solutions to these complex, multi-layered and paradoxical issues in an inclusive way. The NSN4SC’s logic model delineated the three major components of the initiative: •
Understanding aging in Nova Scotia;
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Network of social innovators; and
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Building and testing solutions via partnerships.
Specific project objectives included:
Understanding Aging in Nova Scotia
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Nova Scotia’s Innovation Network share diverse learnings about population aging in Nova Scotia, including gaps and successes in services and approaches, which are available to the public.
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Network members develop a deepened understanding of the impacts of population aging in Nova Scotia.
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Social Innovation Network members identify potential areas to deepen individual and collective understanding of shifting demographics and population aging through the development of the experimentation and prototyping.
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Social Innovation Network members understand the gaps and facilitators of success in current services and approaches.
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Nova Scotia’s Social Innovation Network co-create a rich and contextual understanding of population aging that is publicly accessible and can be leveraged by anyone wanting to undertake social innovation work.
NSN4SC Evaluation Report
Network of Social Innovators •
Increase awareness and capacity for social innovation work in Nova Scotia.
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Co-create a collective and multi-faceted understanding of Nova Scotia’s aging population.
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Network members work with unlikely partners to generate new prototypes.
Building and Testing Solutions Via Partnerships •
Develop a multi-sectoral, diverse, cross-cultural, and intergenerational Social Innovators Network in Nova Scotia.
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Develop experiments and prototypes to better understand the conditions needed to age-in-place while staying connected to community, as well as building resilient communities comprised of intergenerational and cross-cultural connections.
Higher fidelity prototypes adopted in different communities to test for their scalability and for learning and integration.
Significant Project Changes Over Time Explicit integration of decolonial and anti-racist approaches to Social Innovation work Drawing on the learnings from its cohort programs, NS GovLab noticed fairly early that the people, issues, challenges and voices centred in the Lab’s work were overwhelmingly white, Western, and euro-centric; increasing the likelihood or reproducing status quo thinking. Although attempts to include diverse participants including more Indigenous and African Nova Scotian (ANS) participants were made, the voices and experiences at the centre of the work on population aging remained fairly static; very few Indigenous or African Nova Scotians participants came forward to participate. Responding to this realization, the Lab and NSN4SC staff began a process together of learning and unlearning about anti-racist and decolonial practice with a group called Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF). GTDF is an arts/research collective that uses its website and collaborative research partnerships as a workspace for creating and sharing different kinds of artistic, pedagogical, cartographic, and relational experiments that aim to identify and de-activate colonial habits of being, so that we might open up the capacity to ‘gesture’ towards the possibility of something different, something transformative and a decolonial future.
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At the same time this learning was happening, the NS GovLab took the opportunity to advocate with the Province of Nova Scotia for a shift in its core mandate and focus towards decolonial social innovation practice, so that purposeful space could be created to build this work well. This process led to a re-focus of this work on African Nova Scotian seniors, urban Indigenous Elders and seniors and rural seniors, and resulted in increased engagement with these communities on issues related to aging-in-place, social connection, and social innovation. In the NSN4SC’s second year, consistent with the shift in NS GovLab’s focus, the project made a deliberate shift in its approach and work based on the ongoing relationship and involvement in Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) collective. Since then, project and Lab staff have used GTDF’s multi-layered practices to work on expanding capacity for sitting with the complexity, discomforts, violence and harms of colonialism and racism, so that those engaged in the Network might begin to imagine new ways – ways that extend beyond systemic racism and colonial mindsets to relate to one another and create pathways to decolonial practice. NS GovLab and NSN4SC staff, a small number of Network members and other partners from the collective have worked to create a number of social cartographies to support the work on population aging using decolonial practice. These cartographies are used to engage in conversation and reflection by using art, storytelling and visualization so that people can examine, and explore a deeper understanding of the disparities, racism and violence in our current systems.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact the NSN4SC’s work these past two years. Physical workspaces alternated between closure and limited usage, meetings and events were postponed, cancelled or shifted to an online format. In particular, given the focus of this project in working with older Nova Scotians, Black and Indigenous Elders and communities, extra care and precaution around COVID-19 protocols were implemented. In addition, individuals, organizations, and communities continued to feel the burden of worry of the unknown.
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NSN4SC Evaluation Report
About This Evaluation This evaluation is a culmination of year 2 and 3 of the ESDC funded project. When entering this final evaluation process, the overall evaluation plan was reviewed and updates were made to the data collection instruments. The data collection instruments reflected the objectives of the project, as well as the changes to the NSN4SC’s work in integrating decolonial and anti-racist practices and approaches. Data collection methods for this evaluation included:
Method
Source & Participants
Review of NS GovLab and NSN4SC documents
Project staff/Project Documents
Key informant interviews with Network members and event participants, project partners, and NSN4SC and GovLab staff
7 participants (13 invited)
Focus group with Inspiring Communities staff
2 staff (6 invited)
Document review work was carried out in Fall 2021. Key informant interviews and the focus group were held in January and February 2022. This report also draws on the NSN4SC project’s wrap-up learning sessions that were held with people involved in the Network and/or its events. A list of project activities is included in Appendix A. Qualitative methods provide rich and valuable insight into peoples’ views and reflections on their experiences. However, the results are not intended to be generalized or quantified. Furthermore, the views expressed and ideas shared predominantly represent the insights of those most closely involved in the project. Therefore, the findings of this evaluation are relevant for the context in which they are situated and should not be generalized beyond this experience.
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Report Structure The next section reports on the findings of the evaluation, drawing on the data collection methods described above. A brief progress towards the identified outcomes is also included. This report ends with considerations for future work following the completion of this project.
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Findings: Partnership and Relationship Development Evaluation participants were asked how the relationship and partnership between themselves or their organizations and the Nova Scotia GovLab and NSN4SC project developed and evolved over time. Most evaluation participants discussed the NSN4SC’s shift ‘in mandate’ and its focus on decolonial and anti-racism practices in the work. Generally, they saw it as important and valuable work and the learning events associated with it as having a significant impact on them and their organizations going forward. Some participants reported that it will impact their hiring and onboarding practices. They identified it will change their approach to ‘who needs to be at the table’ at the beginning of a project, during discussions around issues, and who should take a leadership role. Evaluation participants cautioned that developing relationships that are built on trust take a significant amount of time and often do not fit into funding cycles. They emphasized this is ‘slow work’. Only when relationships are built on a strong foundation of trust can difficult, challenging conversations take place that do not shake or end the relationship - particularly those about responding in new ways to systemic racism and present-day colonialism. Most evaluation participants reported new relationships had developed because of this project. With the exception of those working to implement the project, participants reported these relationships were just beginning. The key relationships identified most often during the evaluation were: •
Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre;
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Association of Black Social Workers; and
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African Nova Scotian community members.
Most reported that they had hoped for a more fulsome partnership between Nova Scotia GovLab and the NSN4SC, including opportunities to share information and resources to move the issues of Nova Scotia’s aging population forward. Participants also discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of relationships and the impact of not being able to meet people in person to build trust for the majority of this project. This was a particular concern with communities that have not had a positive relationship and a historical relationship of distrust of government and government sponsored initiatives. These challenges in building trust when partners could not physically be together was further compounded by people’s limited access to and inexperience with online technologies. Some evaluation participants closest to the project, discussed the partnership between NS GovLab and Inspiring Communities, describing it as primarily transactional and that it hadn’t moved to a higher level of collaboration in the work, originally conceived in the beginning of the project.
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The document review reflected the significant work carried out by the project team and NS GovLab staff to learn and share decolonial practices and around their efforts to embed equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism in every facet of their work. Project documents, reflections and ongoing sense-making also demonstrated the core staff’s willingness to adapt and reflect the articulated needs of communities in the activities and work they approached. The review also highlighted concerns and tensions that arose when NS GovLab and the project staff at NSN4SC began working from and encouraging their partners to begin to incorporate decolonial and anti-racist approaches in their own work. For example, the review of project documents identified several instances where NS GovLab and NSN4SC staff were met by resistance, unwillingness and rejection by some partners within government and community organizations to consider doing things differently. Tensions emerged in the months following Black Lives Matter as individuals engaged in the partnership grappled with examining privilege and power dynamics in their own work. The difficulties around engaging in decolonial and anti-racist practice also presented while working with government partners. For example, when NS GovLab and NSN4SC staff offered learning sessions on decolonial practice, policy analysis using an equity-based lens and while attempting to develop a microgranting prototype initiative at the Department of Seniors; the approach and the need for it were challenged by a number of partners.
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Findings: Inclusion of Diverse Voices and Perspectives in the Network Evaluation participants were asked to what extent has the NSN4SC and NS GovLab included diverse voices and perspectives in their work on population aging. Evaluation participants identified that the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives had become explicit within the Network work, particularly with African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities. They reported an explicit intentionality in including and learning from equity-deserving yet marginalized communities. Participants reported that having a diverse staff team was important, and highlighted in particular, the work of Shelley Fashan, the Community Impact Coordinator. Her work in building connections and using her own social capital was foundational to the development of relationships with members of the African Nova Scotian community. Others identified the importance of the relationship with Elder Debbie Eisan and the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and the NS GovLab’s creation of the Network’s Elder Council for including diverse voices and perspectives. In addition, project documents and reflections from Network members highlighted the ways in which NS GovLab and NSN4SC project staff helped lead purposeful work to bring Elders and seniors in both communities together through network events and community prototyping initiatives. Some evaluation participants pointed out the importance of taking the time needed to build trust and create relationships. Others expressed concern that these relationships were in early stages and with the project funding ending, they wondered how this building of trust could continue or become established to continue working together. They identified that trust may be broken, and harm would ensue if plans were not in place to foster these connections beyond this funded project. Evaluation participants identified the online learning sessions Navigating Loss & Grief in the Time of Covid-19 and The Power of Connection Across Generations as two strong examples of the inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives. Others identified the profiles of seniors and Elders that were developed by NS GovLab and NSN4SC project staff and shared during the Province of Nova Scotia’s Seniors Week in the Fall of 2020 and 2021 as an important step forward in spotlighting the diversity of older community change-makers in Nova Scotia. The document review highlighted key learnings when engaging with and including diverse voices in learning sessions and/or prototyping work. In particular, the time to build the relationship and trust was identified as was the importance of being a good partner; one that brings truth, generosity, authenticity, accountability and reciprocity to their relationships. The Winter Drop-In sessions held at the end of this project for Network members and individuals who had participated in NSN4SC events identified a key paradox in partnership and trust building among diverse members:
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On the one hand, for many people, Networks are important as places to exchange ideas and information, to learn and to connect with those they might not otherwise meet. On the other hand, others revealed they felt a lack of connection and belonging in this work. There were some who expressed that they had hoped the Network might become a place where folks with the same passions and interests, could come together and execute tangible project-based work but felt tangible action never really transpired in this Network. More specifically, they felt they were not adequately engaged and expressed they felt there was a lack follow-up on good ideas that came forward from Network members. On the other hand, there was an overwhelming sense among most drop-in participants that conversation and shared learning within a Network is “the work” and is essential for developing a foundation and basis for shared projects, tangible, and direct action in communities. For these participants, networking is an avenue to seek out and make connections and networks can be an important place to work towards a foundation that is needed to collaborate.1 Some drop-in participants also reflected that their involvement had enhanced their capacity to listen and hear in new ways and opened them to new ways of thinking and doing their work and living their lives. This included learning and unlearning about racism and sitting with their own privileges and complicity in the harm of Black and Indigenous Peoples.
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NSN4SC Evaluation Report
Findings: Understanding the Intersections between Aging and Racism, Colonialism and Oppression Evaluation participants were asked how and in what ways have the NSN4SC and NS GovLab worked to build understanding about intersections between aging, racism, colonialism, and oppression. Evaluation participants most engaged in the work of the Network reported that understanding that people have intersectional identifies and experiences, listening to first voice and learning about the kinds of racism, sexism, discrimination people experience, and its influence on our systems has increased their understanding of the intersection and complex layering of these elements. Other evaluation participants reported that they felt intersectionality was the focus of the work taking place, including through learning sessions, workshops and through storytelling and first voice sharing. They reported they believe this work constitutes the early steps of a much longer journey but identified a commitment to make change and to continue to learn. Some folks described this work as planting seeds- seeing how ideas may grow and change in different ways. One participant described the process as one of deconstructing and reconstructing - a different way of thinking about assumptions and what one brings to the table. When asked about the effectiveness, evaluation participants said that to be effective (with a system), intersectionality must be at the centre of discussions regarding the aging population. Policies cannot be one-size-fits-all nor traumatize or hurt a community. In terms of the NSN4SC and its effectiveness in this area, evaluation participants identified that the learning sessions and partnership building work, including the prototyping work have really just scratched the surface. Most participants felt that there is still a significant amount of understanding to be developed and a need for improved capacity and stamina for sitting with the levels of complexity that decolonial and anti-racist practice take. There was also a recognition of the need to go much deeper on questions about modernity, who it benefits and what alternative responses or systems might be possible if we are to have a lasting impact or decolonize. Evaluation participants implementing the project work reported that to address the intersection between aging, racism, colonialism, and oppression, did the following with intention: •
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Changed the types of prototypes undertaken and, tuning into listening for intersections and systemic challenges that might be possible to address with policy and transformative systems change;
Winter Drop-In Summary. The NSN4SC Project - Winter Drop-In (google.com)
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Adjusted the kinds of sessions, the people invited as speakers, and the focus of the learning sessions offered;
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Worked with different mediums for conveying meaning – including the importance of storytelling, metaphor and artistic expression. This was a deliberate and intentionally move away from written forms of meaning making that are expressive manifestations of a modern/colonial system;
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Ensured that the stories shared by the project included purposeful elements designed to highlight intersectional identities and complexity;
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Engaged in their own personal learning and unlearning about the impacts of colonialism in order to develop the skills and capacities to recognize the multiple challenges faced by marginalized and equity-deserving communities;
In turn the end of project Winter Gathering with Indigenous and African Nova Scotian Elders reflected that group’s gratitude for the NS GovLab and Nova Scotia Network for Social Change team’s capacity to understand the wisdom of Elders and seniors. There was a recognition of the importance of the team’s capacity to understand the different ways that Indigenous Elders help make sense of the world around us and the distinction between teaching and the kind of sharing of wisdom and knowledge that is offered by Indigenous Elders. They reported that this way of working allows for social change-work to remain community-centered and to continue to center first-voice stories and experiences. In addition, the final Winter Drop-In and Gathering sessions held for Network members and individuals who had participated in NSN4SC events reflected back to the project team that the social cartographies had helped them understand how decolonial practice, diversity, equity and inclusion has been embedded into the work to different degrees. Participants also reflected that this work had had an impact on them and would influence their own work and that of their organizations.
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Findings: Understanding Population Aging and Social Innovation Evaluation participants were asked whether the project and their relationships, partnerships and connections within the network, have helped shape their understanding of the issues facing Nova Scotia’s aging population and/or social innovation in the aging space. Most participants reported that their understanding of the issues facing the province’s aging population had changed. They specified the learning sessions, meetings with the Elder Council, learning about Eldership, and the social cartographies developed by NS GovLab and NSN4SC staff as key turning points in their learning. Some reported their understanding had shifted completely and/or changed them as an individual. The document review identified that the learning opportunities created and delivered deepened both the project team’s and stakeholders’ understanding of population aging and intersectionality. The review of project documents also highlighted the project team’s work to share this learning and information within the Department of Seniors and with Inspiring Communities staff, as well as the challenges in getting others to open up to new ways of understanding and engaging around difficult topics like the intersection of ageism, colonialism and racism. The Winter Gathering with Indigenous and African Nova Scotian Elders was also a place of reflection on population aging and social innovation. During those sessions, Evaluators heard about the importance of knowing the history of our ancestors, as we stand on their shoulders and all those who have come before us. Evaluators also heard about how Elders are the backbones of African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities. That they are treasure chests full of knowledge, who want to share their knowledge in African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities and beyond. The Winter Drop-In sessions held for Network members and individuals who had participated in NSN4SC events reported that the concept of ‘aging well’ is different for different groups and cultures .The definition needs to expand beyond the narrow, western and modernity informed ways in which it is currently defined, as aging in good physical health. Session participants highlighted the need for the concepts of being a good Elder and good ancestor to be included in changing definitions of what “aging well” really means. The group also discussed the current challenges within the system, particularly the long-term care sector, and the traditional definition of aging well. Participants in these drop-ins also discussed other changes and realizations about the benefits of social innovation and working with emergence. In particular, they shared that their involvement with NS GovLab and NSN4SC has helped them reconsider how they think about executing work in complex spaces:
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…how they are conditioned to engage in linear thinking because project-based work is often geared from the outset to work towards outcomes and goals that are pre-determined and that our systems have programmed us to identify and follow through on an end goal. Some people described their experience with the Network and NS GovLab as creating space for stepping outside of these patterns and paradigms and described their interactions as freeing and unencumbered by a linear goal pursuit as an expectation. They talked about the Network and Lab as a space where needs and learnings are surfaced and uncovered to allow for and inform changes in direction or focus within the project itself. They also shared about the corresponding challenges and “rough waters” of learning to work in a more emergent way when systems they work in, or for, still demand linear goal and outcome setting. 2
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Findings: Understanding the Gaps in Services/ Supports and Opportunities for Policy Influence Evaluation participants were asked whether they had been engaged in or participated in work that seeks to understand the gaps in services and support for older persons and/or involved in trying to influence policy or systems change within Nova Scotia on the basis of this work. Some evaluation participants reported that their learning about decolonial practice with GTDF had completely shifted their understanding about gaps in services and supports and the ways in which filling needs while necessary in one respect also helps hold the current systems of inequity in place and status quo. They also reported significant learning about aging individually and with their coworkers. An evaluation participant described the impact of the decolonial practice work as awakening the realization of a need to consider and build stamina for ongoing (colonialism and racism) and the upcoming crises ( like climate change, geopolitical instability, and other existential threats to humanity and planetary life) rather than looking to the false promises of an ailing modernity and its ailing economic, social and political systems. Some participants reported that they are holding discussions with colleagues and/or board members regarding gaps in services with a different lens – based on their learnings - and actively working to include diverse voices in those discussions. Another participant reported they will be updating their hiring and human resource policies and process to be more inclusive. One participant reflected that there are many programs and services available for seniors (more than the NS GovLab cohort participants from the initial years of the project perhaps realized), however, more real engagement is needed with seniors to truly understand their experience and needs. The document review identified specific instances of the project working to influence policy at multiple levels including: presentations on systemic challenges to the Minister of Seniors; working at crossdepartmental Deputy Minister’s tables to share learnings from community prototyping on digital equity and inclusion for ANS and Indigenous seniors; policy whispering and conversations with other policy analysts within the Government of NS to bring forward intelligence and key issues related to the learnings from NSN4SC events; testing new legal agreements with community partners to enable emergent prototyping work in a government grant-making context; the attempted development of a microgrant program within the Department of Seniors; and working with Inspiring Committees on their own internal policies. The $50,000 microgrant program reflected three major differences from a typical government grant agreement:
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No assertion of ownership rights
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Community driven
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Structured to allow for learning/evolution
Winter Drop-In Summary. The NSN4SC Project - Winter Drop-In (google.com)
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Findings: Understanding the Conditions for Transformative Systems Change Evaluation participants were asked, based on their experience, what conditions need to be in place to achieve transformative systems change. Evaluation participants focused their responses to this question on key principles to achieve change. They discussed the importance of being open and transparent about their intentions and about the importance of ‘showing up’ in order to be in relationship with communities and work alongside them. They identified that having the ability to have hard conversations without relationships falling apart is critical and that not being reactive in un-generative ways to challenges facilitates transformative change work. Participants identified key skills that are needed to work toward transformative system change are: •
Listening
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Self-reflection and hyper-reflexivity
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Stamina
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Accountability for self and to each other
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Able to discern where people are in their own journey around anti-racist and decolonial practice and to work with that, rather than against it
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Vulnerability and openness (at an individual and societal level)
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Willing to let others lead and ability to decentre one’s self and self-importance.
Participants also identified the need for resources, that are not attached to a funding cycle, the ability to have the scope to do the work needed, space and time, and the human resources to build relationships and trust, and to gather and retell stories that can inspire, inform and gesture towards change. They also indicated the importance of moving beyond providing information about inequities and awareness raising and the importance of doing tangible work together to build the type of relationships needed for systems change. The winter drop-in sessions held for Network members and individuals who had participated in NSN4SC events identified that the team’s Beach Cartography was useful in understanding the layers involved in change-making and how NS GovLab and the NSN4SC have been working towards make change, whether those changes are incremental or softer reforms to those with a broader systems focused. Some participants in the drop-in sessions also shared that the idea of going deeper and working towards what may be currently unimaginable does not resonate for them. There was resistance to the descriptions of the types of reform needed and resistance to the idea that we need different ways of working for systems transformation
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Findings: For Partners Engaged in Prototyping Evaluation participants were asked to what extent has NS GovLab and NSN4SC experimentation and prototyping helped:
a) the system better understand the conditions needed to age-in-place while staying connected to community;
b) to build resilient communities comprised of intergenerational connections; and/or
c) to build resilient communities comprised of cross-cultural connections.
Evaluation participants generally reported that this project had made a start in these areas and was on the path. They reported that the ability to be human centred and self-reflective is important to engage in this work. One participant spoke about the need to be in relationships of reciprocity, receiving gifts and teachings and understanding what you can contribute back as key to this work. Other evaluation participants also expressed concern about how prototyping might be supported going forward and how the network or relationships that have started to form can be sustained. The participants that discussed the importance of building resilient communities, comprised of crosscultural connections, reported that NS GovLab and NSN4SC’s work to bring together African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities created a space for sharing, while one participant who was not directly involved in the work, felt that the project’s framework was not cross-cultural, and the design didn’t support this end. Evaluation participants were also asked to what extent they felt these prototypes have enabled deeper learning around the intersections between diversity, equity, inclusion and decolonial practice. A few evaluation participants reflected that they had developed a new understanding of these issues that hadn’t existed previously. The project allowed for constant learning and never doing the same thing twice. A participant reported that deeper learning happened if Network members were open to it. Another participant questioned the funding model and whether there was accountability on their part to truly achieve this work. On a related point, some evaluation participants reflected on government’s commitment to the complex issues of aging at home and supporting communities – and understanding that the solutions are not simple. The document review reflected the changes made in the prototyping process and the intentional move to work with African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities. Documents identify the struggle to share the concept of prototyping, finding the specific prototyping idea, and working collaboratively, to testing, all within a in a decolonial framework. The review also identified discussions as to how to honour the time people have to give to the work and make best use of their time and skills.
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Winter Drop-In Summary. The NSN4SC Project - Winter Drop-In (google.com)
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Progress Towards Outcomes The table below outlines the short and intermediate term outcomes identified from the original NSN4SC project plan. Based on the evaluation findings and the Evaluator’s understanding of the project, progress has been made in the following areas.
Short Term Outcomes
Progress
Understanding Aging in Nova Scotia NSN4SC will have diverse learnings about population aging in Nova Scotia, including gaps and successes in services and approaches, which are available to the public. Network members develop a deepened understanding of the impacts of population aging in Nova Scotia. NSN4SC members identify potential areas to deepen individual and collective understanding of shifting demographics and population aging through the development of the experimentation and prototyping. NSN4SC members understand the gaps and facilitators of success in current services and approaches NSN4SC will have a rich and contextual understanding of population aging that is publicly accessible and can be leveraged by anyone wanting to undertake social innovation work. Network of Social Innovators Increased awareness and capacity for social innovation work in Nova Scotia. A collective and multi-faceted understanding of Nova Scotia’s aging population. Network members work with unlikely partners to generate new prototypes (more diverse, cross-cultural and intergenerational connections).
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Progress
Building and Testing Solutions Via Partnerships Development of a multi-sectoral, diverse, cross-cultural and intergenerational social innovators network in Nova Scotia. Development of experiments and prototypes to better understand the conditions needed to age in place, stay connected to community, building resilient communities, and intergenerational and cross-cultural connections. High fidelity prototypes are adopted in different communities to test for scale for learning and integration.
Progress towards this outcome Progress towards this outcome
Early progress
Intermediate Outcomes Nova Scotia will have a diverse and established network of social innovators to learn from and collaborate with to influence change in programs, services and polices re NS’s aging population
Progress towards this outcome
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Considerations as the Project Ends The following considerations or seeds are offered as the project funding ends and the opportunity for continued work may occur through NS GovLab, in its new home within government. •
Maintain the relationships with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and the Association of Black Social Workers as well as elders in Guysborough, NS.
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Continue to build capacity for decolonial approaches within government, within social innovation and public sector innovation and within future NS GovLab and Inspiring Communities projects.
From the project’s winter gathering as the project wound down, the following ‘seeds’ were gathered for consideration as work like this continues with communities:
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Empowerment of Elders as the backbone of communities is important and needed
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First voice stories are important and must be the starting place
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Spiritual well-being must not be forgotten as it is central to overall well-being
NSN4SC Evaluation Report
Appendix A: Outputs and Activity Objective Area
Outputs and Activities
Use experimentation to develop a deeper understanding of population aging in NS (and related issues) Identify gaps in current services and approaches Deepen individual and collective understanding of shifting demographics and population aging through the development of the experimentation and prototyping
See report
Information around population aging publicly accessible
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Aug
Jan 2021
YouTube (17 Subscribers) – 10 videos •
The Power of Connections Across Generations
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Connecting Through the Arts: “In Season”
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Connecting Through the Arts: “Nursing Home, Mom and Me”
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Objective Area
Outputs and Activities •
Voices from the Community: The Unspoken Connections between Mental Health and Aging
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Catching Up with Co-Creation Garden: Aging In Place
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Catching Up with Co-Creation Garden: In My Shoes
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Exploring Eldership
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Elizabeth Cooke Sumbu
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Myla Borden
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Mary Desmond
Gaps and/or facilitating successes See report have been identified in current programs, services, and approaches in particular the gaps for older adults in BIPOC/rural/remote communities Information around population aging being leveraged/used to undertake social innovation work
See below
Objective 2: Build a diverse network of engaged and connected social innovators by working with partners in new ways to improve services, programs and policies directed at Nova Scotia’s aging population building a diverse network of engaged and connected social innovators -beyond representation of diverse bodies - by working with partners in new ways to improve services, programs and policies Network members working with unlikely partners to generate new protypes
See report
Ob3 – Development of a multi-sectoral, diverse, cross-cultural and intergenerational Social Innovation Community in Nova Scotia. Ob3 - Develop of experiments and prototypes to better understand the conditions needed to age in place while staying connected to community as well as building resilient communities comprised of intergenerational and cross-cultural connections
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NSN4SC Evaluation Report
Multi-sectoral, diverse, crossSee report cultural and intergenerational Social Innovation Network in Nova Scotia have been developed Experiments and prototypes been developed to: -
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better understand the conditions needed to age in place while staying connected to community build resilient communities comprised of intergenerational and crosscultural connections
Learning Gatherings (2021) •
The Power of Connections Across Generations
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Connecting Through the Arts: The Shell I’m In
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Connecting Through the Arts: “In Season”
•
Connecting Through the Arts: “Nursing Home, Mom and Me”
•
Voices from the Community: The Unspoken Connections between Mental Health and Aging
•
Catching Up with Co-Creation Garden: Aging In Place
•
Catching Up with Co-Creation Garden: In My Shoes
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Exploring Eldership
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Elizabeth Cooke Sumbu
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Myla Borden
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Celebrating Nova Scotian Changemaker: Mary Desmond
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Grief and Loss Through Black Eyes in the Time of Covid-19
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Explore. Connect. Share. A Network Open Space Conversation
Prototypes •
Digital Equity and Inclusion Prototype – Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and Association of Black Social Workers
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Aging in Place/Positive Aging Prototype
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$50,000 microgrant program
High fidelity prototypes adopted in Initial testing of prototypes completed with small groups in Nova Scotia’s communities to test community for scale and integration
NSN4SC Evaluation Report
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NSN4SC Evaluation Report