Youth Services Bureau

The Community Services (CS) Department at the Youth Services Bureau (YSB) in Ottawa, Canada provides shelter services, transitional and long-term housing options, a drop in centre with medical and counselling support services, and programming  for street involved or homeless young women and men.

Over the last five years, CS has seen tremendous growth in the demand for their services.  With a current budget of $4.6 million and approximately 70 staff, the CS Department operates two downtown shelters, a drop in centre, and three long-term housing apartment buildings.
 
In February 2010, YSB contracted with McConnell HR Consulting Inc. to conduct a review of the organizational structure. 

Our approach included consultation with a number of stakeholders across the Youth Services Bureau and within Community Services.  We interviewed stakeholders within Central Services to gain an understanding of the corporate support made available to CS.  Using a detailed questionnaire as the basis for consultation, other senior staff were interviewed.  A functional design of the existing Organizational Model - including tasks, functions and reporting relationships - was prepared and validated with the client.

With the data collected as part of our consultation, we conducted a detailed analysis of opportunities and challenges for CS.  These were considered and formed the basis of proposed design options.  We then prepared several optional detailed design organizational models for review and consideration by the client.

The relative advantages and disadvantages of each option were assessed from both short and long term perspectives.  A final detailed new organizational structure was then recommended to senior management for approval.  This has been successfully implemented by YSB.