Policy 2: Evidence Based Policy Making

Description

Evidence-based policy is at the foundation of the policy analyst’s policy role. Our experienced facilitators will lead you through the importance of evidence-based analysis and will give you opportunities to practice the skills and concrete strategies to work in a complex and changing policy environment.

We will explore evidence-based policy-making and environmental scanning to understand the context and challenges you face as you think about public policy.

Certificate in Policy and Governance

This course is part of the Certificate in Policy and Governance offered by the institute. While there are no formal prerequisites for this course, we highly recommend that you consider taking the preceding courses or familiarizing yourself with their content. This background knowledge will greatly enhance your learning experience. Please be aware that the instructor may not revisit these earlier topics in order to allocate ample time for the current material.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the changing environment of public policy and understand the importance of a strategic view of your policy work.
• Learn about public policy research, data collection, comparators, and environmental scanning.
• Understand the complexities of evidence-based policy-making in government.
• Explore policy analysis, using models that bring in the many competing ‘lenses’ on a policy issue, and how to reframing strategies to better align your analysis with the government’s priorities.
• Explore the importance of evidence gathering through consultation and engagement with Canadians and stakeholders.

Core Skills:

• Understand in more depth the policy cycle research and analysis
• Explore the changing context for public policy work
• Understand the purpose and scope of an environmental scan
• Understand evidence-based policy benefits and risks
• Understand consultation and engagement as a means of bringing greater voice and lived experience to the policy debate

Duration:

3 hours, including brief intervals to ensure continuous engagement and learning absorption.

Facilitators

Catherine Waters is the Manager of the Learning Lab with the Institute on Governance. She has extensive experience as a consultant, researcher, and instructor/facilitator in the areas of public management, public policy, organizational development, and corporate governance. Catherine has a special interest in the areas of modernizing governance, citizen engagement and democratic participation, and Aboriginal governance. Catherine has co-authored articles in a number of policy journals. In the area of professional development and life-long learning, she developed and delivered distance learning for the Government of Nunavut and the Certified Management Accountants to expand access to training opportunities to a wider group of public servants.

Catherine teaches in Carleton University’s MA program in Public Policy and Administration, on Public Management and Labour Relations & Collective Bargaining.

Catherine previously worked in London U.K. as a Senior HR Manager for British Telecommunications plc, focusing on international business development in the US and EU and labor relations. Particular areas of interest included the integration of international joint ventures, organizational change, and professional development and training.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French literature (Honours) from the University of Victoria, a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University and an MSc in Labour Economics (With Distinction) from the London School of Economics.

As an IOG instructor, Catherine has provided custom training for various ministries in the Government of Ontario, including the Ministry of Transportation, and board training for Ontario agencies, boards and commissions.

Linda Savoie, after a somewhat dispersed early career that includes time as a military officer, an aircraft mechanic, a lawyer, an airline manager and a museum educator, Linda stumbled upon the federal public service in the mid-90s.

There she discovered opportunities to influence policy development and implementation in areas of interest such as climate change, civic engagement, and gender equality. For some 25 years, whether at Transport Canada, the Privy Council Office, Canadian Heritage, Status of Women Canada, or Library and Archives Canada, Linda worked closely, as an executive, with Deputy Ministers, Ministers, and political staff.

While all challenges were interesting, she is particularly thankful for having been able to explore the power of partnerships and alliances in advancing gender equality and the role of libraries and archives in community vitality. Since her retirement in 2022, when not skiing or cycling, she continues to serve as Past Chair of the Carlington Community Health Center and assists the board of a new foundation in developing its governance.