First and foremost, CEIP would not have been possible without the support of Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), the principal funder of the project and the originator of the idea that eventually became CEIP. [...] ES-1 The core of the CEIP offer made to eligible individuals was the chance to exchange their entitlements to EI or IA for the opportunity to work for up to three years on projects in selected communities in the CBRM. [...] The difference between the observed outcome of program participants and what the outcome would have been without the program is called an “impact.” The measure of what the outcome would have been in the absence of the program is called the “counterfactual.” Most commonly, a counterfactual is created by identifying a “comparison group” that resembles as closely as possible the group that takes part [...] A preceding report — The Community Employment Innovation Project: Design and Implementation (2003) — provides a detailed review of the implementation of CEIP including the process of engaging communities, the establishment of the CEIP program office in Cape Breton, and the recruitment of study participants. [...] Nonetheless, it is important to assess employment levels, compared with the control group, in order to measure the magnitude of the incremental effect of CEIP, over and above what would have occurred in the absence of the program.