PRSN’s partnership committee has spent a year working on researching what might improve relationships between private sponsors and the settlement sector. With a survey to both sponsors and settlement agencies, it was clear from the results that this relationship needed some improvement. Based on those results and comments from both sponsors and settlement agencies, there appears to be a significant opportunity to re-set the sponsor/settlement agency relationship in a more productive way with PRSN playing a connecting role.
PRSN plans to address the relationship barriers that were identified. clarify roles and how the organization might strengthen existing relationships and build new relationships around post- arrival initiatives to drive improvements in the sector. The report identifies three key areas of focus:
- Increasing awareness of the roles of PRSN, SAHs and Settlement Agencies with Intent to establish greater collaboration;
- Continuously exploring and identifying potential partners and partnering opportunities, and to work toward developing those relationships;
- Building a relationship with IRCC that recognizes the work that PRSN does to support the sector and in the hope of expanding the Network across Canada.
A copy of the full report can be accessed at https://refugeesponsornet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PRSN-Building-Relationships-with-Settlement-Agencies-research-report.pdf