Challenges And Needs

The Grouped Arts Evaluation found a continued need for improved access and mitigation of barriers to program funding for small organizations and underserved groups. Indigenous, racialized and other underserved groups had lower access to funds due to a lack of awareness of the opportunity. Some organizations lack the capacity to find matching donations from private donors, while larger organizations need support to achieve the level of endowment required to be self-sustaining. Efforts are being made to improve the support and access to the programs, particularly for small organizations and underserved communities.

The evaluation identified issues regarding processes for performance data collection, monitoring and reporting. The definitions and interpretation of indicators and outcomes, as well as approaches to data collection, were not always clear and could be subject to interpretation. A need was identified to improve performance measurement indicators and data collection tools, including methodologies and systems, to ensure that data collected is meaningful, accurate and useful. Work is underway on tools and practices to ensure integrity of data and consistency of methodologies.