Capacity Building Through the COVID-19 Lens
Strengthening the foundation of service delivery is crucial to meeting the evolving needs of newcomer communities. AAISA’s capacity-building initiatives below focus on enhancing organizational skills, knowledge, and resources, enabling agencies to provide more effective, responsive, and sustainable support for newcomers.
Below are capacity building resources regarding the findings from the Capacity Building Through The COVID-19 Lens Project. These resources summarize the best practices identified from two rounds of focus groups that AAISA hosted, reaching 157 participants and representing over 20+ settlement and integration agencies. These capacity building resources are targeted towards:
- Incoming newcomer-serving practitioners
- Volunteers
- Managers and Coordinators
- Experienced newcomer-serving practitioners
For more information regarding the research and publication from this project, click here.
Language Focus Area
Below are the professional development resources focused on Language Learning. These resources are targeted towards:
- Pre-Service Instructors
- Newly Practicing Instructors
- Substitute Instructors
- Volunteers
- Managers and Coordinators
- Experienced Instructors
These language resources are created in combination with our Digital Literacy and Equity in Hybrid Learning with Low Literacy Learners virtual course, which can be accessed for free on our AAISA Learning Management System. This course is estimated to take 45 minutes to complete.
If you are interested in enrolling and do not have an LMS account, please click here. If you have an AAISA LMS account, please enroll using this link.
Community Reception and Integration Focus Area
Below are the professional development resources focused on community reception and integration. These resources are targeted towards:
- Community engagement workers
- Community development workers
- Marketing & Communications worker
- Settlement & Integration workers
- Community program facilitators
Resources
- Project Infographic Posted on: August 11, 2021 A brief infographic depicting the COVID-19 context, project need, objectives and project process.
- Project Backgrounder Posted on: August 11, 2021 A document overviewing the project gap, objectives, purpose and process.
- Summary Brief - Focus Groups 1 & 2 Posted on: May 13, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the two rounds of focus groups hosted in October 2021, and January 2022. This brief highlights the challenges and best practices that have arisen to facilitate virtual service delivery models, as well as identify the professional development needs of settlement service delivery providers needed to institutionalize emergent best practices into organizational capacity building in the sector.
- Language Brief - Focus Group 2 Posted on: May 6, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the second language focus group hosted in January 2022. This brief highlights the key findings of the two rounds of focus groups, identifying best practices that have arisen to facilitate virtual service delivery models, as well as identify the professional development needs of language service delivery providers needed to institutionalize emergent best practices into organizational capacity building in the sector.
- Employment Brief - Focus Group 2 Posted on: May 6, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the second employment focus group hosted in January 2022. This brief highlights the key findings of the two rounds of focus groups, identifying best practices that have arisen to facilitate virtual service delivery models, as well as identify the professional development needs of employment service delivery providers needed to institutionalize emergent best practices into organizational capacity building in the sector.
- Community Reception and Integration Brief - Focus Group 2 Posted on: May 6, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the second community reception and integration focus group hosted in January 2022. This brief highlights the key findings of the two rounds of focus groups, identifying best practices that have arisen to facilitate virtual service delivery models, as well as identify the professional development needs of community reception and integration service delivery providers needed to institutionalize emergent best practices into organizational capacity building in the sector.
- Language Brief - Focus Group 1 Posted on: January 5, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the first language focus group hosted in the fall of 2021. This brief also highlights points of further inquiry to guide the discussion for the second focus group, seeking to identify the desired implementation of past learnings into organizational capacity building and professional development resources for the sector.
- Employment Brief - Focus Group 1 Posted on: January 5, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the first employment focus group hosted in the fall of 2021. This brief also highlights points of further inquiry to guide the discussion for the second focus group, seeking to identify the desired implementation of past learnings into organizational capacity building and professional development resources for the sector.
- Community Reception and Integration Brief - Focus Group 1 Posted on: January 5, 2022 A summary brief capturing the findings of the first community reception and integration focus group hosted in the fall of 2021. This brief also highlights points of further inquiry to guide the discussion for the second focus group, seeking to identify the desired implementation of past learnings into organizational capacity building and professional development resources for the sector.
- Language Backgrounder Posted on: August 17, 2021 A document overviewing the COVID-19 context, preliminary challenges and best practices, and sample focus group questions in relation to language services.
- Language Infographic Posted on: August 17, 2021 A brief infographic depicting the COVID-19 context, preliminary challenges and best practices, and sample focus group questions in relation to language services.
- Employment Backgrounder Posted on: August 17, 2021 A document overviewing the COVID-19 context, preliminary challenges and best practices, and sample focus group questions in relation to employment services.
- Employment Infographic Posted on: August 17, 2021 A brief infographic depicting the COVID-19 context, preliminary challenges and best practices, and sample focus group questions in relation to employment services.
- Community Reception and Integration Backgrounder Posted on: August 17, 2021 A document overviewing the COVID-19 context, preliminary challenges and best practices, and sample focus group questions in relation to community reception and integration services.
- Community Reception and Integration Infographic Posted on: August 17, 2021 A brief infographic depicting the COVID-19 context, preliminary challenges and best practices, and sample focus group questions in relation to community reception and integration services.