The Hub - Centre of Responsibility (COR)

Program snapshot

Age group: Not age specific

Gender: Mixed (male and female)

Population served: Aboriginal/Indigenous; Neighbourhoods/communities

Topic: Hubs/situation tables; Social/economic disadvantage

Setting: Rural/remote area; Urban area; Community-based setting

Location: Saskatchewan

Number of completed Canadian outcome evaluation studies: 1

Continuum of intervention: Secondary crime prevention

Brief Description

The Centre of Responsibility (COR) is an initiative which consists of representatives from the participating Ministries and Policing partners. The concept was an expansion of the Hub model, in which front-line workers collaborate to provide immediate support to high-risk families in the province. A COR is comprised of similar front-line workers but will analyze the “bigger picture” using trends and statistics gathered at the Hub level. The COR’s focus is on community safety and wellness working towards longer-term community goals and initiatives and possible systemic recommendations, formed through experience, research and analysis.

The HubFootnote1 and COR are part of the province’s Building Partnerships to Reduce Crime (BPRC) initiative.Footnote2

Goals

The main goals of the COR are to:

  • Identify systemic issues and gaps to improve community safety and well-being;
  • Work as an interagency team to understand those issues and gaps collectively; and
  • Interpret findings to decision makers and our community.

Clientele

The Clientele is dependent on the identified gap or issue identified. In the end, all projects, papers or initiatives, benefit the community at large.

Both the Hub and the COR include representatives from police, social services, the health sector and the Saskatoon Tribal Council, and the groups focus on issues such as homelessness, addictions and mental health.

Core Components

The role of the COR is to engage in collaborative analysis of Hub data and other recognized trends and data sources which serve to inform the identification of high value opportunities for systemic change. The goal of the COR is to look at the gaps in services, analyze those gaps and try to come up with some long-term solutions and strategies to help fill those gaps in.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

  • Organizational requirements: Governance model, Memorandum of Understanding between participating agencies, and a process implemented for dissemination and de-confliction of COR work. Top-down and bottom-up cooperation and communication.
  • Partnerships: All Human Service Ministries, RCMP, and municipal police. It would be beneficial to have strong partnerships and representation from First Nations.  Other federal agencies such as Public Safety Canada and Health Canada and Statistics Canada would be a valued resource.  Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the community would be an asset.
  • Training and technical assistance: A commitment for continuing education in seeking best practices.  Training, in how to work together as an integrated, inter-agency team. IT support, and required software to further analyze multi-agency data.
  • Risk assessment tools: A commitment by our agencies to provide the COR with their tools and data.
  • Materials & resources: Office space, office equipment, access to university publications.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

  • Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
  • Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
  • SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
  • Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

In 2014, Saskatoon and Prince Albert were the only cities with both a Hub and a COR. The plan of the provincial government was to set up Hubs in Regina, North Battleford, Yorkton, La Ronge, Moose Jaw, Estevan/Weyburn, Nipawin, Lloydminster and Swift Current.

More recently the COR has begun to implement pilot projects in communities that have lowered crime and increased community wellness; examples are: the Public Safety Compliance Team, the Community Crystal Meth Intervention, and the community mobilization in Prince Albert towards an alcohol strategy. 

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

Based on an evaluation conducted by Nilson, some findings are:  

  • Increased collaboration that produced community trust, inter-agency relationships, and agency understanding of one another;
  • Increased awareness of the interconnectedness of issues, shared opportunities to support individuals with composite risk; and
  • Improvement to services by increased efficiency; improved access; creation of a broader service lens; less ‘not within our scope’ mentality; and improved and professionalized Hub model of risk-driven collaborative intervention (Nilson, 2015, p.9).

Cost Information

$550,000 yearly covers office rent, operating costs, and wages for Executive Director, Administrative Assistant, Strategic Analyst and Tactical Analyst.

Sector Specialist salaries are provided by their respective agencies or ministries.

References

Community Mobilization Prince Albert (2012). CMPA business case: In support of the sustainable funding arrangement with the Government of Saskatchewan. Prince Albert, SK: Author.

 Nilson, C. (2015). The Original Game Changers: Evaluative Report on Prince Albert’s Centre of Responsibility and its Role in the Advancement of Community Mobilization Efforts to Improve Community Safety and Wellness. Saskatoon, SK: Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science and Justice Studies – University of Saskatchewan. Available from: https://www.usask.ca/cfbsjs/research/pdf/research_reports/COR2015.pdf

For more information on this program, contact:

Community Mobilization Prince Albert
1084 Central Ave
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, S6V7P3
Telephone: 306-765-2880
E-mail: tdumont@papolice.ca
Website: http://mobilizepa.ca/

Building Partnerships
c/o Community Safety & Well-being
Ministry of Justice
600-1874 Scarth Street
Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 4B3


Record Entry Date - 2018-03-14
Record Updated On - 2023-01-30
  1. 1

    For more information about the Hub, consult the program descriptive sheet entitled The Hub - Community Mobilization Prince Albert (CMPA).

  2. 2

    For more information about the BPRC initiative, consult the program descriptive sheet entitled The Hub Model / Situation Table.

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