NLIS 3
February 13, 2004
(Executive Council)
 

Report acknowledges shift in government thinking

Dianne Whalen, Minister responsible for the Strategic Social Plan, released today the Learning Study report commissioned to determine if government is doing business differently as a result of the Strategic Social Plan.

The external study did identify changes in the way government does business in trying to achieve its social goals. The report is part of the Social Audit committed to by government to monitor that progress.

The conclusions in the report are followed by 17 recommendations.

"The report acknowledges a shift within government that recognizes that decisions can�t be made in isolation, and that social and economic development are linked," Minister Whalen said.

During the summer and fall of 2003, Jane Helleur & Associates interviewed 119 people from within and outside government about their opinions on the effectiveness of the Strategic Social Plan and its approaches.

The Learning Study: Has Government Started doing Business as Envisioned by the Strategic Social Plan can be found at www.gov.nl.ca/ssp/learningstudy

Media contact: Tracy Barron, Communications, (709) 729-4860 or (709) 690-6157

BACKGROUNDER

  • The Strategic Social Plan was born out of the need for a major shift in public policy following the closure of the fishery in the early 1990s and the resulting social and economic turmoil.
  • The Strategic Social Plan was implemented in 1998 as a long-term approach to social development in the province. The goal is a healthier and more educated people, living in vibrant self-reliant communities.
  • Six Regional Steering Committees allow for government and community organizations to work together to identify and address issues related to the social or economic development of a region. This reduces duplication of efforts.
  • This new approach recognizes that social and economic development are linked, and neither can be addressed in isolation of the other. It encourages government departments to work together, across government and in the community.
  • One of the goals of the Strategic Social Plan is to encourage government departments to work together on initiatives that have cross-departmental implications. For example, several government departments are now contributing funds for a literacy survey.
  • Government made a commitment in 1998 to do a Social Audit to measure social progress in the province five years after the implementation of the Strategic Social Plan. The Learning Study report is part of that four-phase Social Audit.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province in Canada to undertake a Social Audit.
  • Phase one of the audit was Community Accounts, which provides an on-line social and economic profile of each community in the province, including employment levels and the health and education of its residents. Phase two was the compilation of From the Ground Up, a fact sheet of information specific to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
  • The final phase of the Social Audit is assessing whether resources are being allocated with the long-term social development of the province in mind. This phase is currently underway.

2004 02 13                                        1:40 p.m.


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