Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
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About the HIFIS Initiative
Built on a partnership model between the Government of Canada and communities, the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) Initiative is a component of the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy. The HIFIS Initiative provides shelters and service providers with enhanced operational capacity. This allows communities to collect and analyze data on homelessness and shelter users in Canada that is of vital local and national significance.
The HIFIS Initiative, led by a national team of Human Resources and Social Development Canada employees, works through partnership development, capacity building, information sharing, and research analysis to facilitate a more efficient operation at the shelter level. The Initiative puts in place the tools, training and agreements needed to deliver comprehensive data on the homeless population and shelter use for reporting at the national level. The HIFIS Initiative helps communities understand the characteristics of homeless people using shelter services, with a goal of maximizing the impact of the community planning process. Regional Coordinators and HIFIS Community Coordinators act as liaisons between the Government of Canada and communities.
One important component of the HIFIS Initiative is the HIFIS software, which allows shelters and other service providers to record client-level information to manage their operations. The shelter community has been engaged in the design of the software since 1995. The software, training, and user support are available free to shelters and service providers across Canada. User support is available via a toll-free national support desk number or email address.
Shelter operators require appropriate technology to use the HIFIS software. The HIFIS Initiative recognized that many shelters lacked this technology and responded with its Digital Inclusion Partnership (DIP) for Homelessness. The DIP brings together donors from Microsoft Canada, Computers for Schools (Industry Canada), and the TelecomPioneers of Canada. This partnership provides an opportunity for shelters and service providers to obtain free computers, software, and technical support to meet their technological needs.
At the national level, the HIFIS Initiative is a unique research resource. Data collected by HIFIS users provide a portrait of shelters and their clientele. The data are analyzed and shared with researchers and policy-makers. The National Database is built through the signing of data sharing agreements and receiving data from shelters, larger non-profit organizations and various levels of government. This facilitates the sharing of aggregated data that support local, regional and national objectives. To date, over 200 data sharing agreements have been signed across Canada.
