Maytree policy brief highlights lack of transparency in evaluation of Ontario’s Employment Services Transformation
A new policy brief from Maytree, “Early signs of trouble: Findings from the third-party evaluation of Ontario’s Employment Services Transformation,” reveals critical issues in Ontario’s Employment Services Transformation (EST) project. A third-party evaluation by Goss Gilroy Inc., never released by the Ontario government, shows fundamental concerns with the design and implementation of the Integrated Employment Services, particularly for social assistance recipients.
In December 2023, the Ontario government released a summary of the evaluation highlighting only positive findings while omitting significant negative ones. Through a Freedom of Information request, Maytree obtained the full report, which suggests social assistance recipients may be worse off under the new model.
Key issues identified in the evaluation report include increased administrative burdens, lack of innovation, and “power struggles” within the service delivery system. Clients receiving social assistance with barriers to employment, in particular, had difficulty meeting the program targets – and often, because of new incentive system rewards, contractors were rewarded for helping people with the fewest barriers and ignoring those with greater needs.
“Greater transparency is critical as the EST project moves forward. The government must address the fundamental design issues identified in the evaluation report to ensure better outcomes for social assistance recipients,” said Alexi White, Director of Systems Change at Maytree, and one of the co-authors of the policy brief.
Maytree calls on the Ontario government to commission and publish a new independent review and establish a shared transparency framework.