Open calls for proposals: Glossary

Call for proposals 1: Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund
Call for proposals 2: Women’s Capacity Fund

7. Glossary

Advocacy

Advocacy is the process of influencing decision-makers, stakeholders, and others to change elements of a system to the benefit of a target group. Advocacy can consist of activities that:

• carry out an awareness campaign
• do research or targeted outreach education
• build networks and coalitions
• recommend or put in place policy solutions
• communicate with governments to raise awareness on an issue and its impact on a community
• provide information or recommendations on an issue
• request information on an issue
• hold dialogues on the interpretation or application of a law or regulation
• provide oral or written proposals to parliament or proceedings that are matters of public record.

Advocacy strategy

An advocacy strategy sets out clear goals. Its activities identify the target audiences, timelines, and actions to reach its goals.

Capacity-building

Activities that build capacity are those that increase an organization's ability to reach its goals. They improve skills, information, collaboration, and tools. They also often improve an organization's sustainability.

Economic security

Economic security means that you have the resources required to meet your needs and those of your family. This includes quality work and the ability to meet your needs even during changes in your life such as at retirement.

Economic prosperity

Economic prosperity means to have access to resources that go beyond your basic needs. You have what you need to reach your full potential.

Evaluation plan

Describes the overall approach or strategy that will be used to guide the final evaluation expected at the completion of the project.

External project evaluation

An evaluation is the assessment of a project. It considers its design, implementation, and results as a way of learning and a commitment to results. The aim is to see if it met its objectives, and whether the project was efficient and effective. It also considers its impact and sustainability. An external project evaluation can be led by an external evaluator or researcher. The key is that the evaluator be an expert not involved in the project or organization to ensure an impartial evaluation.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

GBA Plus is a process used to assess how diverse people may experience policies and programs. The “plus” in GBA Plus shows that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences. We all have many identity factors that intersect to make us who we are. It also considers many other identity factors like ethnicity and age.

Indigenous women’s organization

It represents First Nations, Inuit, or Métis interests and is representative of the population it serves. Its work includes advancing equality for Indigenous women in Canada.

Industry

An industry refers to a group of similar types of organizations or companies. Examples of industry include construction, mining, and the arts. Industry and sector are often used interchangeably.

Not-for-profit organization

A not-for-profit organization is a group that operates only for a social purpose. This includes social services and recreation. The people involved in the organization cannot use it for personal financial gain.

Other equality-seeking organizations

It works to address disadvantage and discrimination. It challenges barriers to equal access, opportunities, and resources and seeks social justice for individuals and communities.

Results

Results are the intended effects of an intervention. They can be short, medium, or long-term in nature. They can be an increase or a decrease in something targeted by the program or initiative:

• Short-term results link to the outputs of an initiative.
• Medium-term results are a change in behaviour in a population based on short-term results.
• Long-term results present a change in state, stemming from the change in behaviour.

Sector

A large segment of society or of the economy. Examples of sectors are housing, education, and childcare. Industry and sector are often used interchangeably.

Strategic plan

A strategic plan describes an organization’s current state and its desired future state. It outlines an organization’s goals and an action plan to go from the current state to the desired future state. The purpose is to build team alignment and decision-making capacity. This will help the organization to be ready for the future and take advantage of opportunities to grow and improve. A strategic plan typically ranges from two to five years. It usually includes:

• an executive summary
• a description of the organization
• a mission, vision, and value statement
• an analysis of the internal and external environment
• a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• a description of the organization’s concrete goals and projects to achieve them
• an action plan that lists:
  • specific initiatives and who will carry them out
  • a timeline with specific dates
  • key performance indicators to track progress

Sustainability plan

It describes how an organization will sustain and build upon the work achieved through a project. The sustainability plan could include activities that:

• create and put in place sustainable fundraising practices
• develop practices to ensure that new skills and knowledge are not lost when an employee leaves the organization
• create and put in place a succession plan to ensure continuity when a leader leaves the organization

System

Systems are a way of thinking about and making sense of the world. A single system can include many smaller systems within it and can also interact or overlap with other systems. For example, Canada’s economy is a system. It includes smaller systems such as sectors, levels of government, and communities. Systems are never isolated from others. They interact with other systems. The Canadian economy for instance interacts with the education and health care systems. Organizations can choose which system(s) to interact with to advance systemic change.

Systemic change

Systemic change refers to changing one or more elements within a system. The objective of the change is to allow women and girls to fully take part in the economic, social, democratic, and political life of Canada. 

Consult the systemic change tip sheet for more information.

Systemic change project

Systemic change projects aim to remove barriers to gender equality in systems. For example, a group could work with institutions to change policies and practices biased against women. WAGE could support such a project. 

Systemic change projects do not aim to change women to fit or adapt to discriminatory systems. For example, a group could train women to adapt to an institution’s biased policies and practices. WAGE would not support such a project. 

Consult the systemic change tip sheet for more information.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders are people or groups affected by an issue, or who can influence change, or who may be resistant to change. Stakeholders can be a community, a government, an organization, or academics. Organizations can engage with stakeholders who have the levers to bring about gender equality for women.

To scale

To scale is to build on a successful systemic change project. It amplifies change to improve women’s equality. The department funds two types of projects that scale systemic change:

• Scale out: Expand a past or current systemic change project to a new location, population, or sector.
• Scale up: Use the results of a systemic change project to influence change at higher levels. For example, you could use evidence of success to advocate for changes to laws and policies for example.

Women’s organization

Its primary mandate and objective are to promote equality for women in Canada. It includes those that advocate, increase awareness, engage, and act to advance women's equality.