CCA Bulletin 42/08 – CCA Research Report: The Effects of Administrative Reforms on the Activities of Advocacy Groups

October 9, 2008

Just the facts

In preparation for the consultations it has organized over the coming two months in 14 cities throughout Canada, leading to the March 11-12, 2009 National Policy Conference in Ottawa, the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) has commissioned research papers to provide a common background for the discussions with its members and other stakeholders interested in art and culture in the country.

We are pleased to release today a second report entitled The Effects of Administrative Reforms on the Activities of Advocacy Groups which aims to describe changes in public governance in Canada in recent years, to assess the cultural sector's adaptation to this new environment, and to present potential future orientations for the sector. This research, prepared for the CCA over the summer by Pierre-André Hudon, doctoral student at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Ottawa. This research has been realized in partnership with the Centre on Governance of the University of Ottawa under the Canadian Conference of the Arts’ Cultural Policy: Next Generation Program. The CCA wants to thank particularly Dr. Caroline Andrew, Director, School of Political Studies, and Dr. Monica Gattinger, Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, without whom this project would not have been possible.

The following is an executive summary of the full report which we encourage you very much to consult in full in preparation for the CCA Regional Forums.

Executive Summary:

This study is one part literature review, covering theory relevant to the voluntary sector, and three parts case study. The report begins by recalling recent administrative reforms and analyzing their influence on the voluntary sector, and concludes the following:

Recent governance models (acquired from new public management and horizontal governance) have increased the responsibilities of the voluntary sector in terms of the planning and implementation of public policy, while at the same time raising accountability expectations.
Due to the destabilization of funding, the change in nature of their activities, and the obligation to comply with demanding performance-measurement and accountability requirements, these organizations' ability to fulfill their mandate has been hampered.
Despite allowing for greater collaboration between governments and this sector in planning and implementing policy, the horizontal governance model has also reduced these organization's ability to influence governments, and hence to effectively represent sectoral interests.

The paper then turns to an analysis of the specificities of the cultural sector (considered here as a sub sector within the voluntary realm), and identifies the challenges it faces. These challenges may be summarized as follows:

The cultural sector's legitimacy is contingent on its ability to transcend the dialogue between politicians and professionals in order to mobilize a wider audience by “speaking its language” and presenting culture and cultural institutions as tangible assets.
The cultural sector must recognize and adapt to the rise of local decision-making power (municipalities, local networks, etc.) and of globalized networks which erode traditional institutions based on national government.
The cultural sector must adapt to the horizontal governance model by engaging its stakeholders, by developing new abilities and by creating administrative structures that support these abilities.

Case studies constitute the third section of this paper. The analysis is focussed on the various adaptation strategies selected by comparable sectors or movements (environment, forestry, feminism) in the face of change, and yields the following conclusions:

The environmental sector derives its efficacy from its strong legitimacy, its sizeable media footprint (enhanced by an efficient use of spokespersons), as well as its careful selection of outlets according the message.
The forestry sector owes its influence mainly to its astute use of political leverage, the consistency and coherence of its message, and its legitimization through both concrete demonstration (presenting the tangible benefits of the industry: jobs, exports, etc.) and more symbolic appeals (use of salient imagery, participation in ecological discourse).
Feminist movements, despite facing similar constraints as the cultural sector, have found success by showing themselves able to sensitize a wide audience, keeping their strategic objectives in sight and becoming the main interlocutors in a wide range of issues affecting women.

The study finally presents the findings relevant to the cultural sector. The challenges this sector faces are numerous, and can be summarized as follows:

It must manage a less formal, more challenging form of interaction with various levels of government.
It must strive to continue to deliver results in an administrative context of scarce resources combined with high and costly accounting expectations.
It must remain relevant in order to consolidate its legitimacy.
Finally, it must cope with the gradual disappearance of cultural policy.

A profound, quasi-existential self-examination is therefore called for. The sector must consider its organization, the legitimacy of its demands and interventions and how this legitimacy is derived, as well as the very nature of its activities. The following orientations are suggested:

The sector's organization:
Greater interaction with local local/municipal bodies;
Greater interactions with the globalized cultural sector;
A more consistent message through improved coordination amongst the sector's constituent organizations.
The legitimacy of the sector's demands:
Greater visibility, derived from increased use of imagery and spokespersons;
Sparking a wide-ranging, public opinion debate reaching beyond public policy circles.
The nature of the sector's activities:
An in-depth look at what the sector aspires to, particularly when it comes to its stake in public policy planning and implementation;
Developing skills relevant to the new horizontal, contractual and decentralized governance paradigm.