2 A system for managing performance, based on the measures that support:

• Agency assessment to actively assess progress towards results, evaluate and adjust business practices to improve organizational results, and continuously improve;
• A framework for evaluation that outlines how agency performance is going to be measured by the Ministry and how decisions related to funding will be made; and
• Benchmarking to the literacy systems of other jurisdictions to achieve improvements within LBS over time.

3 A model of continuous improvement that:

• integrates performance management into the daily operations of the LBS Program and delivery agencies in order to continuously seek improvements in the quality of services offered to learners; and
• supports innovation in literacy practice.

Some literacy practitioners are already well on their way to implementing a fully functional CIPMS in their agency. Some are at the initial planning stage. Most of us are probably somewhere in the middle.

Chronology of CIPMS Implementation

A fully implemented CIPMS does not happen overnight. MTCU has been gradually integrating CIPMS into Ontario’s literacy agencies since 2001. This section will look at the highlights of how that has been happening.

One of the initial steps taken by MTCU to lay the foundation for CIPMS in LBS agencies was the introduction and implementation of the Information Management System (IMS) in April 2001. This computerized systematic collection of common data from all MTCU-funded literacy programs has proven to be an effective way for MTCU to gather and report data province-wide. The IMS allows for the collection of consistent and reliable data, resulting in increased accountability. Reports can be produced both at the agency level and provincially, allowing for comparison of annual results and providing the basis for setting new targets.

In 2003/2004, agencies also saw revisions to the Program Monitoring Report to improve consistency and transparency in the collection and reporting of data. The revised Program Monitoring Report is an excellent example of how CIPMS was introduced and used to help agencies host effective program visits with their MTCU consultants.