[Bcma-l] Canada Summer Jobs
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Thu, 17 May 2007 23:24:58 -0700
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Not wishing in any way to downgrade the importance of government funding =
for museums, but there is another way of looking at the Federal Canada =
Summer Jobs program, as explained clearly to me in a phone call with the =
local HRDC Project Officer. The "grant" can be seen as a contract to =
provide a service to the government for purposes it has seen fit to =
fund, namely, job creation for people it has deemed to be at greatest =
risk in this year, in locations it has deemed necessary.
As I have heard so many times from HRDC project officers, they do not =
care how valuable museums are or what services they provide. They =
care, with their money, at the direction of their officials in Ottawa, =
about their clients, namely the people needing jobs. For many years =
they have said that many museums tend to forget that approach in making =
applications, and do not present themselves as well as other applicants =
in terms of meeting the social needs intended for the program monies.
With the supposed transparency of the adjudicating process this year, it =
would be interesting to actually put our resulting score sheets and =
applications side by side to see if there were significant differences =
in scoring from region to region. It sounds as if there might be, and =
that would be most unfortunate.
In the Okanagan and Kamloops, on several occasions, we hosted late =
winter meetings with HRDC project officers and museums of the region, =
asking the HRDC people to tell us what they needed to see on the =
applications in order to give a positive response. At every meeting, =
the HRDC people were well prepared, described the annual priority buzz =
words and concepts, and commented how pleased they were to be asked =
ahead of time because they normally had to spend so much time afterwards =
dealing with complaints from applicants who somehow missed the nature of =
the funding priority system. In our experience, paying close attention =
to their annual priorities for the contract greatly increased the =
opportunities for success.
However, the fabulous effort made by BCMA in the 1980's, presenting to =
the Federal government a special well documented report and multi-media =
show concerning the economic importance of the cultural sector, =
certainly paid off then. A powerful proactive statement, rather than =
a complaint, it caused change in the system from the top down for a =
while as project priorities were adjusted to encourage success by =
organizations in the cultural sector.
Cuyler Page
Craigflower Historic Site
Victoria, BC
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Not wishing in any way to downgrade the =
importance=20
of government funding for museums, but there is another way of looking =
at the=20
Federal Canada Summer Jobs program, as explained clearly to me in a =
phone=20
call with the local HRDC Project Officer. The =
"grant" can=20
be seen as a contract to provide a service to the government for =
purposes=20
it has seen fit to fund, namely, job creation for people it has deemed =
to be at=20
greatest risk in this year, in locations it has deemed=20
necessary.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As I have heard so many times from HRDC =
project=20
officers, they do not care how valuable museums are or what services =
they=20
provide. They care, with their money, at the direction of =
their=20
officials in Ottawa, about their clients, namely the people needing=20
jobs. For many years they have said that many =
museums tend=20
to forget that approach in making applications, and do not present=20
themselves as well as other applicants in terms of meeting the social =
needs=20
intended for the program monies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>With the supposed transparency of the =
adjudicating=20
process this year, it would be interesting to actually put our =
resulting=20
score sheets and applications side by side to see if there were =
significant=20
differences in scoring from region to region. It sounds as =
if there=20
might be, and that would be most unfortunate.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In the Okanagan and Kamloops, on =
several occasions,=20
we hosted late winter meetings with HRDC project officers and museums of =
the=20
region, asking the HRDC people to tell us what they needed to see on the =
applications in order to give a positive response. At every =
meeting,=20
the HRDC people were well prepared, described the annual priority buzz =
words and=20
concepts, and commented how pleased they were to be asked ahead of time =
because=20
they normally had to spend so much time afterwards dealing with =
complaints from=20
applicants who somehow missed the nature of the funding priority=20
system. In our experience, paying close attention to their =
annual=20
priorities for the contract greatly increased the opportunities for=20
success.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>However, the fabulous effort made by =
BCMA in the=20
1980's, presenting to the Federal government a special well documented =
report=20
and multi-media show concerning the economic importance of the cultural =
sector,=20
certainly paid off then. A powerful proactive =
statement,=20
rather than a complaint, it caused change in the system from the =
top down=20
for a while as project priorities were adjusted to encourage =
success=20
by organizations in the cultural sector.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Cuyler Page</DIV>
<DIV>Craigflower Historic Site<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Victoria, BC</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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