ns minister and staff balks at funding the study

8/3/2019 NS Minister and staff balks at funding the study

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NOVA SCOTI A

OFFI CEOF

THE DEPUTY MINISTER

Dr. William Gil l i sMinister of Public WelfareProvince of Nova ScotiaHali fax, Nova Scot ia

Dear Dr. G i l l i s ,

March 21 , 1973

Re: Grant for Nova Scot ia Homefo r Coloured Children Study.Enclosed herewith please find a copy of a l e t t e r received from Mr. D. H.Johnson and a copy o f a l e t t e r received from Mr. J . A. MacKenzie,regarding the above mentioned. You w i l l note t ha t both of these off ic ia l srecommend against a grant for the above mentioned study.I agree ful ly with their recommendations. I agree with Mr. MacKenzie'sobservation t ha t the firm of Rafuse, Marintet an d Dwyer i s not competentto undertake a study of this dimension. I also concerned about theobservation made in the ir study out l ine to the e f fec t tha t when the studyi s completed they may continue I f we allowourselves to get into t h i s arrangement with the firm o f Rafuse, Marintetan d Dwyer, we w i l l be purchasing an escalat ing responsib i l i ty from which wecannot extract ourselves . Mr. MacKenzie i s competent.to evaluate a Research

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an d Study program and it i s h is considered view tha t the outl ine i s unacceptable .The observation tha t th e Board of the Nova Scotia Home fo r Coloured Childrenmade an agreement with us and then proceeded to act uni lateral ly , is also animportant fact in th is decis ion.I f we do not permit ourselves to get involved, we wi l l then be in a posi t ionto defend ourselves i;;lf the Home gee's ahead with the study and undertakesthe usual muck-raking and mud-slinging which i s charac ter is t ic of th i s kind ofeffort where Government i s concerned.

Y f i t h fu l ly , .U , - F. R. MacKi non. ' ' -Deputy FRM/ilpAtt:

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DepartQJJ!.fl.J gfL PuhJ1(;J,_,.,

NOVA SCOTIA

Dr. F. R. MacKinnonDeputy Minis t e rDepartment of Publ ic WelfareHa l i f a x , Nova Scot iaDear Dr. MacKinnon:

;Ha l i fax , N. S.March 19 , 1973

RE: Nova Sc o t i a ColouredHome Study .I am wr i t i n g with re fe rence to y o u r l e t t e r o fMarch 13 , re the above. Mr. Burns and I have met withMr. J . A. MacKenzie and he w i l l be making h is r ep o r t .I want to make c l e a r my own p o s i t i o n in t h i s

m a t t e r . Since the Board o f the Home fo r ColouredChi ldren have not fo l lowed the terms o f th e agreementour Department had with them and s ince t hey a re p ropos inga much broader s tudy than o r i g i n a l l y planned I recommendt h a t th e Department not share in any way in the cos t s o fth e s tudy be ing proposed by the co n su l t an t s . Many of th ei tems t h a t the consu l tan t s have proposed t o cons ide r couldbe answered in a mat te r o f minu tes by s t a f f members of th eFamily and Child Welfare Divis ion and by ohr own depar tmen-t a l a u d i t o r . The need still e x i s t s fo r th e kind of s tudyor i g i na l l y agreed to . However, the c u r r e n t proposa l i sf a r removed from t h a t .

DHJ/km

Yours s i n c e r e l y ,./ / ' /" ' /, r - - 7 - / Ti!-. !L /' ( :,..-D. H. Johnson , R.s .w.ADMINISTRATOR

FAMILY & CHILD WELFARE


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TO:

- ---- .. ).1. ' I

PROVINCE 'OF NOVA SCOTIADEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE

(INTER-DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE)PRNATE & CONFIDENTIAL 20, 1973

DATEDr. F. R. MacKinnon FROM: J. A. MacKenzie---------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Directoreputy Minister- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Research &Plannina_________ ;; p___ _

SUBJECT: _ :_ __Evaluation of the Nova Scotia

I have now had an opportunity to review the aboveproposal (attached) as well as a copy of Mr. Michael J . Marentette' slet ter to Mr. Kevin Burns (attached).I would strongly recommend that we not get involved

in funding this study. My reasons are simple -------1. This is an evaluation of an institution- and none of the partners have had anyexperience in the institutional fielC: (see attached curriculum vitae)2. The presentation of the proposed evaluationoutline is weak, fuzzy and in my opinionnot worthy of funding. For example, phase one states as its purpose"to clarify existing known problems and to identify unknown and/or unforseenproblems being presently experienced by the Home". Are the consultants'saying i f the staff are not aware of any problems, they will create somefo r them. This is crazy.l:_ At the outset, and following the Hall Reporf,a Committee of two (Mr. Kevin Burns andMr. Jules Oliver) was set up representing our Department and the Board ofthe Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. I t was agreed that neither partyinvolved would move to appoint a study team without mutual consent. Thiswas the basis for our $1,500.00 input. The Board of the Nova Scotia Home fo rColored Children has moved to employ Community Consultants unilaterally. Inmy estimation, this makes our agreement and consequent commitment void.

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4. In the section of the proposal on"Instructions and Approvals", CClll1IIlUllityConsultants state categorically that the actions of the consultants shallbe subject to the instructions and approval of the Board of Directors ofthe Nova Scotia Home fo r Colored Children signified through an authorizedBoard official. As far as I am concerned, this negates any control by ourDepartment over the consulting team. Even more objectionable from aresearch point of view -- i t implies the consulting group will write andsay what the Board of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children want themto say. How nruch credence can one give an evaluation that starts out onthis premise.5. It would appear from the proposal thatCommunity Consultants intend to expand theirevaluation into the community. This is contrary to the agreement we hadfor an internal evaluation of the present program in the Home.In short, to fund this study is simply paying fora stick to beat ourselves. Furthermore, if the Board of the Nova Scotia.Home for Colored Children decide to proceed on their own, we should make i tquite clear that Departmental files will not be made available to the studygroup. Otherwise, we are simply asking fo r another "scourging at the publicpillar".

Sincerely yours,

Q A. MacKenzie, urector, Research &PlanningJAMacK/dhc. c. Mr. D.H. Johnson

ns minister and staff balks at funding the study

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