A fresh source of policy ideas

The most challenging issues we face today are not found in the realm of political philosophy but in the area of public administration. While disputes over issues like official bilingualism, universal health care or poverty reduction continue, the debate is focussed on how these policies are administered, funded and delivered rather than on their necessity. 

With this in mind, it is no surprise that our public debates have shifted from the “big ideas” – like national unity, the state of the federation, or the relationship between the citizen and the state – to the more mundane issues of management, service delivery and good governance. Although these issues may lack zing or intellectual excitement, they are no less important to the people of New Brunswick.

Successful public administration still requires the ability to evaluate, develop and propose policy. Without this capacity, governments lose their means to independently determine the best courses of action, adequately respond to the concerns of citizens, or resist the lobbying of pressure groups or industry. They become policy-takers, not policy-makers.

Of course, in this era where crisis, real or imagined, has become the main driver of government action, you still need resources but there is little need for a plan. But letting the “crisis junkies” run government is the public administration equivalent of letting the lunatics run the asylum. 

If our government has abandoned its requirement for policy analysis and development, where can we look for policy development, analysis and evaluation?

In New Brunswick, the Not-for-Profit sector is trying to fill the policy vacuum. Many of the new ideas for retooling our economy or enhancing social justice are being developed by community organizations across the Province. Although their focus may be on their areas of particular concern, many of these exciting new policy concepts have broader application in the world of public policy.

The Saint John Human Development Council, for example, collects and publicizes needed statistics on the state of our society. But their work does not end there. The HDC leads a number of important research projects that look to the future of social policy.

One key project is looking into SROI – or “Social Return on Investment.” Determining the “Return on Investment” or ROI is an economic principle that is common to the world of business. How much “return” – revenue or profit – can be expected from an investment? Determining the ROI is a critical factor in the decision-making process.

Economic decisions may have positive or negative social implications. Using the concept of ROI, the HDC is examining how the social impacts of investment could be defined and quantified. The resulting SROI – Social Return on Investment – can then be included in the decision-making process.

This tool will be particularly useful for businesses and public bodies that demonstrate a strong sense of corporate social responsibility. A business decision or investment that might have minimal ROI might have a significant “social return.” Likewise, a decision that might have a negative SROI can be identified and re-examined in the light of this finding.

The Not-for-Profit Sector also creates community-building opportunities for discussion and consensus. Vibrant Communities Saint John is a valuable example how the Not-for-Profit Sector, in this case those working on poverty reduction can come together to determine and act on a common agenda towards an important goal.

In November 2012, a diverse group of stakeholders, ranging in age from 16 to 94 years of age, gathered in Fredericton to participate in a provincial Summit on Ageing. In addition to individuals engaged in this field, this Summit brought the nursing homes, home care workers, health care professionals and others together to discuss the pressing concerns of demographic change in New Brunswick and the need for policy renewal in an area of provincial responsibility.

Some of these groups had an uneasy or non-existent relationship with others in the sector. However, as the Summit progressed, the realization of the common cause overcame the difference. In fact, the realization that a new consensus around senior care was in the process of forming created the momentum to continue working in collaboration with each other.

In fact, the genesis of the new Home First strategy, recently announced by Social Development Minister Madeleine Dubé, can be traced back to the work that first began at this Summit. The policy thrust that emerged from this Summit, and can be interpreted as the basic principle, is best described by the Minister herself, to “provide the right care, in the right place at the right price.”

This is a clear example how New Brunswick’s Not-for-Profit Sector is rising to the occasion. While we can be justifiably concerned that governments are courting danger, or general lack of direction, by reducing their own policy capacity, we can take heart that publically-minded citizens and groups are stepping forward to fill this policy vacuum. If the Government of New Brunswick is determined to be a policy-taker rather than a policy-maker, we can hope that they will take further cues from the Not-for-Profit Sector.

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This article was originally published in the June 18, 2014 edition of the Telegraph-Journal.