The Office of the Voluntary Sector

What We Do

The Office of the Voluntary Sector (OVS) is a focal point for voluntary sector issues within the federal health portfolio and a centre for promoting government-voluntary sector dialogue and collaboration on policies and programs aimed at improving the health of Canadians.

Our role is to provide leadership and expertise on voluntary sector issues within the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada. We also work closely with national voluntary organizations (NVOs) to build their capacity to contribute to innovative health policy, promotion and protection activities.

Our Background

Building the Relationship between National Voluntary Organizations Working in Health and Health Canada.

The OVS was established by Health Canada in 2002, signaling the department's commitment to voluntary health organizations across the country and to the Government of Canada's Voluntary Sector Initiative (2000-2005), which fostered collaboration between the government and the voluntary sector to better serve Canadians' interests. In 2004 the OVS became part of the newly-created Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and has worked to engage the voluntary sector in capacity building, knowledge development and exchange, policy and program development and intersectoral collaboration.

Our Key Activities

Outreach, Engagement and Collaboration

Voluntary health organizations deliver a wide range of programs and services that governments and the private sector cannot. A strong, sustainable voluntary sector is therefore a key to maintaining and enhancing the health of Canadians. Engagement is achieved through strategic outreach, networking and relationship building. No team performs well if its players are not working from the same play book. Intersectoral collaboration helps ensure that national voluntary organizations and government players are on the same page when it comes to health promotion and protection. This collaboration is vital to policy dialogue, where it has led to Codes of Good Practice that ensure consistency and continuity in important inter-sectoral health programs.

Each of these efforts involves people talking to people, sharing ideas and perspectives, and working together to promote health and wellness and produce better health outcomes for Canadians.

Knowledge Development and Dissemination

Developing and exchanging knowledge is vital to government / voluntary sector partnerships in health policy, promotion and protection. The OVS is actively involved in knowledge development and exchange in a variety of ways - from the communication of experience and expertise to production of innovative educational resources, such as Forging Stronger Links. The Office has enjoyed particular success in bringing government and voluntary sector participants together for training workshops designed to enhance collaboration on national health-based programs across the country.

Leadership and Expertise

One of the OVS's strengths is its ability to facilitate voluntary sector involvement in the public policy process in areas such as chronic disease prevention, health care for specific population groups, and capacity building across the voluntary sector. This helps to ensure consideration of the impacts and implications for the voluntary sector and voluntary sector organizations of new or modified policies and programs. This collaboration encourages new approaches to health policy challenges, resulting in significant "lessons learned". These lessons can be applied to policy initiatives within the health portfolio and right across the federal government.

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