Sectors:
- Governance, Partnerships and Organizational Development
Countries:
- Canada
In 2019, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) CA$ 300Mn Sustainable Affordable Housing Initiative (SAH) was launched to improve the energy efficiency and affordability of new and existing affordable housing units. To address barriers experienced by affordable housing providers (herein ‘providers’) and support providers to plan for and undertake deep energy retrofits, as well as to support them in accessing funding offered by the SAH and other similar funds, a two-year Regional Energy Coaches (REC) Pilot Program was launched, co-funded by the Community Housing Transformation Centre (the Center) and the FCM. In addition to the Center, the program is also delivered in partnership with British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada). Through the program, RECs provide support to municipal and non-profit housing providers as well as co-ops through three lines of services, namely coaching, the identification and evaluation of feasibility of energy-efficient retrofits, and assistance in applying for and accessing funding opportunities.
The evaluation aimed to learn from the experiences of the REC Program’s first year and provide a basis for course correction, while informing the possible extension and scaling of the Program. The Evaluation Team adopted a tailored, multi-faceted methodological approach for undertaking this multi-dimensional evaluation, comprising the following: (a) Formative and Outcome Evaluation; (b) Utilization-Focused Evaluation; and (c) Participatory Approach. Data collection methods included a desk review and interviews with 28 stakeholders, including FCM staff, RECs, partner organizations and providers. A consultative meeting was held with RECs and FCM staff to discuss preliminary findings, with insights integrated into the draft and then final evaluation reports. A final presentation was also delivered to present findings, recommendations, and provide space for questions and discussion surrounding the evaluation.