Program Overview

The government established a Transformation Secretariat to help achieve the province’s vision for integrated delivery of employment services.

The Secretariat leads the selection process and stewardship of the Integrated Employment Services model and ensures strategic alignment across ministries and service system managers, as well as close collaboration with service delivery partners and stakeholders.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) will continue to work closely together to support the delivery of IES.

The ministry developed a framework, supported by data, that considers and includes feedback from stakeholders that was gathered during initial vendor engagement in 2019. The 15 catchment areas for Integrated Employment Services (IES) are aligned with Statistics Canada, however, the ministry modified the Toronto Economic Region catchment area to address the complexity and density of Toronto and to sequence the IES model roll out to address this complexity. According to Statistics Canada, the Toronto Economic Region includes: Toronto, Peel, Halton, York and Durham. The ministry created 5 separate catchment areas from these parts of the broader Toronto Economic Region.

The Northern region was divided into two catchment areas to align with Statistics Canada economic regions. This also addressed the unique differences in the local population demographics and labour markets between the two catchments.

SSMs are selected through a two-stage competitive process. The ministry is aiming to attract high performing organizations with the expertise and capacity to oversee the planning, delivery, and design of employment services as SSMs.

The two-stage competitive process to select SSMs included:

Stage 1: Request for Qualification (RFQ)  

• RFQs are posted and are open to public, not-for-profit and private sector organizations, including Indigenous organizations, colleges, municipalities and for-profit providers.
• The RFQ communicates the principles, priorities, and delivery model objectives to potential organizations interested in competing as an SSM.
• The intent of the RFQ is to identify applicants interested in and capable of managing the delivery of employment services within the defined Catchment Areas.
• The RFQ submissions were assessed by the ministry to determine organizational experience, capacity, and willingness of the applicants to serve as a Service System Manager (SSM) and qualify them to further be invited to the Call for Proposal (CFP), the second stage of the competitive process.

Stage 2: CFP  

• In the second stage, CFP, only organizations that qualified through the RFQ were invited to submit proposals for the management and delivery of employment services.
• The objective of the CFP is to evaluate the applicant’s abilities to serve the specific catchment area they are applying to, including:
  • Improving client outcomes
  • Building and maintaining community partnerships
  • Serving inclusionary / specialized groups
  • Use of data and various service delivery channels
  • Value for money

Through RFQ as well as the Call for Proposal (CFP) process the participating applicants were invited to attend optional information sessions providing key highlights of the Employment Services Transformation and the competitive process. The applicants were able to submit questions after the information sessions. The responses were posted by the ministry to all the applicants in a form of addenda.

There are no constraints/limits around the number of catchments a single SSM can oversee.

Once SA programs transition or start transitioning to IES, employment supports and services previously delivered through SA offices will now be overseen by service system managers (SSMs) and delivered through Employment Ontario. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and SSMs work collectively during the planning and transition periods leading up to implementation of IES to support a smooth transition.

SSMs will develop a Transition Period Outcomes report in consultation with stakeholders in their communities, including service providers, representatives of specialized client groups, municipalities, and others. These plans build upon the submissions provided by SSMs through the Call for Proposal.

The Transition Period Outcome report from SSMs is based upon a detailed and evidence-based assessment of network capacity, local demand and service quality. As part of this process, SSMs are required to take into consideration local labour market data, as well as ministry data on client outcomes and service provider performance.

Through this process, SSMs need to further consult, develop, and outline their approach to service delivery including any innovative programs and service planning with specialized providers to meet local community needs. SSMs will also be able to consider any changes to the composition of their service delivery network.

During this period, transition is complete and service system managers (SSMs) will deliver IES to all clients. The SSMs will be permitted to make changes to their service provider networks and will be fully responsible for the design, planning and delivery of IES within their catchment areas.

SSMs will be required to monitor and manage the overall health and capacity of their service delivery footprint.

In addition, the use of the Common Assessment Tool (CAT) will be mandatory and the IES Performance Management Framework and Funding Model will come info effect.

Gift cards may be used in exceptional circumstances to address specific needs of clients who are facing barriers in reaching their employment goals. An exceptional circumstance includes, but is not limited to, clients that are facing immediate financial hardship and require the urgent purchase of resources. Decisions should always be based on value for money.

Service providers must obtain itemized receipts verifying that gift cards were used to purchase eligible items. All receipts must be retained in the client file.

In this case, service providers are encouraged to purchase the item for the client.

No, gift cards may not be used to reward clients for participating in Employment Ontario activities.

Gift cards for gas may be considered as a last resort if public transportation is not available, for example, in rural or remote communities. They should not be purchased in bulk and may not be purchased in denominations greater than $100. Receipts for gas cards must be retained, and if possible, receipts for the gas purchases should be obtained as well.

Service providers may use gift cards from these stores in exceptional circumstances and must ensure they obtain receipts verifying that gift cards were used to purchase eligible items. All receipts must be retained in the client file. However, the recommended approach would be for the service provider to purchase supports with their corporate account on behalf of the client.

No, gift cards should only be purchased as needed.

These gift cards may be used in exceptional circumstances to address the specific needs of clients who are facing barriers in reaching their employment goals. Service providers must obtain receipts verifying that gift cards were used to purchase eligible items. All receipts must be retained in the client file.

Service providers must obtain receipts verifying that gift cards were used to purchase eligible items. All receipts must be retained in the client file.

Service providers must attempt to recover the funds for the unverified purchase pursuant to the wrongdoing clauses in their transfer payment agreements.

Service providers must attempt to recover the funds for the value of the ineligible purchase pursuant to the wrongdoing clauses in their transfer payment agreements.

A client with a balance remaining on their gift card must return it to the service provider.

No, service providers should review the Audit and Accountability Requirements (Schedule “H”) of their transfer payment agreements to determine appropriate program-specific use of financial supports.