Engineering Better Public Policy

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Engineering Better Public Policy !!
DEMOCRACYBETWEEN ELECTIONS

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• Carolyn Bennett, M.D.,M.P.
• May 8, 2009

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Peter C. Newman
Politics in Canada has always been the art of
making the necessary possible.

Deciding what s necessary is
POLITICAL
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Accidental Tourist in Politics

• Fight for Womens College Hospital
• Frustration with public policy
• Frustration with medical leadership
• M.P./M.D. parallel
• Coach through system
• Doctor on Call

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Confessions

• Patient as Partner
• Ask whats wrong and LISTEN
• Womens College Hospital, Toronto
• Non Quo Sed Quo Modo .
• Not what we do, but how
• Feminist Theory..
• inclusive decision-making better results
• Complexity Theory and Politics
• For every complex human problem, there is a neat
  simple solution, its just that its WRONG !
• 
  H.L.Mencken

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Once a family doctor, always..

• Patient as Partner
• Ask people whats wrong and listen, together
  develop a plan
• Democracy between elections..
• same thing

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Good public policy is developed when the
policy-makers can keep in their minds eye the
people affected.
Jane Jacobs
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Attitude 225

• Knowledgeable Stakeholders
• Committed(listening)Politicians
• Better Public Policy

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Objective Good governmentUrsula Franklin

• Fair
• Transparent
• Takes people seriously

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CYNICISM
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Underestimating our power. Well- meaning
fatalism. What can we do?
Michael Ignatieff
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Three mistakes
1. Stop talking like victims 2.
Stop assuming we all agree 3. Stop
underestimating our strength.
Michael Ignatieff
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Feel our strength. We cant go back to some
nostalgic paradise in the past.
Michael Ignatieff
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Power is not real. It is an illusion maintained
by the belief of the powerless that others hold
it.
Elizabeth May Leader, Green Party
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Making a Difference

• NGOs
• Professional Organizations
• Academics/Research
• Media
• Electoral Politics

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Our System

• Government

• Parliament

• Prime Minister
• Cabinet
• Pubic service

• Members of Parliament
• Senators

Parliament holds Government to account
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Stephen Coleman

• Parliaments role is emerging as that of a
  mediator between the voice of the public and
  government.

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Stephen ColemanProfessor of e-democracy Oxford
UniversityPeople dont want to govern they
want to be heard. Civic efficacyTwo-way
accountability
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Context

• Silos of Government
• Jurisdictional gridlock
• Governments prefer solutions
• Coalition of unusual suspects - compelling
• Public policy usually follows public opinion
• Climate of investment

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Sir Michael Marmot

• Evidence is not enough. There has to be the
  desire, the political will for change. Given that
  will - a big given but I am an optimist - the
  evidence of what works will be a great help.

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• Research
• Evidence-informed practice
• Practice-informed evidence
• Courage to fund what works
• Courage to stop funding what doesnt
• Complex adaptive systems

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Public policy

• Putting the poli into policy
• Research
• Policy
• Practice

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Research
Practice
Policy
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Research
KT
Practice
Policy
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Research
KT
Practice
Policy
Political will
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Research
Applied research
KT
Practice
Policy
Political will
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ENGAGED CITIZENS
Research
Applied research
KT
Practice
Policy
Political will
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Sir Michael Marmot

• Evidence is not enough. There has to be the
  desire, the political will for change. Given that
  will - a big given but I am an optimist - the
  evidence of what works will be a great help.

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No time for pessimists
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• Public policy usually follows
• public opinion.
• BECAUSE.
• Doing the right thing is very difficult if
  the public arent onside

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Political Will to do the right thing

• Dramatically improves with an educated public
  civic literacy
• Citizens pulling healthy public policy. civic
  efficacy

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Information Communication

• imperative......
• Send
• AND
• Receive

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OECD Citizen as Partner 2001

• Information
• Consultation
• Participation

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Legitimacy

• Timing
• Assured Listening EKOS
• Tracking Successes / Feedback processes

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Civic Literacy

• Government vs Parliament
• Whos asking?
• ??? Different Questions
• Parliament What ?
• Government How ?

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Strengthening Democracy

• MPs in the riding
• MPs with their non- geographic constituencies,
  opposition critics
• MPs as Parliamentary committee members
• Government consultations
• Political Parties

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Empowering Citizens Why?

• Better public policy unusual coalitions
  presenting real solutions
• Better legislation, better implementation
• Better scrutiny what questions to ask ?
• Better relationships between citizens and their
  representatives
• Ultimate goal a more robust democracy !!
• ? great people will run, citizens will vote

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Rx Civic ParticipationIts good for your health

• Physical and mental energy comes from
• feeling in control of your life,
• having real choices,
• and being involved with others
• to find ways of organizing change for
  the better
• Barbara Rogers

BONUS !!!!!!!!
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Quiz

• Who is your MP
• Who is your MPP
• Have you ever written/called/emailed an elected
  representative
• Did you vote in the last election
• Do you belong to a political party
• Have you ever helped in an election