This resource, Learning to Engage: Experiences with Civic Engagement in Canada offered by Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN), describes ways in which the Canadian government and its citizens engage with each other. It documents Canada’s contribution to the Commonwealth Foundation’s Citizen and Governance Programme, which “identifies ways to strengthen, promote, encourage and catalyze the wide variety of initiatives by citizens to address issues and problems in their everyday lives.” The Canadian Policy and Research Network (CPRN) coordinated the Canadian contribution to this study and wrote their findings in this report.

A detailed description is given on the Canadian system of government. It describes The Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA) and how the government is increasing its commitment for ensuring that the public is able to give input into the policy making process.

Six case studies are used to highlight different ways in which citizens and the government engage with each other in Canada. These case studies are excellent examples of civic engagement in Canada. The case studies show three different types of citizen-government engagement including 1) government initiated engagement, 2) citizen initiated engagement and 3) serious partnerships between governments and citizens. Each case study description includes background information on the problem, how citizens became engaged in the process, how the government fostered civic engagement, and what the final results were.

The document also suggests a model for engagement called the policy dialogue process. The CPRN used this model of engagement to discuss policy issues with approximately 3000 Canadians in a project called ‘The Society We Want’. This paper discusses the project, its outcomes and lessons that were learned in the process. This is a potentially useful tool for governments to use when trying to engage the public in their work.

Lastly, the paper describes steps that could be taken to improve the relationship between citizens and the government. It discuses building capacity, setting ground rules, and ways of reporting and evaluating results.

Source: Wyman, Miriam., David Shulman., and Laurie Ham. Learning to Engage: Experiences with Civic Engagement in Canada. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Policy Research Networks Inc.

Full source available at: www.cprn.com/en/doc.cfm?doc=86

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