The following is a sample of projects in which RaECon’s Principal has contributed or is contributing leadership or key support. The funding agencies/clients are also listed where permitted.

Program Evaluation

• Formative Evaluation of Phase Three – Year One Disability Rights Promotion International
• Disability Rights Promotion International:
• An implementation-focused evaluation of this international project’s Phase III activities in developing countries on four continents. The DRPI project is operating in some 20 countries around the globe and funded in part by by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
• Formative Evaluation of the Increasing the Capacity of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to Hire and Retain Internationally Trained Immigrants (ITIs) – the ICHR Project
• CONNECT Strategic Alliances and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration:
• Determining project quality, strength of partnerships and governance structures and best practices for project management by CONNECT, which represents Ontario’s 24 publicly-funded colleges. The project aimed to increase employer awareness of the process and benefits of hiring ITIs in order to address immediate and long-term labour and skills shortages. A comprehensive literature review on similar projects/services was conducted as well.
• Formative Evaluations of the Test for Success;  Building Internationally Educated Nursing Students’ Intercultural Competence through Technologically Enhanced Learning; and Equivalency Assessment Recognition for Nurses Programs
• York University School of Nursing and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration: 
• Program logic model development; evaluation framework development to measure contexts, inputs, processes and outcomes over multiple years; instrument development/evaluation, including web-based evaluation tools; evaluation of a range of program components through quantitative and qualitative data collection utilizing multiple sources and multiple measures for triangulation; data management and analysis; cut score study (EARN program); and assisting with communication to program sponsor (Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration) regarding the program (EARN) designed to assess skills and credentials of nurses educated outside the province of Ontario, and programs (TFS and ICC-TEL) designed to develop skills of internationally educated nurses to help facilitate their transition into the Canadian workplace.
• Formative Evaluation of the Challenges Program
• The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern of Ontario:  
• Quantitative and qualitative data collection utilizing multiple sources and multiple measures, such as the Brief Child and Family Phone Interview (BCFPI), the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) and the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS); conducting interviews, focus groups and document reviews; data management and analysis; and instrument evaluation for the behaviour-modification program offered by the Associated Youth Services of Peel. Responsibilities also included assisting with communications to program sponsor (Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services).
• Formative Evaluation of the Collaborative Inquiry for Learning: Building Capacity and Leadership in Mathematics (K-6) in Ontario Professional Development Program
•  The Ontario Ministry of Education – Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE):
• Working with the Ontario Ministry of Education, Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat’s internal research team to: develop a formative evaluation plan; collect, manage and analyze quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources in multiple sites throughout the province; and assist with communications to the funding agency (CODE).
• Formative Evaluation of Programs for Gifted Students
•  The Peel District School Board:
• Designed, developed, delivered and supervised multi-site program evaluation, focusing on processes and student outcomes, involving four professionally-regulated stakeholder groups and special interest parent organizations, utilizing collaborative methods.
• See the Final Evaluation Report on the Peel District School Board’s web site.
• Formative Evaluation of the Communication Program
• The Peel District School Board:
• Designed, developed, delivered and supervised multi-site program evaluation, involving four professionally-regulated groups of stakeholders and parent groups, utilizing collaborative methods. Related research article can be found in the Alberta Journal of Educational Research 52 (2).
• Manitoba School Improvement Program (MSIP) Evaluation
•  The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation:
• Analyzed multi-phase survey data from decade-long program, using multilevel statistical models. See the MSIP Final Evaluation Report ; related research article in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation 20 (3).
• Formative Evaluation of the Schools Attuned® Professional Development Program
• The Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE),  the Peel District School Board and All Kinds of Minds™:
• Designed, developed, delivered and supervised multi-site, multi-phased teachers’ professional development (PD) program evaluation, using Guskey’s multi-level model for PD program evaluation.

Organization Development

• Credentialing Program Evaluation
•  A National Professional Regulatory Body in the Financial Sector:
• Conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the credentialing program for some 2,500 candidates annually, focusing on national assessments, providing test analytics and comparative analyses, including item analysis and competency mapping to establish reliability and validity evidence. Providing recommendations to the 40,000 member organization involving industry best practice for performance measurement system development, use  and monitoring, including the establishment of performance standards. This client continues to utilize our expertise in test analysis and best practices in assessment for credentialing.
• Corporate Mastery Test Development
•  A Major Canadian Bank:
• Assisted client in mastery test development for a mandatory program for some 40,000 employees, providing test analytics, including item analysis to establish reliability and validity evidence. Provided recommendations involving industry best practice for mastery test development and use to Corporate Training and Development unit of this leading North American financial institution.
• Process Development and Organizational Growth Strategy
•   Dejero Labs Inc™:
• Developing corporate terms of reference and working with management team to establish organizational framework to facilitate company growth and development of new wireless communication technology, including securing government funding. Dejero technology was used to view the Olympic Torch Relay live on the internet!
• Program Review
• Junior Achievement of Central Ontario:
• A review of business education programs currently delivered by Canada’s largest Junior Achievement Charter (reaching over 70,000 students), including establishing rationale for program targets; alignment of program goals and delivery models to research-based practice in career path planning and Ministry of Education curriculum; synthesis of key stakeholder perceptions of program strengths and needs; and presentation of key findings to guide strategic planning at Board of Directors’ retreat.

Program Development

• Program Review of the Ministry of Education’s Initiatives on School Board Operations (SBBO)
• The Ontario Ministry of Education – School Business Support Branch:
• In association with Universalia Management Group, examining value for money, lessons learned and program efficiency of the School Board Operational Reviews and the Student Transportation Effectiveness and Efficiency Reviews, and identifying future directions to build on the momentum of the Ministry’s review initiatives.
  • Evaluability Assessment of the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP)
  • The Ontario Ministry of Education – Teaching Policy and Standards Branch:
  • In association with Universalia Management Group, an investigation to: (a) determine if the TLLP is being implemented in the intended manner as outlined in the program logic model; (b) to assess whether the logic model enables participants to effectively realize the project outcomes; and (c) to ascertain whether data collection processes allow for accurate measurement of TLLP outcomes .
    • Development of the Safe Schools Strategy Logic Model and Framework of Indicators
    • The Ontario Ministry of Education – Learning Environment Branch:
    • In conjuction with Cathexis Consulting Inc., developing a measurement framework consisting of a logic model, theory of change model and a framework of key performance indicators and evidence for the Safe Schools Strategy.
    • Special Education Accountability Framework
    • The Peel District School Board:
    • Designed, developed, and supervised the deployment of a system of program accountability, which included the use of indicators, performance measurement and collaborative approaches to program evaluation; wrote technical reports; related research articles can be found in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation 22 (2) and the Alberta Journal of Educational Research 52 (2).
    • Teacher Professional Learning Program Development
    • The Second City™ Creative Education:
    • Consulted in the design and delivery of the training program to meet Ministry of Education requirements. 

    Applied Social Research

    • Research Capacity in Ontario School Boards
    • Ontario Ministry of Education and the Association of Educational Researchers of Ontario (AERO):
    • Co-supervised the research process, including an environmental scan, and co-organized the information symposium.  Project sponsorship: Ontario Ministry of Education, Education Research and Evaluation Strategy Branch. 
    • Stress in the Workplace Study
    • The Peel District School Board and Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC):
    • Conducted interviews, analyzed data and co-wrote technical report. Related article in the Ontario Principals Council Register, 3 (October, 2001).