Policy projects

Sectoral Involvement in Departmental Policy Development (SIDPD)

The Sectoral Involvement in Departmental Policy Development (SIDPD) Program was established as a means of funding strategic, short-term activities that would enhance policy development, improve service delivery to Canadians and strengthen communities across Canada. $28.5M was allotted to this program through the Federal Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI). In total, over 100 organizations worked with 17 government departments and agencies on projects covering a wide range of policy priorities, with both national and regional interests. These projects were completed in early 2005.

Health Canada obtained approval for six projects, totaling $6M in contributions for fiscal years 2002 - 2005. The funds were managed by the Office of the Voluntary Sector and, in some cases, by relevant areas within the Department under the terms and conditions of the Population Health Fund. Each project was directed by a collaborative steering committee, which included representatives from Health Canada.

Voluntary Organizations Involved in Collaborative Engagement (VOICE)

An important VOICE project legacy is the Make Your VOICE Count! web site, which provides a compendium of best learnings, tools and resources that can facilitate relationship building between voluntary and government sectors. This site can help support the voluntary health sector and government in collaborative health policy development efforts.

Integrated Prevention System - (National)

The Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC) was created in 2001, through a combined effort of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA), the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), and Health Canada.  The mission of this alliance is "to foster and help sustain a coordinated, countrywide movement for an integrated, population health approach to chronic disease prevention through collaborative leadership, advocacy, and capacity building." The resulting network of organizations will help to increase capacity for both the sector and the government to work horizontally and create credible and inclusive policy.

All Together Now: A Proposal for a Multicultural Coalition for Equity in Health and Well Being - (Regional, Alberta)

The Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative created this project in order to help bring an end to the persistent inequalities in Canadian society for immigrant and refugee communities. By way of collaborations with interested communities, the projects helped to facilitate the identification of policy issues impacting the health of community members, and the development of both short-term and long-term processes to address those inequities.

Citizens for Mental Health - (National)

This project involved the five regions of the Canadian Mental Health Association: British Columbia and Alberta; the Prairies; Ontario; Quebec; and the Atlantic Region. Using a multi-level approach, these regions worked with local and national mental health organizations to develop actions, tools, and strategies needed for national mental health policy reform; and to enhance the capacity of the voluntary sector to partner with the federal government in on-going mental health policy initiatives.

Final project reports, ‘backgrounders,' and other project-related publications are available for download in both official languages. Please consult the project website for more information (Citizens for Mental Health).

Ontario Seniors' Participation in Health and Housing Policy - (Regional, Ontario)

The Ontario Coalition of Senior Citizens' Organizations (OCSCO) developed this project as a means of exploring health and home care options that could provide Canadian seniors with an alternative to institutional long-term care facilities. From 2002 - 2004, OCSCO worked with almost 300 seniors and 32 seniors' organizations from across Ontario , directly involving them in the creation of policy recommendations for future health and housing policy directions.

For further information, please consult the project website , where the Final report is available for download in both French and English.

Aboriginal Health Planning in the North Okanagan - (Regional, BC)

This project was a joint collaboration between the Social Planning Council of the North Okanagan , and seven aboriginal bands of the North Okanagan and Thompson regions. The intent of the project was to develop a new model for increasing the ability of aboriginal groups to participate in policy discussion and development with provincial and federal planning bodies.

A final project report and a report on the Building Collaboration Model are available, in English only, on the Social Planning Council for the North Okanagan SPCNO website.

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Policy Internships and Fellowships Program (PIAF) Program

The Policy Internships and Fellowships (PIAF) Pilot Project, under the Capacity Joint Table of the VSI, was launched in mid-May 2002. It was managed by the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development (CVSRD) of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University , in partnership with the University of Victoria 's Centre for Public Sector Studies (CPSS).

This unique project involved exchange initiatives, placing voluntary sector employees in the federal government and vice versa. The fellowships focused on policy-relevant research that directly relates to the voluntary sector, which provided specific knowledge, skills and expertise required by both sectors. They also provided an opportunity for greater collaboration and information sharing between government, academics, and the voluntary sector.

In 2003-2004 five public servants successfully undertook placements in the voluntary sector. In 2002-2003 three public servants and six practitioners from the voluntary sector successfully undertook their placements. To see their innovative policy work, and the summary report of the "Policy Internships and Fellowships - Bridging the Policy Dialogue between Voluntary Organizations and the Federal Government", please refer to the CVSRD website: www.cvsrd.org.