We offer four categories of expertise
Eko Nomos is skilled at developing systems for tracking program results and documenting outcomes and learning. We work with organizations to build their internal capacity in human resources management and policy development so that they can better document, monitor and evaluate their own programs and projects. We use tools and processes of our own design to foster cost-effective, practical learning and evaluation.
Eko Nomos promotes project accountability. We deliver consultations and workshops to strengthen project concepts, develop project and evaluation planning frameworks, and produce high quality project proposals.
Community Foundations of Canada - Vital Signs; 2006 to 2008
Vital Signs is an annual check-up conducted by community foundations to measure the vitality of communities across Canada. It gathers and grades data on significant social and economic trends. The annual Vital Signs reports are used by communities for social planning, by citizens and philanthropists to identify community needs and strengths, and by community foundations to inform their grant-making and leadership activities. Eko Nomos worked with Community Foundations in Victoria, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Toronto and Ottawa to develop evaluation systems for their Vital Signs work.
Caledon Institute for Social Policy Vibrant Communities – 2004 to 2006
Vibrant Communities is a community-driven effort to reduce poverty in Canada by creating partnerships that make use of our most valuable assets – people, organizations, businesses and governments. Eko Nomos worked with five community convener groups, comprised of government, non-profit agencies, businesses and people living in poverty, in urban centres across Canada to support outcomes-based planning and documentation of the groups’ community-wide poverty reduction initiatives.
Centre for Rural Leadership, 2008 and ongoing
Eko Nomos works with a collaborative comprising the Ontario Rural Council, 4-H, the Foundation for Rural Living and the Centre for Rural Leadership to develop an evaluation framework and tools for evaluating the five-year Steps to Leadership program throughout Ontario.
Canadian Women’s Foundation Economic Development Collaborative Fund; Social Purpose Enterprise Practice Development and Outcomes Research, 1997 and ongoing
This long-term initiative brings together seven foundations and corporations to support women's social purpose enterprise development across Canada. The Collaborative Fund includes the CIBC, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, George Cedric Metcalf Foundation, and the Bank of Montreal. During the Fund’s first five years, Eko Nomos facilitated a collaborative process with grantees to capture effective practices in the implementation of social purpose enterprises. Link to paper 1 ; Link to paper 2.
Since 2003 we have completed a five-year action research and learning process with the Fund’s 10 social enterprise development grantees during which we identified effective practice and outcomes.
This project also produced an evaluation guide providing tools, methods and systems that can be used to support organizations in documenting and analyzing the outcomes of their work.
Clean Air Partnership; Building Evaluation Capacity, 2005 and ongoing
Eko Nomos worked with the full staff of the Clean Air Partnership to develop evaluation capacity and conduct two in-depth project evaluations. We are using the same tools and process used for the CAP staff to develop the evaluation capacity of a further 10 environmental organizations.
United Way of Peel Region; Social Enterprise Enabling Group (SEEG), 2007 and ongoing
SEEG is a funders’ group investing in the development of social purpose enterprise in Peel Region. Eko Nomos’ has been responsible for program planning, developing learning networks, building capacity in the SEEG network, and assisting the funders in preparing a three-year plan for their investment in Peel Region.
Ontario Women’s Directorate; Investing in Women’s Futures (IWF), 2005
Eko Nomos worked with the six grantees of the IWF portfolio and was responsible for planning and managing this evaluation conducted by a team of 15 practitioner-researchers and the IWF managers. This included preparation of a detailed evaluation workplan, development of the evaluation framework, defining methods of data collection and analysis, applying advanced participatory data collection methods, setting team member responsibilities, and preparing outlines of key deliverables. Eko Nomos also oversaw data collection, data analysis and report writing. Link to Paper
Ontario Veterinary College; Development of an Integrated Strategic College Plan, 2005-06
Eko Nomos worked with all College stakeholders to prepare a 5-year integrated strategic plan. Link to Paper
City of Toronto; Supporting Community Partnerships, 2001
Eko Nomos worked with City staff to design and deliver support to two separate grant-making streams for its Supporting Community Partnerships project fund. We undertook a review and redesign of the RFP and grant-making decision process and designed and facilitated a series of workshops and consultations for applicants. One workshop was delivered to 40 different organizations, while two others, with follow-up support, were delivered to 30 other agencies.
Toronto Enterprise Fund (TEF); Social Purpose Enterprise Collaborative Learning and Evaluation, 2002 and ongoing
The TEF is a collaborative funding initiative designed to support homeless and at-risk populations in engaging in society and the economy through the development of Social Purpose Enterprises. Eko Nomos worked with the TEF to design and implement a comprehensive learning and evaluation strategy using action research approaches and techniques.
We wrote The Business of Inclusion – a website highlighting the first three years of learning from this six-year funding stream. Business of Inclusion Part 3; Business of Inclusion 4
Since 2003, Eko Nomos has delivered an annual business planning workshop series with follow-up consultations for organizations developing social purpose enterprises.
In fall 2007, we researched the interest in early stage social purpose enterprise services in Toronto.
Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI); Economic Development Research and Evaluation, 1988 and 2006
SEDI is a leader in self-employment training development and Eko Nomos has worked with it on the following projects:
- Ontario Self-Employment Developers Association (OSEDA): Co-facilitated a capacity- building program for social service agencies interested in delivering self-employment training.
- Rural Enterprise Development Initiative (REDI) in cooperation with Women and Rural Economic Development (WRED): Designed, implemented and managed a four-site self-employment training program for rural women.
- Social Purpose Enterprise Monitoring, JobsOntario Training and SEDI. Over 30 self-employment programs and community-businesses across Ontario were monitored and provided with technical assistance on a quarterly basis.
- Women's Self-Employment Training Program (1988-1991): Provided train-the-trainer services in program facilitation and evaluation techniques.
- Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Programs, Toronto (2000-2001): IDA's are used to assist low income citizens to save for education, training or housing. Canada sponsored the world's largest national demonstration project of IDAs for training and education. Eko Nomos worked on three projects focussing on the research, design and implementation of that demonstration project.