Dillon recently partnered with the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) and Ontario 211 Services to analyze and leverage province-wide 211 caller data to assess and understand unmet government and social service needs in Ontario communities. 211 is a telephone helpline and website that provides callers with information and referrals to for community, social, non-clinical health, and other related government services.
Utilizing a suite of GIS tools and a process of exploratory data analysis, Dillon examined nearly half a million call centre records provided by Ontario 211 Services to explore a variety of research questions and test a series of hypotheses. The resulting report and associated mapping and data products are hosted on the ROI website, making the data available to others to maximize further opportunities for analysis.
The results of this project were presented at the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) Policy Conference in December 2018. Michael Seasons, ROI and Ontario 211 Services presented the findings to the broader OMSSA membership in a webinar on March 20th, 2019.
Michael Seasons is a registered professional planner in the Toronto office. He has a background in market research, financial analysis and land development.