Public Policy Research Centre Memorial University of Newfoundland

1
Public Policy Research CentreMemorial University
of Newfoundland

• Presentation to Federal Council Policy Group May
  13, 2003
• David Vardy, Interim Director

2
Profile of Director

• Economist
• Federal Service
• Provincial Service of 27 years as Deputy Minister
• Channing Chair and Adjunct Professor
• Task Forces and Panels
• Interim Director February 1, 2003

3
Future of Public Policy

• Challenges and fundamental change in Newfoundland
  and Labrador
• Strong policy capacity at national but not at
  provincial level
• Cost of policy failure high policy failure as
  cause of our unacceptable place in Canada
• Need for made-in-Newfoundland solutions
• Vision is important

4
Pro-active versus Reactive

• Vision leads to pro-active stance
• University well-positioned to be pro-active
• Research agenda important in pro-active model of
  governance

5
Timing Propitious

• Royal Commission Report Imminent
• Election Imminent

6
Why University Think Tank?

• University Strategic Plan makes commitment to
  public policy research
• National funding councils demand policy relevance
• Wide and diverse range of multi-disciplinary
  expertise at University
• Respected Institution in Province

7
Target audience

• Governments
• Leaders
• General Public
• Public support generates government action

8
The Need for a Policy CentreMemorials
Strategic Plan

• Making our policy-related expertise accessible.
• Excellence in research and community service.
• Innovative leadership in developing and applying
  knowledge and values.
• Responsive to Newfoundland and Labrador's
  geography, culture and economy.

9
Getting Started

• The Public Policy Research Centre gratefully
  acknowledges the advice and financial assistance
  of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

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Policy Centre Mission Statement

• The Policy Centre will enhance social and
  economic public policy in Newfoundland and
  Atlantic Canada through collaborative research
  and capacity development.

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Policy Centre Research Focus Social and
Economic Development

• Natural resource management
• Optimizing participation of local economies in
  natural resource development
• Seeking linkages between old and new economies
• Identifying best-practice strategies for regional
  development.

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Centres Collaborative Commitment

• to identifying questions for research and
  analysis with policy makers and policy advisors
  at all levels of govt.
• to working with research centres and funding
  agencies regionally, nationally and
  internationally that have similar mandates
• to responsible, scientific and timely research
• to communicating results so as to help policy
  makers make the best possible decisions.

13
Policy Centre Location

• 4th Floor, Queens College
• Memorial Main Campus

14
Policy Centre Organization
15
Advisory Board MUN Members

• Chris Loomis, Chair, VP (Research)
• David Graham, Dean of Arts
• Chris Dunn, Department of Political Science
• David Vardy, Interim Director

16
Advisory Board Community Members

• June Alteen, Chairs School District 3 Steering
  Committee of the Social Strategic Plan for the
  Grenfell Cormack Region
• Douglas Brown, Inst. of Intergovernmental
  Relations, Queens U.
• Keith MacDonald, Manager of Policy and Planning,
  ACOA
• Andy Noseworthy, Deputy Minister of
  Intergovernmental Affairs, Govt. of NF and Lab.
• Elaine Price, President, NF and Lab. Federation
  of Labour
• William Wells, President and and CEO,
  Newfoundland Hydro

17
Policy Centre Working Papers

• Timber and Non-Timber Forest Products Changing
  Policy in Newfoundland and Labrador (Susan
  Williams)
• The Irish Economic Model and Federal Transfers in
  Canada (Stephen White)

18
Policy Centre Projects

• Strategic Social Partnerships
• Dynamics of Rural Areas
• Economic Impact of Offshore Petroleum
• Royalty Regimes and the Economic Future of
  Newfoundland

19
Dissemination and Networking Activities

• public lecture series (e.g., Galbraith Lecture)
• exchange visits by researchers or policy makers
• web site, occasional paper series, roundtables,
  workshops, conferences
• joining national and international policy
  research networks
• annual prize for the best graduate thesis or MA
  project report in public policy

20
Curriculum Development to support Public Policy
Capacity

• Executive Masters in Oil and Gas Studies
• Public Sector Leadership and Management
  Development Program
• Masters in Health Systems Management

21
Capacity Development

• Centre draws upon faculty
• Influence on new appointments
• Build policy-relevant expertise

22
Review Panel

• ACOA funding two years
• Contract up to December 31, 2004
• Review required
• Panel appointed in September, 2002
• Panel to examine future prospects of centre
• Report in December 2002

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Panel Members

• Keith Banting, Director of Policy Studies at
  Queens
• Philip Prince, President, Canadian Energy
  Research Institute, (CERI)
• Noel Roy, Professor,Economics Department at MUN
• David Vardy, Chair of Panel

24
Review process

• University input
• Government input
• Community organizations
• Site visit
• Collaborative writing process

25
Recommendations

• Centre to continue, subject to funding
• Necessary funding identified
• Focus upon fundamental issues
• No restriction on mandate
• Rolling agenda
• Strong interaction with other centres

26
Recommendations (continued)

• University to provide space and overhead cost
  plus some contribution to salaries
• Core funding from both Province and Federal
  Government
• Project funding from variety of sources
• Transitional Arrangements

27
Recommendations (continued)

• Core faculty participants identified
• Strong engagement of faculty in planning
• Research to result in peer-reviewed publication
• Core executive team of three
• Board of Directors to replace advisory committee

28
Status of report

• Board of Regents have report
• Interim Director appointed
• ACOA extension

29
Research Agenda

• Royal Commission report imminent
• Policy Centre offer to host workshops
• Process to establish research priorities
• Vision without ideology

30
Vision

• Innovation Theme
• Knowledge based
• Healthy Communities
• Sustainable Development

31
Principles or criteria

• Relevance in terms of innovation, employment,
  public debt, sustainability
• Potential application to other areas
• Builds upon strengths
• Multi-disciplinarity embracing wide range of
  expertise
• Timeliness

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Principles (continued)

• Options
• Evidence and theory
• Existing work no duplication
• Use of people with highest level of expertise
• Network with other centres

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Research agenda setting

• Start with broad fields
• Policy forum to review
• Policy forum to pick immediate priorities and
  identify selected fields
• Consultation process to build medium term
  research agenda

34
Build upon Royal Commission work

• Demographic trends
• Regional and rural Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Fiscal Federalism
• New economy
• Innovation

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Broad Fields

• Renewable resources
• Non-renewable resources
• Education, health, human resources
• Governance issues
• People, Places, Transportation and Technology

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Renewable Resources

• Fisheries and aquaculture
• Forestry
• Agriculture
• Hydroelectric resources
• Coastal zone management
• Environment
• Waste Management
• Reinvention of old industries

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Non-Renewable Resources

• Petroleum
• Minerals
• Issues of sustainability
• Supplier development and local benefits
• Royalty Revenue
• Balance between economic rent and direct regional
  benefits
• Reinvention of old industries

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Education, Health, Human Resources and Culture

• Labour Relations
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Income Support
• Social determinants of economic progress
• Economic and social adjustment
• Prepare youth for new economy
• Adult literacy/new economy
• Culture

39
Governance Issues

• Women in society
• Aboriginal issues
• Dispute settlement
• Provision of local services
• Fiscal federalism and intergovernmental
  cooperation
• Social capital and volunteer sector

40
People, places, transportation and technology

• Communities and demography / Rural - Urban
• Location of economic activity
• Labrador issues
• Economic and social Adjustment to resource crises
  
• Transportation and communication and social
  infrastructure
• Research and innovation
• Manufacturing and trade
• Investment capital

41
Agenda setting

• Policy forum to select one or two projects
• Royal Commission report timely
• Policy forum to select two broad fields
• Consultation process to follow
• Themes and research projects identified
• Seek project funding

42
Building Public Policy Centre

• Requires major commitment by University from top
  down
• Transformation of University
• Broad base of support in community required
• Difficult challenge requiring significant
  commitment of energy
• Full time director needed (not part time)

43
Funding for Centre

• Core and Project funding
• Private sector
• Foundations
• Federal
• Provincial government

44
Balance of expertise

• Canada Research Chair
• Interchanges/Visiting Fellows
• Research Staff/ Senior and junior
• Post/Doctoral

45
Relationship to other centres

• ISER/Smallwood
• Centre for Applied Health Research
• PRAC
• Regional and Rural Studies

46
Board of Regents

• Assess funding situation
• Make decision to proceed
• If positive, then appoint new Board of Directors
  and recruit new Director and Associate Director
  in early fall

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Contact

• David VardyInterim DirectorPublic Policy
  Research CentreMemorial University of
  NewfoundlandSt. John's, NF, CANADA A1C 5S7Tel.
  709-737-4311Fax [phone]e-mail dvardy_at_mun.ca