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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