Robert Malatest

Ima Okonny's insights on transforming public services through data are enlightening. In this Public Sector Future episode, she outlines the importance of a strong data foundation, data literacy, and responsible AI. Her practical examples, like using NLP to identify vulnerable citizens, showcase the real-world impact of data-driven initiatives. A must-listen for public sector leaders seeking to harness data for positive change. #dataforgood #publicsector #AI #dataliteracy

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At Blueprint, we are relentless champions of people-centered, data-driven, evidence-informed policy and practice. To that end, this past February, we convened the #BetterEvidence24 Conference in Ottawa.  We brought together over 200 leaders from government, academia, and the nonprofit sector to co-create a vision to “put data to work” to drive stronger outcomes for individuals, families and communities across Canada.  As the CEO of Blueprint , I was proud to convene such a deeply committed group of expert panelists and participants.  Today we released a report that shares key takeaways. https://bit.ly/3xgqfMu  Here’s a flavour of what’s inside our report:   - Evidence helps us make informed decisions in complex situations, strengthen delivery via feedback loops, and accelerate progress toward solving our toughest policy challenges.  - But, if evidence is a decisionmaker’s superpower, it is one that is chronically underutilized.  -To ensure policy outcomes match policy intent, we need make more frequent use of evidence, tightening the links between policy objectives, program design and service delivery.  -This means taking a whole-of-society, systems lens and using evidence to identify needs and understand what mix of policies, programs and services are best suited to meet them.  - Once decisions are made, we need to use data in real time to monitor implementation. Where are we making progress? Where are we stalling? How can we improve? Are there unintended consequences, or do changing circumstances require us to adapt?  In this way, we can move from administering programs to leading missions in service of specific outcomes for people across Canada. None of this is easy, but it will be worth it. As Public Services and Procurement Canada | Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has said, “data and evidence play a key role in producing the best outcomes for Canadians.” Our report offers practical guidance on how to move forward.   I urge you to share this report widely with networks engaged in policymaking. The stakes are high: nothing less than enhancing public trust and securing greater prosperity for Canada. I look forward to continuing the conversation. #PublicPolicy #BetterEvidenceBetterData #PuttingDataToWork #cdnpoli 

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Access to Justice so often means the ability, financially or without legal counsel, to engage in the legal system. But it also means the absence of barriers for people with disabilities and other intersectional experiences. Can people understand and engage with their legal rights and process? Help ARCH Disability Law Centre research this issue by completing a survey at the link below!

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This video clip explores the role of faith in Alberta’s political history and the ongoing debate about religion and politics in Canada. It delves into why Christians must reclaim their place in the public square, the misconceptions about the separation of church and state, and Alberta’s rich history of faith-driven leadership. https://lnkd.in/g3Fc4dK5

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Sustainability has three pillars. One that is often overlooked is the "social" pillar. #poverty is one indicator that we are failing to support that pillar. This is where #environmentaljustice can accomplish win-win-win scenarios for the environment and society. Developing climate safe and affordable housing drives the economy and lowers GHGs. #invest in our collective future.

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On #NationalIndigenousPeoplesDay, INNOVATIVE has released our latest tracking on Canadian opinion regarding Indigenous issues. The details are here https://hubs.ly/Q02CS8vZ0 We are still seeing the impact on the discovery of possible graves at the former site of the Kamloops residential school. While the facts of residential schools were well documented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Kamloops discovery changed public perceptions and the public debate in Canada. ·      The event cut through the clutter, with 75% of Canadians saying they had something about Indigenous peoples within a few weeks of the discovery. ·      It left Canadians angry at the way Indigenous people had been treated. ·      It convinced them that governments had failed Indigenous people badly, and that they should be able to take back control of their own affairs. None of this was news to Indigenous peoples, but it was a rude awakening for the average Canadian. Four years later, the public debate has fundamentally shifted with discussion of historical injustices and the need for reconciliation now playing a prominent role in conversations about indigenous issues. But all is not well on the road to reconciliation. ·      Attention to Indigenous issues has plummeted to 15% in our latest survey. ·      While a majority of 57% still agree that Canadians have a duty to help resolve the massive inequalities that Indigenous people face in Canada, that is down 68% immediately following the discovery, with strong agreement down from 39% to 26%. ·      We also see fewer Canadians agreeing that the federal government should do more for Indigenous people, dropping from 63% in 2021 to 47% today. ·      With lower expectations, federal and provincial government approval on Indigenous issues are rising. While the narrative around Indigenous issues remains changed in a way that supports efforts towards reconciliation, pressure on government to act is fading. Although economic and legal forces continue to favour efforts towards reconciliation, the pressure from public opinion is lower today than at anytime since Kamloops.

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Earlier this year, we spoke with individuals leading responses to generative AI in higher education. Perspectives varied widely—from “it has transformed what it means to be a teacher” to “it’s overhyped.” In our new report, we share insights from these conversations and recommendations focused on critical literacy, transparency, and equity. The full report is free to access (login required). https://lnkd.in/dF4HaNzD

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Are you a director in the federal public service focused on policy or program operations? Are you interested in enhancing your data literacy skills? Statistics Canada is piloting a unique program for policy/program executives to enhance their ability to leverage disaggregated data for informed policy decisions. Key Program Features: Panel Discussion: We have a fantastic lineup of expert panelists: - Dr. Wendy Cukier, Founder of the Toronto Metropolitan University's (formerly Ryerson University) Diversity Institute - Ümit Kiziltan, retired Chief Data Officer at IRCC and immigration advocate - Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO of the Wellesley Institute ADM and Chief Data Officer Ima Okonny from Employment and Social Development Canada Workshops: Gain practical insights into challenging the data and navigating ethical considerations in data usage. Event Dates: - October 17th: Panel Discussion on the importance of disaggregated data in policy development - October 24th: Workshop 1: Challenging the Data - October 30th: Workshop 2: Data Ethics If you're interested in participating, please email Maha at [email protected]

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Please take a moment to share this important survey with Ontario nonprofit organizations in your network!

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So, what’s next in BC politics? Right now, the NDP are at 46 seats, the Conservatives at 45 and the Greens at 2. If the final count gives either party 47 seats, they win a majority and the right to form government. The NDP are currently leading by less than 100 votes in each of the two closest seats. So, it is possible the Conservatives may make 47 seats. The Conservatives are ahead by less than 150 votes in the next two closest seats. So, it is possible the NDP may overtake in one or both and make 47 or even 48.  But the most likely scenario is that neither makes it to 47. That means minority. It is very unlikely the Green’s will support what they see as a climate change denying Conservative party. So, the NDP will likely form a government. But then what? The NDP can either cut a deal with the Greens as they did in 2017 or manage issue by issue. Given the NDP have retreated from the carbon tax, it is not immediately obvious how a deal can be found. But we will have to wait to hear from the Green MLAs to know if they are even interested. They may be watching the Bloc federally and thinking that asking for concessions every time there is a motion of confidence may be the best way to secure the gains they are looking for. The challenge for the NDP is whether they can afford strategically to do a deal or provide the concessions the Greens may be looking for. If we grossly simplify the NDP collation, there are two pillars: white collar mostly public sector workers, and blue-collar private sector workers. Those two groups are less likely to agree on the environment today than they were 7 years ago given BC’s current affordability and economic troubles. The Conservatives gave the NDP some surprises in Surrey and in Richmond. If you don’t live in BC, you may not be aware that the Richmond seats have a very large Chinese vote, and Surrey is known for its large South Asian communities. Not only do these communities tend to be more focused on the materialism side of environmental trade-offs, but they also tend to hold more traditional values on crime, drugs, and transgender issues. So, the NDP can’t shift too far back to the progressive agenda they shifted away from in the lead up to this election without jeopardising the next election. We will not know for sure what’s next for BC politics until the final count, expected by Monday October 28th. Even then’ if any seat is within 100 votes, there will be an automatic judicial recount. But right now, the odds are more likely that BC will have its second minority in three elections than a majority government. And if we do have a minority, it seems unlikely to last for too long.

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The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is asking the wrong question, if it wants to make Waterloo safer. More or less police, paying police more or less is not the best way to reduce violent or property crime or drug overdoses. Clearance rates are important for accountability, but reducing crime requires transforming community safety policy to tackle risk factors that involve Regional council not just the police civilian board. Yes smart use of police resources is better than not, but tackling the risk factors that contribute to these problems is the best and most cost effective way to do it. Ontario changed its Police Act to Community Safety and Police Act, but has not helped Municipalities get to know what works to tackle those risk factors nor develop a strategic plan informed by what works nor fund sustainably what works. It is time to follow the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission on community safety that are highly relevant to Ontario and transform policy to smart investment in community safety. Ontario could be a leader in halving street and gender based violence and also property crime if it made the changes. We can learn from the UK. Here is some bibliotherapy for the councilors and Regional staff and the media https://lnkd.in/ehJwjQPv https://lnkd.in/eppwkYJi Jeff Outhit Jess Dixon Tarah Hodgkinson

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Planners are certainly in high demand, but it's not the only gap in the sector. StrategyCorp Inc.'s work with municipal organizations and our upcoming annual CAO survey show that the workforce challenges exist across the full spectrum of service delivery and at all levels of the organization - from senior leadership positions like the CAO and chief planner to clerks, lawyers, and engineers and frontline water, wastewater, and transit operators, to name a few. If ever there was a need for municipal administrations and their elected officials to reflect on their role as employers and spend some time - and probably money - to better support and engage their teams and tap into non-traditional talent pools and recruitment methods, it's now.

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I decided to hand out my own highly informal yet amazingly prestigious awards at the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) awards gala on Wednesday and now I'm announcing three more! (You get to do whatever you want when someone hands you a microphone. :) - Best insights award: To Kelly Becker who finally made it possible to speak directly to dogs and deeply understand their needs and emotions. - Best parallel study award: To Margaret Chapman and Steve Male for openly sharing a direct comparison of AI vs human analyses. I've been waiting so long for someone to prove they care about validity! - Best audience participation award: To Lisa Wright and Vijay Wadhawan for getting so many people in the audience talking about removing barriers and fostering diversity and inclusion in our industry Congratulations! #MRX #Insights #MarketResearch #MarketingResearch #CustomerInsight #ConsumerInsight #QuantitativeResearch #QualitativeResearch #CAIP #CRIC #CanadaCAIP #CanadaPAIM #CaipPaim

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There's one little set of questions I particularly appreciate in the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer - a huge national survey out of the University of Manitoba that measures our progress on Reconciliation. These questions are in the backend of the survey, and they're worded more elegantly than this, but they basically ask: Do we have comfortable, trusting friendships as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada? (Answer: Not quite yet, especially in the Prairies). The barometer measures so much around our systemic progress toward Reconciliation. For me, though, the "comfortable, trusting relationships" questions speak to how we're treating each other in our everyday lives. Probe Research (Canada) supports the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer pro bono, definately because it has huge national value, but mostly as a tiny way to build those comfortable, trusting relationships in our own community. I've learned so much from, and been so welcomed by, all the amazing UM researchers on Katherine Starzyk's barometer team - Aleah Fontaine, Erin White, Jaden Dela Rosa, Katelin Neufeld, Caitlin Ferry, Brenda Gunn, Ry Moran and some newbies I'm looking forward to meeting! On Friday, Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid announced more than $200K in federal research funding to help the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer level up by hiring a project mananger, getting the third mega-survey done and launching some public outreach and education. This will be a gamechanger for a project that aims to answer - in big and small ways - if we're getting closer to Reconciliation. Congrats to the team on this! And I can't wait to see if we've made progress on my favourite questions in the next barometer report. (Don't look at this bad photo of Friday's press conference. Instead, read about the Canadian Reconciliation Barometer here: https://lnkd.in/gN_J--s6)

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78% of Canadian CEOs Prioritizing ESG Because of Regulations: Survey Nearly 80 percent of Canadian business leaders say they prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values at their companies because they have to. A KPMG survey found regulatory obligations are the main motivator for CEOs to implement ESG, and 63 percent say they're struggling trying to implement it "as a means of value creation.” https://lnkd.in/gNSH2nns

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If you work at a post-secondary institution and want to encourage your students to have opportunities to dig into real-world challenges, to embrace complexity, and to network globally, you need to check out Map the System Canada. It is - uniquely - an "un-pitch" competition, in that it is asking students not to come up with an idea, venture, or 'solution', but instead to spend time understanding the problem - from many perspectives. And ultimately ask better questions about why things are they way they are.

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Two posts from me in one day... but I just watched Jonathan Craft give the Jocelyne Bourgon Visiting Scholar Lecture with the Canada School of Public Service | École de la fonction publique du Canada on the theme of "stewardship" in building capacity for policy + delivery. I'm sure it will be posted soon for those #wonks out there. Admittedly, this stuff isn't headline grabbing stuff in #cdnpoli, but my goodness, it's the foundation for getting stuff done! And Jonathan knows so much about how other public services of the world get their stuff done. Lots to learn! One of Professor Craft's many insights that I found most interesting is that "stewarding capacity" isn't just about the public service anymore -- a broader ecosystem is engaged in making a policy cycle successful. For me, this signals the importance of regular forums that bring leaders in public service, nonprofits and academia together to share successes and colloborate on improvements that will deliver the outcomes and services the Canadian public is looking for. I felt this *magic* at the #BetterEvidence24 conference with Blueprint + Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at uOttawa. Such a convening is much deeper than a stakeholder exercise! It's about recognizing that different players hold different pieces of the puzzle that is the key to impact. Public services have a unique leadership role to pull those puzzle pieces together.

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This article by Kouzes and Posner was written in 2004. It is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago when it was introduced. Social media and new media has created a culture of cynicism that has permeated our lives and the organizations that we lead. We have choices in how we spend our time and energy. We have choices in who/what we engage in. We have a choice in how we show up each and every day. How do you rise above the cynicism and be effective as a leader? Opening quote from the article, "Cynicism is the tendency to be close-minded and disillusioned. It differs from skepticism, which is also a tendency to disbelieve; however, skeptics are willing to be convinced if they are presented with persuasive information. Cynics are much less inclined to be influenced. They believe that human conduct is motivated solely by self-interest, and they have a sneering disbelief in the integrity of others. They adopt unrealistically high expectations of themselves and/or other people, and then generalize these into expectations about society, institutions, authorities and the future. They then experience disappointment in everyone’s ability to meet these expectations, which results in their feeling of frustration and defeat. The cycle continues with disillusionment or the sense of being let down, in turn resulting in a sense of feeling deceived, betrayed or even manipulated by others. The logical conclusion is a character such as Dilbert, portrayed as either helplessly naïve or being constantly taken in as a sucker." https://lnkd.in/gHNGZrTT Kouzes and Posner authored the book, "The Leadership Challenge" in 1987. It influenced me greatly as a leader after originally being introduced by my friend and mentor, Dr. Bob Frazer. I highly recommend both!

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