Skip to content | Skip to institutional links

Common menu bar links

Institutional links

Supporting Families
Resources
Transparency
- Completed Access to Information Requests
- Proactive Disclosure

The Department of Justice Canada works to reduce family violence in Canada. Learn more...

Family Justice Services Western
Final Evaluation

2004-FCY-8E

APPENDIX 3: KEY INFORMANT GUIDE

Family Justice Services Western Region
Key Informant Guide

Introduction

This interview guide is designed to be used with all informants providing information about the Family Justice Services Western pilot project. Not all questions will be asked of all interviewees. We will use the legend outlined below to indicate the category of informant to be asked each question.

Legend

FJ=Federal Justice official
PJ=Provincial Department of Justice official
SC= project steering committee
PC=project coordinator
SM=staff member
LA=Legal Aid Lawyers
PL=Private Lawyers
CO=Court Officials
JU=Judges
CA=Community Agencies

Interviewees will be informed that their input will generally be reported collectively, but that there are limits to the extent that the evaluators can keep their comments private.

Project Development and Implementation

1. What is the rationale for the FJSW project? Is this rationale reflected in actual need in the western region? Is it linked to the Federal Government's objectives in Legal Aid and Child-Centred Family Justice? To the CMHI mandate? (FJ, PJ, SM, SC)
2. How was the need for this project identified? By whom? How? Have project objectives evolved over time? What has changed? Why? (FJ, PJ, SC, SM, PC, CA)
3. What are the roles and responsibilities of the steering committee? How / when was this group formed / selected? Is the composition the right one? (PC, SM, SC)
4. What are the roles and responsibilities of staff members? How have these roles evolved? What is the background and training of staff? Are there sufficient staff, with the right backgrounds, to conduct the activities of the project? (PC, SM, SC)
5. What is the nature and extent of relationships between the project and relevant groups (e.g. judiciary, court officials, community agencies)? Are these linkages effective? (PJ, SC, PC, SM, CA, LA, CO, JU)

Project Activities (General)

6. What are the services offered by FJSW? (SM, PC, SC)
7. How are the various services advertised / promoted and accessed? Is this appropriate to the needs of all clients? Are there barriers for some client groups? (PC, SM)
8. What process is used to determine eligibility to participate in FJSW activities? How does the project screen potential clients? Who has been screened in / out? What are the protocols for dealing with cases of spousal or child abuse? At what point in the process are safety screening mechanisms used? Are they adequate? (SM, CA)
9. How / when are client needs assessed? By whom? How are needs outside of the project mandate dealt with (e.g. referral)? (PC, SM)

Mediation Services

10. What is the nature (process, range of issues) of mediation services offered by FJSW? How are services accessed? Is this appropriate? Are there barriers? (SM)
11. How are power imbalances between parties identified and addressed (e.g. safety mechanisms)? Is this appropriate? (SM)
12. What are the successful mediation outcome / compliance rates? What are the reasons for an inability for some parties to reach agreement in mediation? Are there distinguishing factors which separate successful versus unsuccessful mediation outcomes? How is compliance tracked? (SM)
13. Does the court modify agreements? How often and under what circumstances? (SM, JU)

Counselling

14. How are counselling services accessed? Are there barriers to access? (SM, PC, CA)
15. What issues are being presented for counselling (i.e. common themes, concerns)? What has been the nature and scope of involvement with children and their issues? (SM, SC)
16. What impact has counselling had on the families involved, in terms of their own personal progress? In facilitating resolution of issues between the parents (i.e. custody, support)? (SM, LA, PL)

Information Sessions

17. How are information sessions accessed? Are there barriers to access? (SM, PC, CA)
18. What is the content of information sessions? Who designed / delivers this information? Who attends / does not attend? (SM, PC, CA)
19. What impact do information sessions have on the parents involved? Are they more likely to seek cooperative resolutions? Does it impact upon how they address issues with and about their children? (SM, LA, PL)

Recalculation

20. What is the rationale for piloting recalculation of support payments? What are the anticipated outcomes? (SC, JU, PC, JC, PJ)
21. How does the recalculation process operate? (How is it accessed? How and when are recalculations made? How are parties informed / involved? What are the terms and conditions of recalculated amounts and the reasons for changes? (SM, SC, JU)
22. What is the impact of recalculation on the parties? How many contest the process? What is the outcome when people do contest? (SM, PC, SC, JU, PL, LA)?

Project Outcomes and Impacts

23. To what extent has the project increased awareness of legal processes and options to resolve family law matters? Has the project facilitated referrals to other services required by clients? (SM, CA)
24. To what extent has the project promoted and facilitated mediated outcomes as opposed to court-imposed outcomes in child / spousal support, custody and access matters? To what extent has the project contributed to safe and fair resolution of such matters for the parties involved? (SM, CA)
25. To what extent has the project contributed to reductions in workload for legal representatives, and enhanced the level of legal services provided in family law matters? (LA, CO, JU, PL)
26. What impact did the services of FJCW have on the parties involved? (SM)
27. What impact has court process had on the services offered by FJSC? (SM, CO, JU, SC)
28. Were there unintended outcomes of the project, for clients and others? Should any project components be modified, eliminated? Added to? Why? (All)

Project Costs and Sustainability

29. Are the financial and in kind allocations to the Project sufficient to meet the needs? Have available funding / guidelines affected the project? Has the project created costs / demands for government and non-government agencies? (FJ, PJ, SC, PC)
30. What are the indications that the Project will be sustained beyond the pilot phase? What would be the costs and funding sources? Could / will the service be implemented in other communities? (PC, PJ)