We invite you to participate in a Focus Group session, to explore the design and implementation of a possible strategic policy (spending) review exercise as announced by the federal government in Budget 2022, with an update expected in Budget 2023. 

Federal departments and agencies will be asked to play a major role in this exercise, and PPX members in particular are likely to be asked to contribute their expertise. The first event, the webinar on February 28, 2023, provided general insights on what members could expect in a strategic policy (spending) review. A video of the February 28th event is available on the PPX website

In this second event, Focus Groups will be used to provide PPX members with an opportunity to share their insights and expertise on potential designs of the review. The PPX 26th Annual Symposium (October 25-26, 2023) will provide a forum for a broader discussion of the conditions that would have to be in place for a review to be effective.

You are invited to register for the Focus Group session, which includes:

• Setting the stage for the focus group discussions
• Scenario-based design sessions (e.g., regulatory, G&Cs, programs and services)
• Supporting the transformation of Public Service delivery of programs
• Consolidation of observations and moderated reflection
• Next steps for the project and partnership with PPX

SPACE IS LIMITED!

PPX is a partner in this research project on Spending Review supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The project team is led by Professors Robert Shepherd (Carleton University) and Evert Lindquist (University of Victoria). The involvement of PPX is based on its role of knowledge mobilization in a wide variety of disciplines in the public sector, including planning, audit, evaluation, performance measurement, and reporting.

See links to their relevant Policy Options articles:

New approach needed for reviewing government spending post-pandemic

Critical considerations for the future of the public service

You will be asked to identify your areas of interest and expertise for break-out sessions and facilitation.

LE FORUM SUR LE RENDEMENT ET LA PLANIFICATION (FRP) VOUS INVITE CORDIALEMENT À PARTICIPER À UNE SÉANCE DE GROUPE DE DISCUSSION SUR L’EXAMEN DES POLITIQUES STRATÉGIQUES (DÉPENSES) Le 4 avril 2023 (de 12 h à 13 h 30, HE)

Nous vous invitons à participer à une séance de groupe de discussion, afin d’examiner la conception et la mise en œuvre d’un éventuel exercice d’examen des politiques stratégiques (dépenses) annoncé par le gouvernement fédéral dans le budget de 2022, avec une mise à jour prévue dans le budget de 2023. 

On demandera aux ministères et organismes fédéraux de jouer un rôle majeur dans cet exercice, et on demandera probablement aux membres du FRP en particulier de fournir leur expertise. Le premier événement, le webinaire du 28 février 2023, a fourni un aperçu général de ce que les membres pouvaient attendre d’un examen des politiques stratégiques (dépenses). Une vidéo de l’événement du 28 février est disponible sur le site Web de PPX 

Dans ce deuxième événement, les groupes de discussion seront utilisés pour donner aux membres du FRP l’occasion de partager leurs connaissances et leur expertise sur les conceptions possibles de l’examen. Le 26e symposium annuel du FRP (du 25 au 26 octobre 2023) offrira un forum pour une vaste discussion sur les conditions qui devraient être en place pour qu’un examen soit efficace.

On vous invite à vous inscrire à la séance du Groupe de discussion, qui comprend :

• Préparation des discussions du groupe de discussion
• Séances de conception axées sur les scénarios (par exemple, réglementation, subventions et contributions, programmes et services)
• Appuyer la transformation de l’exécution des programmes par la fonction publique
• Consolidation des observations et réflexion modérée
• Prochaines étapes pour le projet et le partenariat avec le FRP

LES PLACES SONT LIMITÉES!

Le FRP est un partenaire de ce projet de recherche portant sur l’examen des dépenses, soutenu par le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines (CRSH). L’équipe du projet est dirigée par les professeurs Robert Shepherd (Université Carleton) et Evert Lindquist (Université de Victoria). La participation du FRP repose sur son rôle de mobilisation des connaissances dans une grande variété de disciplines du secteur public, notamment la planification, l’audit, l’évaluation, la mesure du rendement, et les rapports.

Voir les liens vers les articles pertinents des Options stratégiques :

Nouvelle approche nécessaire pour examiner les dépenses gouvernementales après la pandémie

Considérations critiques pour l’avenir de la fonction publique

On vous demandera de déterminer vos domaines d’intérêt et d’expertise pour les séances en petits groupes et la facilitation.

THE PERFORMANCE AND PLANNING EXCHANGE (PPX) CORDIALLY INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A WEBINAR ON STRATEGIC POLICY (SPENDING) REVIEW February. 28, 2023

We would like to invite you to participate in an exciting webinar examining the design and implementation of a possible spending or strategic review exercise as announced
by the federal government in Budget 2022. Federal departments and agencies will likely have a major role to play, and PPX members in particular will more than likely be asked
to contribute their expertise. So, it is time to be informed and prepare! This webinar is the first of two events being hosted by PPX. This webinar will provide general insights on what members could expect as Budget 2022 gave no indication of how such a review could be framed, the basis on which spending could be reviewed, or the methods to be used. Although Budget 2023 is likely to provide an update, the webinar may provide some clues on what to expect. The second event, which is being scheduled for March, will use focus groups to provide PPX members with an opportunity to contribute their own thoughts on the potential design of a spending review as well as to afford a broader discussion on ways that departments and agencies can prepare. The question is not whether expenditure reduction or even whether spending reallocations will be needed, but simply a matter of when such an exercise will be carried out and how it might be done.

You are invited to register for the webinar , which includes:

• Setting the stage for the review within government;
• Comparative overview;
• Way forward: an analytical framework;
• Discussion and engagement; and
• Next steps.

Spending & Strategic Reviews Presentation Deck (PDF)

PPX is a partner in this research project on Spending Review supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The project team is led by Professors Robert Shepherd (Carleton University) and Evert Lindquist (University of Victoria). The involvement of PPX is based on its role of knowledge mobilization in a wide variety of disciplines in the public sector, including planning, audit, and evaluation; and performance measurement, indicators and reporting.

A link to their Policy Options article (March 2022) “New Approach Needed for Reviewing Government Spending”

You may also register for the Focus Groups to be held on March 21, 2023, and will be requested to identify their areas of interest and expertise for break-out sessions and facilitation. More information on the Focus Groups will be available soon.

Key Dates: 

Webinar Registration Opens: Monday, January 30, 2023
Deadline for Webinar Registration: Friday, February 24 , 2023
Webinar Date: February 28, 2023
Time: 12:00 pm EDT
Focus Groups: March 21, 2023 (Applications and registration will be open soon)
Symposium: October 25-26, 2023 (Ottawa Conference and Event Centre)

LE FORUM SUR LE RENDEMENT ET LA PLANIFICATION (PPX) VOUS INVITE À PARTICIPER À UNWÉBINAIRE SUR L’EXAMEN STRATÉGIQUE DES POLITIQUES (ET DES DÉPENSES) 28 février 2023

Nous aimerions vous inviter à participer à un webinaire passionnant qui examinera la conception et la mise en œuvre d’un éventuel exercice d’examen des dépenses ou d’examen stratégique tel qu’annoncé par le gouvernement fédéral dans le budget 2022. Les ministères et organismes fédéraux auront probablement un rôle majeur à jouer, et les membres du PPX en particulier seront devront contribuer à ce genre d’exercice en mobilisant leur expertise. Il est donc temps de s’informer et de se préparer!

Ce webinaire est le premier de deux événements organisés par PPX. Ce webinaire donnera un aperçu général de ce à quoi les membres peuvent s’attendre, car le budget 2022 n’a donné aucune indication sur la façon dont un tel examen pourrait être encadré, la base sur laquelle les dépenses pourraient être examinées ou les méthodes  qui seront utilisées. Bien que le budget 2023 soit susceptible de fournir une mise à jour, le webinaire peut fournir quelques indices sur ce à quoi il faut s’attendre. 

Le deuxième événement, prévu pour le mois de mars, fera appel à des groupes de discussion pour donner aux membres du PPX l’occasion de partager leurs propres réflexions sur la conception potentielle d’un examen des dépenses, ainsi que pour permettre une discussion plus large sur les façons dont les ministères et les organismes peuvent se préparer. 

La question n’est pas de savoir si une réduction des dépenses ou même une réaffectation des dépenses sera nécessaire, mais simplement de savoir quand un tel exercice sera réalisé et comment il pourra l’être.

Vous êtes invités à vous inscrire au webinaire (1 heure), qui comprend les sujets suivants:

• Préparer le terrain pour l’examen au sein du gouvernement ;
• Aperçu comparatif ;
• La voie à suivre : un cadre analytique ;
• Discussion et engagement ; et
• Prochaines étapes.

Spending & Strategic Reviews Presentation Deck (PDF)

PPX est un partenaire de ce projet de recherche portant sur l’examen stratégique des politiques (et des dépenses) soutenu par le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines (CRSH). L’équipe du projet est dirigée par les professeurs Robert Shepherd (Université Carleton) et Evert Lindquist (Université de Victoria). PPX a comme mission de mobiliser les connaissances dans une grande variété de disciplines du secteur public, notamment la planification, la vérification et l’évaluation, ainsi que la mesure, les indicateurs et les rapports sur la performance.

Vous trouverez ci-dessous un lien vers l’article de Policy Options (mars 2022) intitulé “New Approach Needed for Reviewing Government Spending”.

Vous pouvez également vous inscrire aux groupes de discussion qui se tiendront le 21 mars 2023. Il leur sera demandé d’identifier leurs domaines d’intérêt et d’expertise pour les sessions en petits groupes et la facilitation. De plus amples informations sur les groupes de discussion seront bientôt disponibles.

Dates clés : 

Ouverture des inscriptions au webinaire : Lundi 30 janvier 2023
Date limite d’inscription au webinaire : Vendredi 24 février 2023
Date du webinaire : 28 février 2023
Heure : 12:00 pm EDT
Groupes de discussion : 21 mars 2023 (Les candidatures et l’inscription seront bientôt ouvertes)
Symposium : 25-26 octobre 2023 (Ottawa Conference and Event Centre)

STOCKTAKING ON GENDER-BASED ANALYSIS PLUS (GBA PLUS) IN PROGRAM EVALUATION

February 17, 2022
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Presented by the Performance and Planning Exchange (PPX), the University of Ottawa’s Centre on Governance and the Graduate Diploma in Public Policy, the Program Evaluation at Carleton University and the Canadian Evaluation Society NCC.

Guest speaker:
Jane Whynot, PhD
Partner at Goss Gilroy Inc. and part-time professor at Carleton University

Moderator:
Prof. Eric Champagne
University of Ottawa and PPX

In Canada, the resurgence of Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) can in part be attributed to Justin Trudeau’s reprioritization of gender equality. For the first time ever in the history of the federal government’s results-based management and/or evaluation policies, GBA Plus was articulated as a federal government priority in the Policy on Results adopted in 2016. Related requirements were embedded across the policy cycle in unprecedented manners and numbers. However, federal organizations scrambled to meet all these policy requirements.

This webinar will present results from Dr. Jane Whynot’s doctoral theory-based approach exploring how the federal government evaluation function integrates GBA Plus. This includes findings from a Heads of Evaluation survey that extend across the awareness, reach, capacity changes and benefits associated with this policy. These findings are supported by key informant interviews, and case studies to explain the complex configurations present within the multiple and varied federal organizations as they integrate GBA Plus within their unique contexts. Finally, this webinar also addresses some of the shortcomings of GBA Plus as an approach given world events emphasizing the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion.

The event will be in English.

REGISTER HERE

The Why and the How of Risk Management in the Government of Canada

Thursday, January 27, 2022
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A joint webinar presented by the Centre on Governance and the Performance and Planning Exchange

Risk management is broadly recognized as a core element of effective public administration. Sound risk management equips departments and agencies to respond proactively to change and uncertainty by using risk-based information to support effective decision-making. Additionally, it can lead to improved service delivery, an increase in value for money, and, ultimately, better results for Canadians. To use risk management as an effective component of public service management, government organizations benefit from clear principles, consistent approaches and guidance, and transparent sharing of best practices and lessons learned.

The panelists and the moderator will address the relevance of risk management in government, practical approaches to risk management in federal organizations, and linkages with other areas of management. They will also discuss opportunities to strengthen communities of practice – at various levels – across the Government of Canada.

Panelists:
Andrea Cyr (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
Nicole Primeau (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)
Rodrigo Rosales-List (Indigenous Services Canada)

Moderator:
Dragos Popa (Health Canada and PPX)

Covid-19 Impacts on Government Departments: How Results Based Management is Helping

Presenters
Paule Labbe, Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Engagement, Shared Services Canada
View Presentation ENView Presentation FR

Anne Routhier, Director General, Strategic Planning and Reporting, Natural Resources Canada
View Presentation

Moderator
Art Stewart, (Performance and Planning Exchange Past President and Treasurer)

Results Based Management (RBM) is currently receiving renewed attention within public administrations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has/will RBM help public sector organizations navigate the impacts of the pandemic on their operations and service delivery in a highly unpredictable and complex environment? Results Based Management at its best helps to identify, analyze and recommend actions to anticipate and mitigate unexpected events and uncertainty, including through sound oversight, planning, risk management, performance measurement, reporting and other RBM processes.

In this webinar, our guest speakers will discuss the challenges, strategies, and results thus far that their organizations (Shared Services Canada and Natural Resources Canada) have faced and addressed arising from the pandemic. Particular aspects covered will include the roles of strategic planning, risk management, data/metrics, and reporting have been playing to help guide departmental business decisions. Lessons learned going forward will also be discussed.

This webinar will be of interest to a broad audience, including program managers, public administrators, academics, and those involved in any of the RBM functions.

Presentations in English and Q and A in bilingual format.

2019 SYMPOSIUM PRESENTATIONS

Understanding the take-up and use of information may be the most important measurement focus for government, not-for-profit and private initiatives in any time. It has even more importance in times of world crisis such as now. Over the last several years a uniquely tailored tool for assessing the uptake + use of information and knowledge across many domains has been developed in Canada. (The latest evidence available suggests that this Canadian developed approach has the potential to be a unique world leader in this kind of assessment.) The Knowledge Uptake and Use Tool (KUUT), originally developed by Dr Kelly Skinner of Waterloo to assess health promotion initiatives and since tried and evolved in a number of Canadian contexts, has shown itself to be an excellent means to gauge the reach and influence of information products, services and events. It tracks important responses based on a research based ‘influence’ pattern, and if used correctly can provide key insights on how context and conditions can affect information and knowledge use.

This one-hour webinar will provide an update on the initiative and will highlight one recent application of the tool which has been adapted for COVID 19 times and online information sessions, ‘fairs’ and conferences.

This session will highlight one of several on-going uses / users. The project is essentially a creative commons effort – so most applications and practices are shareable at this time. The key presenters for this session will be Kelly Skinner and Jasmin Bhawra of Waterloo University followed by Mark Shepherd of the Canadian Wood Council and Wood Works who will share their experiences using a streamlined version of the tool to gauge the influence of information products, solutions fairs, webinar sessions and even networking events. The session will be facilitated by Steve Montague of PPX and CES – and a keen user and secondary developer of versions of the approach. Brief presentations and a ‘show and tell’ component of the actual survey will be followed by a Q &A session. This event should be of keen interest to evaluators, performance measurement specialists, and / or anyone interested in understanding the reach and influence of the information they generate and produce from reports, sessions or conferences. A version of the tool will be used to gauge the value of this session – so registrants will get first-hand knowledge of the approach.

Panelists
Steve Montague, Moderator
Kelly Skinner, Waterloo University
Jasmin Bhawra, Waterloo University
Mark Shepherd, Canadian Wood Council and Wood Works

SPEAKERS

Steve Montague, partner of Performance Management Network Inc. is a credentialed evaluator, a Fellow of the Canadian Evaluation Society and has 35 years of experience as a practitioner in performance measurement and program evaluation as a management consultant, an adjunct professor and as an evaluation manager in a major Canadian federal government department. Mr. Montague has managed major and minor projects analyzing a wide variety of programs for Canadian federal, provincial, United States, Scottish and Australian governments, as well as conducting work for the OECD, the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations. He has published articles on measurement and evaluation in journals in Canada, the US and Europe and facilitated numerous presentations, panels and workshops on evaluation, performance management and information management. Steve is also a founding member and three times president of the Performance and Planning Exchange.

Kelly Skinner is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo where she leads the new online Master of Health Evaluation program. Kelly’s research and evaluation interests focus in two areas: (1) the health and well-being of First Nations populations and northern communities including the evaluation of health programs and food systems approaches; and (2) using evaluation theory and conceptual approaches to operationalize and build evaluation systems, with a continued interest in measuring knowledge uptake and utilization. Kelly has experience with stakeholder engagement, working with communities as an evaluation consultant, and currently teaches several courses she developed to online graduate students on evaluation theory, applications, practice, and management.

Jasmin Bhawra is a PhD Candidate and CIHR Health System Impact Fellow in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. She is a population health researcher and program evaluator whose research interests include chronic disease prevention, health program planning and evaluation. Jasmin has worked with public health units, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies coordinating research and leading health program evaluations.

Mark Shepherd has been working with the Canadian Wood Council for nearly 20 years as an advisor to Wood WORKS!, the association’s industry-and-government funded national market development program. In this role, he has worked with a diverse team of professionals to increase the use of wood in non-residential and multi-family construction projects. He also helped launch a similar program in the U.S. Mark is passionate about the Wood WORKS! program mission to ensure the built environment maximizes the use of wood-based solutions for the domestic wood industry and has developed strategies which leverage advocacy, education, collaboration, and communication. With the team, Mark has developed numerous national and regional strategic and operating plans and progress reports. He helped create and implement the program’s initial logic model, exit survey and methods for demonstrating funder “return on investment”.

Mark has a B.A. from the University of Waterloo (co-op) and M.A. from the University of Vi

GOVERNING THROUGH PERFORMANCE: LEARNING, AND UNLEARNING, IN THE UK

Dr. Colin Talbot, Professor of Government at the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

LESSONS LEARNED FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Sir Michael Barber

IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT’S RESULTS AND DELIVERY AGENDA: THE CHIEF RESULTS AND DELIVERY OFFICER’S (CRDO) PERSPECTIVE

Moderators:
Francis Bilodeau, Assistant Secretary To The Cabinet, Results And Delivery, Privy Council Office
Tolga Yalkin, Acting Executive Director, Program Performance and Evaluation Division, Expenditure Management, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

CRDO Panel: 
Neil Bouwer, Formerly Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy And Results Sector, Natural Resources Canada, now with Treasury Board Secretariat
Cheryl Grant, Director General, Policy Co-ordination And Planning Directorate, Health Canada
Sheryl Groeneweg, Director General, Results Delivery Unit, Innovation, Science, And Economic Development Canada

CANADA’S NEW INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM – FOLLOWING THE MONEY

Peter Weltman, Sr. Director, Costing and Program Analysis, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO)