Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 36, No. 14 Home Page
For years MCCC was responible for a variety of national programs associated with employment, native concerns, women's concerns, mental health and disabilities and other issues.
Now MCCC is shifting towards providing expertise and a coordinating role for the five provincial MCCs as they take on more program responsibilities in Canada.
Consequently, nine MCC staff were informed last year that their positions were being eliminated or significantly changed. Most of the changes will be implemented by the end of August, 1997, board members were told at the MCCC mid-year meeting in early June.
"We're downsizing programs and decreasing the number of staff in order to maintain our commitments to needy people overseas," says Marvin Frey, executive director of MCC Canada. Resources sent overseas by MCC have steadily declined over the years as more money was spent by MCC on programs in Canada.
The restructuring will result in revised job descriptions for some MCCC program areas. The job descriptions will likely be finalized within the next few months, MCCC board members were told.
Hiring for the positions will begin shortly thereafter, says Frey. "This (downsizing) flows from a decision made at MCC's annual general meeting in November 1995, calling for some significant changes at MCC Canada".
Included was a budget reduction of $330,000 coming primarily from the Human Resources and Canadian Programs area. Since then, changes have also occurred in the Overseas and Communications departments.
"We're working closely with provincial directors, staff and other interested people in the specific program areas as we develop the job descriptions," said Frey.
Board members were also given the opportunity to respond to the restructuring update and MCCC's preliminary five-year program plans at the meeting.
Pauline Hogan of St. Catharines pointed out that the program plans seem to place more emphasis on healing and empowerment of victims of violent crimes, than on restoring criminal offenders to the community.
Dale Taylor, associate executive director of MCCC explained that helping victims is an addition to the program and that work with criminal offenders is ongoing.
The restructuring has caused some to wonder what programs will suffer now that the staff has been downsized. Taylor said what hopefully will happen is that staff at all levels of MCC working on common issues will support and advise each other.
She said the five-year plans as presented were preliminary ones and that staff is still seeking input. Board members and others will have another opportunity to discuss the plans at their September meeting.
"Revisions are still possible after that," she said.
MCC Canada release
Return to the M.B.Herald Vol. 36, No. 14 Home Page