MARCO:POLO Marginalization & COVID-19: Promoting Opportunities for Learning & Outreach

Many Toronto organizations rapidly introduced programs and innovations to support people experiencing marginalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MARCO (Marginalization and COVID-19) study, a collaboration between academic and community investigators, is using program evaluation methods to evaluate such community-led interventions. Our focus in MARCO was on using descriptive and deductive analyses to identify findings with the greatest potential for immediate impact, with a focus on service delivery that is more equitable and client-centered. However, the large amount of data that we collected offers additional opportunities. MARCO:POLO is an extension study to MARCO; our aim is to generate a deeper understanding of marginalization in health by addressing questions across evaluations, with a specific focus on systems and policy-oriented frameworks and questions addressing innovation and racism. Our approach is based on the understanding that this level of analyses is necessary for driving social change.