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Evaluation Of The Centre For Strong Communities Project Proposal By Mekis University

The Name Of The Course

Your Name

The Name Of Your Instructor

The Date You Submit The Assignment.

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Introduction

This evaluation report is intended to assess the proposed construction project in

Ihtawinton, Ontario. This project seeks to build additional public facilities, such as classrooms,

labs and libraries. This report will examine the appropriateness of this project given the local

context of Ihtawinton, its financial sustainability, and its social and environmental

responsibility. The results of this assessment will be used to determine if the Building

Sustainable Communities Fund should accept, reject with follow up, or completely reject this

proposal. Additionally, recommendations for continued action will also be provided based on

these findings.

Potential Community Impact

This project has great potential to have a positive impact on the community of

Ihtawinton, Ontario. The Centre for Strong Communities will likely create some jobs in

construction, engineering and design as well as many additional temporary jobs. According to

the proposal, the proposed construction project is expected to create 5 permanent full-time

equivalent jobs and 100 temporary full-time equivalent jobs in the local economy. This would

create employment and boost to the local economy. Furthermore, the Centre's purpose is to

foster stronger relationships with the community, providing educational resources and training

programs which can have positive benefits on the health and wellbeing of local people.

Additionally, its goal of reducing energy costs can have long-term environmental benefits in

terms of reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Additionally, Mekis University is also a not-for-profit organization, meaning the money

generated by this project will stay in the community, helping it to continue to grow and
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prosper. The additional services provided by the Centre for Strong Communities project will

benefit both staff and students at Mekis University in a number of ways. For starters, the

Centre will provide educational resources to staff and students that they may not have

otherwise had access to, such as specialized training programs or seminars on various topics

related to their field. Assuming the high quality of education is maintained, the project will be

able to generate talent for the community. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the additional

services provided by this project will benefit both staff and students at the university.

Additionally, this proposed project also aligns with several of the guidelines established by the

Building Sustainable Communities Fund. The Building Sustainable Communities Fund outlines

that projects should focus on building “capacity for social and economic growth”, which this

project is designed to do.

Appropriateness To Community Context

The proposed construction project appears to be appropriate given the local context of

Ihtawinton, Ontario. The proposal to build the Centre for Strong Communities is a project that

responds to local needs and builds on local assets. The Centre will provide educational

resources, talent creation, job opportunities, and access to specialized training programs, all of

which are in line with the increasing number of students Ihtawinton's and overall higher

enrollment in the university. Additionally, it will work to reduce energy costs through improved

building insulation, an effort which will help families in the area save money in the long run.

Finally, its aim to foster stronger relationships with the community by providing activities and

events can have positive effects on both social cohesion and economic stability. All of these
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factors combine to make this project a sensible choice for Ihtawinton that could potentially lead

to significant improvements in quality of life for its citizens.

Financial Sustainability & Social/Environmental Responsibility

The financial sustainability of the proposal is ideal because the project is supported by

multiple credible sources, including the Mekis University Capital Fund, public, and private

fundraising. The total requested from the Building Sustainable Communities Fund is

$12,000,000. This will be supplemented by contributions of $8 million from the Ontario

Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; $1 million from the City of

Ihtawinton; $1 million in naming rights; and $400,000 in additional private fundraising. This

ensures that there are enough funds to cover all costs associated with construction materials

and labour as well as MERCs (Mandatory Employment Related Costs). Additionally, contingency

funds are available should any unanticipated costs arise during the project. According to the

proposal, the applicants intend to pay for the project without debt financing and intend to

integrate the new facilities to the existing management system so that a significant portion of

the total operating costs will be generated from the enrollments. However, the proposed

budget does not meet the criteria under the third guidelines of Building Sustainable

Communities Fund “Ineligible Expenses”. This is because the budget includes contingency costs

and administrative costs that are ineligible according to the Building Sustainable Communities

Fund.

Additionally, in order to ensure that this project is socially responsible, the applicant has

proposed providing health insurance and pension plans for the employees working on this
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project which meet the criteria in the first guideline for the Building Sustainable Communities

Fund. This shows that they are taking into account social concerns when planning the project

and have thoughtfully considered how their actions will impact those who are employed by this

project. Finally, the applicant has also outlined a plan for minimizing any negative

environmental impacts that may arise from the construction process. This includes using

sustainable building materials and practices such as recycling and reusing materials whenever

possible. Overall, the proposal meets both the financial sustainability and social/environmental

responsibility criteria set out by Program Guidelines: Building Sustainable Communities Fund. In

doing so it makes a strong case for its ability to create a thriving economic system for

Ihtawinton and its citizens.

Recommendation

Based on the information provided in this report, it is recommended that the Building

Sustainable Communities Fund reject proposed construction project with follow-up. The

Building Sustainable Communities program should therefore work with the applicant to

improve section 3: Project Costs in order to exclude the ineligible expenses. The project is

otherwise socially responsible, while also having a positive impact on the local economy and

environment. In addition, it meets the other criteria set out by the Building Sustainable

Communities Fund and appears to be appropriate given the community’s current needs and

assets. Therefore, accepting the project after the necessary adjustments would provide an

opportunity for the city to further develop its infrastructure while also creating new jobs. After

approval of funds allocation, the applicant should be instructed to continue with the project
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and submit a report on the progress of their construction efforts at regular intervals in order to

ensure that these goals are being met.